We Tried Baskin-Robbins' Happy Holly-Days Ice Cream Cake And It Filled Us With Joy

Baskin-Robbins is best known for its 31 flavors of ice cream, but it has also been a destination for ice cream cakes since 1962. The chain offers a variety of ice cream cakes for party planners any time of year, and during the winter holiday season, there's a bevy of perennial options from which to choose. Joining the parade this winter is a brand-new cake that Baskin-Robbins hopes captures the joy of the season — the Happy Holly-days Cake.

Designed to look like Christmas decorations, the Happy Holly-days cake could end up being the perfect dessert to feature on your table this holiday season. Before the celebrations begin, I wanted to see and taste for myself if this cake was worthy of spreading holiday cheer, or was perhaps a pretty-looking lump of coal. This review is based on the cake's taste and design. Without further ado, here is my chew and review for Baskin-Robbins' Happy Holly-days cake.

Some recommendations are based on first-hand impressions of promotional materials and products provided by the manufacturer.

Before indulging in the Happy Holly-days cake, there was much to admire just by looking at its exterior. The bottom has a nice trim of wavy dark brown frosting that tastes like a gooey chocolate topping found on a brownie. The sides and top base of the cake look as pure and white as snow. Digging a fork into the side of the cake reveals a soft shell made of smooth whipped cream.

Great attention was paid to the design of the top of the cake. Fine green pine needles are topped with dollops of red holly berries, and accompanied by icy blue waves and white rosettes. All of those elements tasted like standard vanilla frosting. Below those detailed adornments lie squiggly light brown lines of frosting that have a hint of nutty chocolate. Everything is capped off with a helping of tiny, pearl white nonpareils, which adds a nice touch of crunchy texture to the cake.

The cake and ice cream of the Happy Holly-days cake are customizable; I chose the default interior options of vanilla cake and vanilla ice cream. The ice cream was rich and creamy and made up two-thirds of the interior. The rest is filled out by the cake, which was dense at first, before becoming spongy-soft as it sat out longer. Overall, this is a solid ice cream cake that's all decked out to greet the season.

The Happy Holly-days Cake has three cake flavor options: confetti, chocolate, and the default choice of white cake. Ice cream is included in the cake, and the default selection is vanilla. Vanilla is the default option for the ice cream, however, any of Baskin-Robbins' flavors are available, including the December flavor of the month — Cup of Cocoa. 

There is also a Fudge Crunch version of the cake, which includes vanilla ice cream, fudge chocolate crunchies, and chocolate ice cream. The cake's top features a caramel praline topping, and icing in the shape of pine branches, eucalyptus leaves, and holly berries. You can also choose to have a special message written on top.

The Happy Holly-days Cake is a limited-edition item available now through the end of December, while supplies last, and at participating locations. The cake can be pre-ordered on Baskin-Robbins' website or app.  If ordering the cake in-store, one can ask for it by name or by using the product code H-167. Each cake is custom-made, but not directly in stores. It may require anywhere from 24 to 48 hours of advance notice to be completed and delivered to your nearest Baskin-Robbins location.

The cake can be ordered in a variety of shapes and sizes, from 6- to 9-inch rounds to an endless array of sheet cake styles that can even feed up to 48 people. Cake size options and prices vary by location, but a 6-inch round is about $30 and a 1/4 sheet is around $23. 

When it comes to holidays, the more food that's on a table, the merrier the meal. This is certainly true when it comes to the final round of the evening — dessert. This year, in addition to plates of iced Christmas Cookies, piles of candy canes, and cups of rich eggnog, why not add something new to the mix? Baskin-Robbins' Happy Holly-days cake is a solid choice that also feels like an old holiday tradition.

The Happy Holly-days cake is a simple crowd-pleaser, no matter what ice cream and cake fillings you choose. But the real appeal here is the cake's wreath-like, spirited design. It will not only make for a lovely centerpiece on your table but also serve as a conversation piece. In fact, the Happy Holly-days Cake is almost as pleasing to the eyes, as it is to the stomach.  Happy Holly-days indeed!