Homemade Ice Cream Cake – Recipe

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I love ice cream cake. If given a choice for a treat I would pick an ice cream cake. Living in a rural area they are not something I can just go out and get easily so I decided to try and make my own. I am not going to tell you this is simple project. It’s not difficult, it is tme consuming and you do need some kitchen gadgets to make it work. I tried this several times before I came up with the different components that all worked together to make a delicious homemade ice cream cake recipe.

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I work with a Cuisinart 2 quart ice cream maker and I have two bowls so this does make the project easier and it comes together faster than if I only had one bowl. The ice cream recipes I show below are for that machine. I also use goat’s milk but obviously cow’s milk can be used.

Homemade Ice Cream Cake

For the Vanilla Ice Cream base
1 quart of milk
1 pint of heavy cream
4 egg yolks
1 cup of sugar, divided
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
1 tsp pure vanilla
pinch of salt

For the Chocolate Ice Cream base
1 quart of milk
1 pint of heavy cream
4 egg yolks
1 cup of sugar, divided
1/3 cup good cocoa
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp pure vanilla
pinch of salt

For the Chocolate Cookies (recipe from Fine Cooking)
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup plus 2 TBS unsweetened cocoa powder – USE GOOD COCOA, it makes all the difference in the world
1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
2/3 tsp salt
3/8 tsp baking powder
1 cup and 5 TBS softened unsalted butter
4 1/2 TBS whole milk
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

For the Frosting
1/2 cup egg whites (about 4 large)
1 cup sugar
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
1 cup of water
1 TBS pure vanilla extract

Vanilla

• Mix the milk and cream with 1/2 cup of sugar, the salt and scraped seeds and vanilla bean.
• Heat just to boiling and let cool ’til just hot to the touch. Remove the vanilla bean pieces.
• In a bowl whisk the yolks and other 1/2 cup of sugar.
• Slowly temper the egg mixture by adding a small amount of the hot milk mixture until it is all blended in.
• Strain the mixture back into the pot and heat until it coats the back of a spoon. Add the vanilla extract.
• Strain into a bowl and cool completely.
• Pour into the ice cream maker and use per instructions.

Chocolate:

• Mix the milk and cream with 1/2 cup of sugar, the salt. Heat just to boiling and let cool ’til just hot to the touch.
• In a bowl whisk the yolks, the cocoa and other 1/2 cup of sugar.
• Slowly temper the egg mixture by adding a small amount of the hot milk mixture until it is all blended in.
• Strain the mixture back into the pot and heat until it coats the back of a spoon. Add the vanilla extract.
• Strain into a bowl and cool completely.
• Pour into the ice cream maker and use per instructions.

Make the Cookies:

• If you don’t want to make the cookies you can use any crisp chocolate wafer type cookie.
  Cream the butter and sugar.
• Add in the flour, cocoa, salt and baking powder.
• On low mix in the milk and vanilla.
• Just as the dough forms together take it out of the bowl and place it onto a lightly floured counter and form it into a log.
• Cut the log into three pieces and wrap them in foil.
• Refrigerate the logs for at least 4 hours or overnight.
• When you are ready to bake:
• Preheat the oven to 350°
• Remove the logs from the refrigerator.

• Slice each log into 1/4″ pieces.

• Place them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment or a silpat mat.
• Bake them for a total of 15 – 18 minutes, switching them around halfway through baking until they are just set but not brown around the edges.

• Let them cool on a rack until they are very crisp.These are a really lovely chocolate wafer cookie. They make delicious ice cream sandwiches!

• To use them for the ice cream cake I just put the cookies in a bag and have at them with my rolling pin.

Assemble the Ice Cream Cake:

• I put the vanilla on the bottom so I make the vanilla ice cream first. I use a 9″ springform pan.
  The cookie recipe make far more cookies than you will need for one ice cream cake. I eat some and I put the extra crumbs in the freezer for the next time.
• Sprinkle some crumbs on the bottom of the springform pan and after the vanilla ice cream has been run through the ice cream maker pour it into the pan. I put the pan on a plate so if it does leak I don’t have a mess in my freezer. Smooth the top with an offset spatula.
• Put the pan in a deep freezer.

I WOULD NOT ATTEMPT THIS WITHOUT A DEEP FREEZER. I don’t think a regular freezer with it’s frost free cycles would harden fast enough.

• Let it stay in the freezer for at least 8 hours or overnight.

• Remove the springform pan from the deep freezer and sprinkle the top of the vanilla layer with chocolate cookie crumbs.

• Pour the chocolate ice cream on top and smooth it with an offset spatula. Back into the deep freezer for 8 hours or over night.

Make the Frosting: (Making the frosting is a simple but you must be very careful because you are working with boiling sugar water and it is H.O.T. I was alone when I was doing this so I do not have photos.)

• Put the egg whites in the bowl of your stand mixer. Get your candy thermometer.
• Put the sugar, water and cream of tartar in a small pan on the stove and stir to combine.
• Bring the mixture to a boil over med-high heat, cover and let boil for 3 minutes.
• Remove the lid and insert the candy thermometer.When the temperature hits 235° start whipping the egg whites.

IF THEY GET TO THE STIFF PEAK STAGE BEFORE THE SUGAR MIXTURE HITS 242° TURN THE MIXER TO LOW TO WAIT FOR THE SUGAR WATER.

• When the sugar water hits 242°remove it from the heat and SLOWLY pour it down the side of your bowl. Stand back in case it spatters. DO NOT POUR IT DIRECTLY ONTO THE WHISK.
• IT IS HOT.
• IT WILL BURN.
• BE CAREFUL Trust me on this one.

• Add the vanilla and keep beating until you have a light, delicious, airy bit of fluff in the bowl, about 5 minutes. Mine took about 4 minutes. Watch it so you don’t overbeat it.

Frosting the Ice Cream Cake:

• Remove the cake from the deep freezer. To unmold you can either dip it in a sink of hot water for about three seconds or run a  butter knife around the edge. I have found the butter knife to work a little bit better. Then release the catch on the springform pan.
• The cake is quite frozen but you still have to work quickly – especially if it is summer and it is warm.

• Place the cake on a turntable if you have one. And frost away!
• I found that this icing just worked perfectly. When you are done return it to the freezer to harden before serving.

• The finished cake can be decorated with flowers like those I made with Russian piping tips or if you like a simple look, some sprinkles.

How Was the Homemade Ice Cream Cake Recipe?

This ice cream cake was delicious. The frosting is not too sweet and it doesn’t detract from the ice cream itself.  I realize this is a project but it is, at least for me one worth tackling ’cause it’s the only way I’m going to have ice cream cake.

Now it’s on to experimenting with flavors and add ins! Oh the fun to be had! Not to mention the other great ice cream desserts to enjoy like Ice Cream Napoleons or Lemon Raspberry Angel Food Cake with Chocolate Cinnamon Ice Cream.

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