Cake does not have to be reserved just for birthday parties and celebrations. I made this Dairy Queen ice cream cake for no reason and found that doing so actually provided me with new insight into aspects of my relationship with food & Self that still needed healing.

Three things I learned in my eating disorder recovery from baking a cake just because

1. I still have food rules regarding how much dessert I am “allowed” to have (just one _____ ).
2. I can have two slices of cake if I want. This might sound obvious to some, but realizing that I could have seconds has been a game changer for my relationship with sweets.
3. Giving myself permission to eat more cake removed the overwhelming guilt I would experience as a result of not feeling satisfied with what I had already eaten. That guilt combined with the desire to eat more is what historically would trigger a binge. Realizing I could skip the guilt AND enjoy a second piece enabled me to address my craving in the moment instead of agonizing over it until my “willpower” wore thin. After eating to my satisfaction for a few days, the cake stopped having such a strong appeal to me. It was just another food in my kitchen that I was allowed to eat. This is how food habituation works—

Food Habituation in Binge Eating Disorder Recovery

When we repeatedly eat something, we reduce the stress we feel about eating it, as well as the obsession we tend to feel when we believe it’s off limits (with the exception of special occasions). In binge eating disorder recovery, experts recommend keeping “binge foods” in the house because it is the perceived restriction of those foods that usually causes you to binge on them, not the presence of the food itself.

If you grant yourself access to the binge food by keeping it in the house, you create an abundance mindset. If it’s in your pantry or freezer 24/7, you are able to become acquainted with the food in new contexts that might be less triggering or challenging to navigate. For example, you might only ever eat Oreos when you binge, but if you start keeping them in the house and allow yourself to eat a few with lunch every day, they will slowly lose their specialness as a binge food. As your comfort and familiarity with this food grows, eventually you might find yourself turning down Oreos when offered to you. Not because you “can’t” have them or because you don’t trust yourself to just eat a few, but for a variety of reasons, like they don’t sound good or you aren’t hungry.

This is the kind of freedom and comfort that comes with eating disorder recovery. It takes time and practice. And you won’t get it right every time. But if you just keep trying, eventually you will feel your relationship with food, body, and self shifting to be more satisfying and less stressful.

What food(s) do you need to give yourself permission to eat more of?

Homemade Dairy Queen Ice Cream Cake Recipe

This cake was so delicious and so easy to make. It is also massive, making it great for sharing (if you want to go that route). If you are planning to make this cake for an event, make sure you reserve several hours to bake the cake, refreeze the ice cream, and frost the finished product.

Cookware:

• 9 Inch Springform pan
• Additional 9 inch cake baking pan or cupcake pan
• 10 x 15 baking sheet (alternative sizes is okay)

Ingredients:

• 1 Box of Duncan Heinz Perfectly Moist Dark Chocolate Fudge Cake Mix
• 3 Eggs
• ½ Cup oil
• 20 Oreos, crushed
• 4 Tbsp butter, melted
• 1 Jar Hot Fudge
• ½ Gallon of Bluebell “Cookie Two Step” Ice Cream
• 2 Containers of Cool Whip

Instructions:

The Cake

1. Prepare the chocolate cake according to the package instructions.
2. Pour half of the mix into the springform pan, and the rest into either a 9 inch round pan or cupcake pan (you will not need all of the mix for the ice cream cake recipe).
3. Bake for 20 minutes, then check with a fork or toothpick if it is done. If the toothpick comes out clean, remove the cake from the oven.

The Oreo Fudge Layer

1. Get ice cream out of the freezer to soften.
2. Heat the oven to 350 and line a 10 x 15 baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. Crumble the Oreos and coat them in melted butter.
4. Bake for ten minutes.
5. Remove the lid from the hot fudge and heat the hot fudge in the microwave for 25-45 seconds.
6. Coat the cake with the melted fudge.
7. Layer the crushed Oreos on top of the hot fudge.

The Ice Cream

1. Coat with the entire ½ gallon of ice cream.
2. Smooth the top with a spoon.
3. Put the cake back in the freezer for at least 30 minutes

Icing the Cake

1. Remove the cool whip from the freezer and let it soften.
2. Take the cake out of the freezer and remove the springform sides.
3. Use a spoon or spatula to cover the cake with cool whip.
4. Add sprinkles, extra oreos, or whatever other toppings you desire. Enjoy!