Ice Cream Cake

The ice cream cake is a fresh and delicious dessert, perfect for the warmer months or when you’re in the mood for something sweet yet refreshing. Here’s a basic recipe that you can personalize to your taste.

Ingredients

• 200 g of dry biscuits (like Digestives)
• 100 g of melted butter
• 500 ml of vanilla ice cream (or your preferred flavor)
• 100 g of dark chocolate
• 200 ml of whipping cream
• Fresh fruit, hazelnut grains, or other for decoration (optional)

Preparation

1. Start by crushing the biscuits in a mixer until it reaches a consistency similar to that of bread crumbs. Mix the chopped biscuits with the melted butter to obtain a homogeneous mixture.
2. Line a springform pan with parchment paper and pour in the biscuit mixture, pressing it down well to create the base of the cake. Place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to harden.
3. Meanwhile, take the ice cream out of the freezer to let it soften a little. When it’s workable, spread it over the cooled biscuit base, creating an even layer.
4. Put it back in the freezer for a couple of hours, until the ice cream has firmed up again.
5. Melt the chocolate in a bain-marie or microwave and let it cool down.
6. Whip the cream. When the chocolate has cooled, gently fold it into the whipped cream and spread this layer over the ice cream cake.
7. Decorate the cake as you like with fresh fruit, hazelnut grains, or according to your tastes.
8. Place the ice cream cake back in the freezer for at least another hour before serving it. Remember to remove it from the freezer a few minutes before cutting to make slicing easier.

Curiosity

The ice cream cake is a versatile dessert that you can customize in countless ways. For example, you can use chocolate ice cream, strawberry ice cream, or add layers of fruit between the ice cream and cream. It is also common to include a layer of Italian meringue or caramel sauce.

For an Italian twist, you might opt for tiramisu-flavored ice cream and decorate the cake with chocolate-covered coffee beans. Or, for a more typically Italian flavor, you might replace the Digestive biscuits with crumbled Tuscan cantucci, which will add crunchiness and an almond taste.