Hosting a Girls' Night Cake & Ice Cream Social

Are you as addicted to ice cream as I am?! No matter the time of day, or weather, I always want that sweet hit! Do you have a favorite flavor? I always grab an espresso-flavored one if we are out at a specialty shop! At home, there is none other than Blue Bunny Cherry Chocolate Chunk.

This past week, I wanted to host a cake and ice cream social for my girlfriends—a time to get away from responsibilities for a bit and indulge in our sweet tooth. Anytime I am setting up for a party, I start with a checklist for my ideas. The Theme/Decor, Food/Drink, Attire, and Entertainment, if needed. The theme for this one was simple, a MacKenzie-Childs Cake and Ice Cream social.

Thank you for being a Terra Nelson Home reader; I have a MacKenzie-Childs sitewide discount code for you!!! I added it to the graphic at the end of this post. Thank you so much for being here, and thank you, MacKenzie-Childs, for sponsoring this blog post.

Setting the table for this ice cream social felt so whimsical. My home is all warm, neutrals, and organic and these MacKenzie-Childs pieces were a fun, bold mix of patterns for the party. This goes to show you can have any style of home and use this pattern. This is their classic line, the courtly check. It’s my first set, and I am officially hooked. I can see why they have such a loyal following. They are handmade in New York by artisans. Each piece is handmade, hand-painted, and no two are exactly alike.

I set the table with plates, saucers, ice cream dishes, part of the beautiful flatware set, and serving utensils like a cake knife and ice cream scoop. How gorgeous is all of this!? Even though the courtly check is an iconic pattern, it is very trending and hot this year! I found clear gold-rimmed chargers at Hobby Lobby that match wonderfully with my MacKenzie-Childs set.

Peep the ice cream cones in a clear jar on the back wall for simple yet dramatic decor!

I served Vanilla Bean, Chocolate, and, selfishly, my favorite, Cherry Chocolate Chunk, LOL. I wanted a cake flavor that would complement all ice cream flavors, so I chose a honey cake. It was so good! When it came to toppings, I opted for the classics; coconut flakes, cherries, chocolate chips, nuts, candy bar chunks, and hot fudge.

How adorable are these custom DIY paper wraps!? I found this paper in a similar pattern to the courtly check, and I wrapped the cones with a paper cut-out template. You could easily personalize them by printing your own design.

I kept it simple on the bar cart with a gorgeous flower arrangement. I served milk and iced water with these 20oz tumblers and matching straws. I kept the paper towels and extra bowels close on the bottom of the cart.