‘This isn’t ice cream’: Woman questions Carvel ice cream cake after it never melted
When Hope (@hopestreetsnacks), a TikToker known for her love of all things snack-related, posted a video that has racked up 300,000 views, she tapped into a collective curiosity about frozen treats.
"OMG HOW IS THIS REAL," she wrote in the clip's caption.
Her issue was a Carvel Ice Cream cake that defied the laws of physics by not melting, even after being discarded in the trash for a full day.
"This was a Carvel Ice Cream cake that I bought for my child for her first birthday," Hope explains, filming the half-eaten ice cream cake open on the counter. "It was so good. I ate it, except I put it in the garbage 24 hours ago, and it didn't melt. So I think this isn't ice cream."
As she debated tasting the dessert for scientific research, Hope ultimately couldn’t do it.
"Oh my God, what is that? I'm debating eating this just to taste it... No, I can't do it, I'm so sorry," she says. "This isn't ice cream. Look..." Her spoon digs into a substance that resembles neither ice cream nor the liquid form one might expect from a day-old dessert in the trash. Instead, it presents a pudding-like consistency that refuses to drip or droop.
The comments section quickly became a forum for speculation, humor, and a bit of science.
One user quipped, "how come u throw it away instead of putting it in the fridge as a sweet treat."
Another jumped to Carvel's defense, clarifying the product’s make-up: "Well it’s ice cream cake, not straight-up ice scream."
The discussion took a turn towards the scientific when a third commenter introduced a potential explanation: "Xanthan gum. It’s a stabilizer in a lot of ice creams." This prompted a response from Hope, "Hold up so it’s real milk but xanthan gum makes it not melt?"
This dialogue begged for a deeper look into the world of "Frozen Dairy Dessert" versus traditional ice cream. According to regulatory definitions, for a product to be marketed as ice cream in the U.S., it must contain a minimum of 10% milkfat and adhere to specific overrun criteria. Anything falling short of these requirements might find itself relegated to the category of "frozen dairy dessert," where lower fat content, higher air content, and the inclusion of stabilizers like xanthan gum are common.
These "frozen dairy desserts" are designed to mimic ice cream's sensory appeal but often do so with a cocktail of ingredients aimed at lowering production costs, fitting into the broader genre of ultra-processed foods. What we often enjoy as ice cream might technically be a "frozen dairy dessert," showcasing the savvy shopper’s duty to scrutinize food labels.
@hopestreetsnacks OMG HOW IS THIS REAL #icecream #carvel ♬ original sound - Hope street snacks
Hope's video is emblematic of the modern food landscape, where not all desserts are created equal, and sometimes, a deeper understanding of what's in our bowl can make a dramatic difference in dietary know-how. So, the next time you reach into the case at the frozen section, take a moment to check whether you're about to enjoy real ice cream or a "frozen dairy dessert"—your stomach just might thank your eyes.
The Daily Dot has reached out to Carvel via email and Hope via TikTok comment for further information.
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