Ina Garten's Oscar Party Dessert Is So Opulent It Deserves Its Own Award

On March 15th, 2026, Hollywood's biggest stars will take to the red carpet to strut their stuff at the 98th Academy Awards. Not every celebrity will be in attendance, though. While Ina Garten is no stranger to awards shows — the Food Network series host, author, and entrepreneur has racked up four Daytime Emmys over the course of her career — she'll be watching the stars of the silver screen at her own Oscar party. She turned to Instagram on March 11 to give fans a preview of the night's showcase, a chocolate ganache cake with crème anglaise.

The dessert may sound deluxe, but, true to Garten's brand, it's not difficult to undertake. "It's a very simple, very dense cake," Garten says in the video, adding that it was also one of the classic cakes featured on her series, "Barefoot Contessa." Fans can find the recipe on the Barefoot Contessa website.

"You can make the cake in advance, wrap it well, and refrigerate it for up to a few days," Garten writes in the post's caption. "Then on the day of the party, I'll make the ganache; it's actually even easier to spread it on a cold cake!" Don't skip that last part — as Garten notes about its combination of chocolate, cream, and coffee, "The magic is in the ganache."

The easiest part of Garten's Oscar night recipe? The crème anglaise. "I've melted some Häagen-Dazs vanilla ice cream," she says as she gives a whole pint of Häagen-Dazs a whirl in the microwave. Melted ice cream may seem like an odd topping for a deluxe dessert, but there's a method to Garten's madness. "Ice cream is crème anglaise that's been frozen," she explains.

Garten is right. Vanilla Häagen-Dazs has the exact same ingredients as traditional crème anglaise, a thin custard made from milk or cream, sugar, egg yolks, and vanilla. The custard is often served over berries or used as a topping for cakes. Making custard the old-fashioned way is a delicate process, though, so Garten's ingenious crème anglaise hack is one way to cut down on pre-party stress.

However, check the ingredients before using another brand of ice cream. Häagen-Dazs's pared-down ingredient list is fairly unique. Most ice cream on the market contains gums or additives, and not all contain egg. If Häagen-Dazs isn't an option, try to find an ice cream that matches the contents of traditional crème anglaise as closely as possible.

Want to serve your cake Ina Garten style? Pair it with strawberries and champagne. "A slice with a glass of champagne feels so decadent while watching all those gorgeous people walk the red carpet," she writes in the post's caption — as if she's not a gorgeous person herself.