Trying Dunkin’s Baskin-Robbins Ice Cream Cake Donut

I’m probably late to the ice cream cake trend, friends. I don’t recall ever savoring a scoop of ice cream folded into cake in a single bowl, yet this combo clearly has a devoted birthday-dessert following. Case in point: Dunkin’ unveiled a new creme-filled donut inspired by Baskin-Robbins Ice Cream Cake. I headed to Dunkin’ to parse this mashup of four distinct desserts—Cookie, Ice Cream, Cake, and Donut—an intersection that might just set a dessert ouroboros record.

It’s been a while since I checked out a Dunkin’ donut, for one straightforward reason. The Fruit Punch donut released earlier this year wasn’t exactly my cup of tea. I’ll admit I was a bit wary about what else that innovation lab considered worth releasing. That said, this donut arrived with strong endorsements, and as you’ll soon discover, I have a soft spot for its color palette.

Is this actually a Baskin-Robbins collaboration?

The answer, in practice, is a nuanced yes-and-no. Dunkin’ and Baskin-Robbins are both owned by Inspire Brands, so there isn’t a barrier to an official cross-brand collaboration between the two siblings of the same corporate family. However, the promotional copy for this Dunkin’ donut describes it as “inspired by” Baskin-Robbins. Accordingly, I’m comfortable referring to it as a Baskin-Robbins Ice Cream Cake donut in spirit, even if Dunkin’ stops short of declaring a formal partnership.

Dunkin’ Ice Cream Cake Donut Evaluation

Brand-new Dunkin’ Donut!

Pros: You don’t have to strain to be impressed by a vanilla-and-chocolate treat. Between Shake Shack’s Black & White Shake and the countless black-and-white cookies out there, I’m always up for a nice monochrome celebration. This donut toggles between flavors several times, and it does so with style. A yeast ring is stuffed with chocolate buttercream, finished with vanilla buttercream, and lavishly encrusted with chocolate cookie crumble.

The end result is a donut that flips between vanilla and chocolate not just with each bite, but with every chew. I’d love to see this concept revisited with twists like Strawberry or Peanut Butter Ice Cream Cakes. I’m all for excess, and this pastry delivers more than you’d expect for the price tag.

Cons: The cookie crumble texture gets buried under such a thick layer of buttercream, though it still contributes to the overall flavor contrast I clearly enjoy. (I’m not sure when I became a professional donut nitpicker, but here I am.)

Rating:

8.5/10