Whale of a Wife Cake

“A Milhouse Divided,” season 8, episode 6

Woo hoo! Ice cream cake! This recipe is courtesy of Season 8’s “A Milhouse Divided,” which follows the crumbling marriage of Milhouse’s parents and causes Homer to realize he hasn’t been the best husband (duh).

A flashback to their shotgun wedding shows Marge super pregnant. Their lonely reception is outside what is clearly a Carvel Ice Cream shop where Homer buys a store-bought Fudgie the Whale lookalike cake that says “To a Whale of a Wife.” Yikes. Read the rest of the article here and make your own whale-shaped cake below.

Whale of a Wife Cake

You’ll Need: 
Cardboard
Some awesome cardboard skills
Razor blade or Exacto knife
Hot glue gun
Plastic wrap
Tape
Chocolate ice cream
Vanilla ice cream
Chocolate cookies or sandwich cookies
Whipped topping 
Blue food coloring
A pastry bag and writing tip and a wider or star-shaped tip (or 2 zip-top bags with a corner cut off, making a small hole and a bigger whole)

Step 1: 
Make your cardboard whale. This is all going to depend on your patience, cardboard skills, and dedication. I cut thick cardboard strips, scored them every half inch on one side, and created a whale shape. I glued the pieces down to a big rectangle of cardboard with a glue gun and attached the edges with duct tape. Full disclosure: I might have made mine too big, and might have been forced to make a special trip to the store to get another gallon of ice cream so that my whale wasn’t two inches tall. It also barely fit in my freezer, so make sure to test that out before you even get started.

Sound too overwhelming? You can always make a thin whale cake by spreading each layer of ice cream onto a lined jelly roll pan and then cutting out the shape of a whale once it’s all frozen. Ice the thing with whipped cream and no one will be the wiser. Plus you’ll have leftover bits for later. Or just find a Carvel store and beg them to write “To a Whale of a Wife” on top.

Step 2: 
Line your cardboard whale with plastic wrap. Make sure you get every nook and cranny and use plenty of overlap. I placed a giant piece in the bottom and pressed it into the corners, and then used three or four pieces to line the edges, overlapping each one with the bottom and the other side pieces. You can use tape to secure the edges to the outside of the cardboard.

Step 3: 
Take the chocolate ice cream out of the freezer and let it thaw for 15-30 minutes depending on how hot your kitchen is. Scoop it out and into the bottom of your whale and gently help it get into all of the corners. It should be a pretty level layer on the bottom. Top with room temperature chocolate fudge sauce, drizzling in an even-ish layer. Freeze! No, not you, the ice cream. Freeze it for at least an hour, two is better.

Step 4: 
Grind your cookies into crumbs. You can use a food processor, or go caveman on it with a large zip-top bag and a rolling pin. Sprinkle a layer evenly on top of the chocolate ice cream and fudge. Press down lightly and return to the freezer for another two to three hours or more.

Step 5: 
Take the vanilla ice cream out of the freezer and let it thaw just like you did with the chocolate ice cream. Carefully spread it on top of the chocolate ice cream and fudge and cookies in an even layer. Freeze for, you guessed it, hours. Ideally four or more.

Optional Step 5 ½: 
I made my whale too big. Whoops. So I made another layer of fudge and cookies and then more chocolate ice cream. You know the drill.

Step 6: 
Thaw your whipped topping if it is frozen, but keep it cold. Mix most of it with blue food coloring, leaving a cup or so white, until the desired color is reached. Place in the fridge.

Step 7: 
Remove the cake from the freezer and carefully remove the cardboard walls. Try not to deform your whale, and slide the side pieces of plastic wrap off or just smooth them down onto the bottom piece of cardboard that is serving as a plate.

Step 8: 
Ice the cake with the blue whipped cream. You will want to work relatively quickly and carefully since as the ice cream melts it’ll want to make a mess. If things get too messy, slide the cake in the freezer for 30 minutes before continuing. Ice the top and sides with a nice layer of delicious blue. Put the cake in the freezer while you get ready to decorate.

Step 9: 
Place some white whipped topping in a pastry bag or a zip-top bag fitted with a small, circle pastry tip. If you don’t have one, just cut a small hole in one of the bottom corners of a zip-top bag. Grab another pastry bag or zip-top bag and add some white whipped topping to it, using a wider or star-shaped tip (or just cutting a bigger whole).

Step 10: 
Decorate! Use the bag with the small tip to write “To a Whale of a Wife” in big loopy cursive, just like they taught you in grade school. Use the bag with the bigger hole to decorate the edges. And now it’s time for the final freeze! Slide that baby in the freezer for at least a few hours, overnight would be great.