Ice Cream Cake
by Nigella. Featured in NIGELLA EXPRESSIntroduction
I don't think a cook's job should be to deceive, but there is something appealing about the fact that this looks and tastes as if it were incredibly hard work and yet involves no more than a bit of stirring. You must, though, serve a warm sauce with it — the crowning glory — and I've certainly given you options below.
To be frank, you can choose different biscuits, different nuts and nobbly bits to mix in with the ice cream and given crunch, texture and sudden shards of flavour. I find it hard to believe, however, that this could be in any way improved. Sorry, but that's just how it is.
For US cup measures, use the toggle at the top of the ingredients list.
I don't think a cook's job should be to deceive, but there is something appealing about the fact that this looks and tastes as if it were incredibly hard work and yet involves no more than a bit of stirring. You must, though, serve a warm sauce with it — the crowning glory — and I've certainly given you options below.
To be frank, you can choose different biscuits, different nuts and nobbly bits to mix in with the ice cream and given crunch, texture and sudden shards of flavour. I find it hard to believe, however, that this could be in any way improved. Sorry, but that's just how it is.
For US cup measures, use the toggle at the top of the ingredients list.
Ingredients
Yields: 8-10 slices
- 1½ litres vanilla ice cream
- 100 grams honey roast peanuts
- 200 grams peanut butter morsels (or nestle swirled milk chocolate or chocolate chips of your choice)
- 1 x 40 grams crunchie bar (broken into shards and dusty rubble)
- 150 grams bourbon biscuits (broken up into crumbs and rubble)
- 1 batch chocolate sauce (see Flourless Chocolate Brownies With Hot Chocolate Sauce for recipe)
- 1 batch butterscotch sauce (see Butterscotch Fruit Fondue for recipe)
- 2½ pints vanilla ice cream
- ¾ cup honey roast peanuts
- 1¼ cups peanut butter morsels (or nestle swirled milk chocolate or chocolate chips of your choice)
- 2 ounces crunchie bar (broken into shards and dusty rubble)
- 1½ cups oreo cookies (broken up into crumbs and rubble)
- 1 batch chocolate sauce (see Flourless Chocolate Brownies With Hot Chocolate Sauce for recipe)
- 1 batch butterscotch sauce (see Butterscotch Fruit Fondue for recipe)
Method
- Let the ice cream soften either in the fridge for a while, or out in the kitchen.
- Line a 20cm / 8 inch springform tin with clingfilm, both in the bottom and sides of the tin so that you have some overhang at the top.
- Empty the slightly softened ice cream into a bowl and mix in the peanuts, 150g / 1 cup chocolate and peanut butter morsels or chocolate chips, Crunchie bar shards and 100g / 1 cup of the Bourbon biscuits crumbs.
- Scrape the ice cream mixture into the springform tin, flattening the top like a cake, cover the top with clingfilm and place in the freezer to firm up.
- Serve the cake straight from the freezer, unmoulding from the tin and pulling the clingfilm gently away, before putting on a plate or cake stand. Let it stand and soften for about 5 minutes before cutting.
- Sprinkle the top of the cake with the extra 50g / ¼ cup of chocolate and peanut butter morsels or chocolate chips, and the remaining Bourbon biscuits crumbs.
- Cut into slices and serve with the butterscotch and chocolate sauces, letting both dribble lacily over each slice.
- Let the ice cream soften either in the fridge for a while, or out in the kitchen.
- Line a 20cm / 8 inch springform tin with clingfilm, both in the bottom and sides of the tin so that you have some overhang at the top.
- Empty the slightly softened ice cream into a bowl and mix in the peanuts, 150g / 1 cup chocolate and peanut butter morsels or chocolate chips, Crunchie bar shards and 100g / 1 cup of the oreo cookies crumbs.
- Scrape the ice cream mixture into the springform tin, flattening the top like a cake, cover the top with clingfilm and place in the freezer to firm up.
- Serve the cake straight from the freezer, unmoulding from the tin and pulling the clingfilm gently away, before putting on a plate or cake stand. Let it stand and soften for about 5 minutes before cutting.
- Sprinkle the top of the cake with the extra 50g / ¼ cup of chocolate and peanut butter morsels or chocolate chips, and the remaining oreo cookies crumbs.
- Cut into slices and serve with the butterscotch and chocolate sauces, letting both dribble lacily over each slice.
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Show more commentsThis is such a wonderful treat! It goes together in about 5 minutes and wows guests every time. Bought ice cream cakes are expensive and don't even come close to tasting this good. I adapted this slightly by adding a cookie base (I used the base for the Salted Chocolate Tart and left out the salt) and using a 9 inch, fluted tart pan. Paired up with the Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge Sauce from "Express", this is a guaranteed grand finale!
Frankly I didn't expect much of this recipe, I don't even like sweet peanuts. I even dare to warn my husband about my reservation. I had little time and I needed to bring dessert to diner with friends and after making my favorite speedy ice-cream ever "No-Churn Salted Caramel Bourbon Ice Cream" (thank you Nigella!) I proceeded with this one. When I gave it a taste before I put it in the fridge, oh boy was I surprised! Not only it was absolutely great, but I had to stop myself tasting. When I brought it to dinner I knew that the caramel ice cream would be a winner but this one had the same success. I should have known better than doubt...
Made this for a Dinner Party! so easy to make in advance, so no hassle on the day. I also used chocolate covered raisins, instead of the peanut butter chips. Fantastic !
This recipe is unbelievably simple and easy to make and prepare. Chuck all the ingredients together, and it's pretty much done. This desserts tastes heavenly, but if it is decorated nicely it will bring a bit of elegance to the table and will win over your dinner party guests. Granted this dessert is rather sickly, with lashings of various sauces and chocolate - it is to die for! I would highly recommend this recipe to anyone - it's definitely worth a try.
this is the most delicious indulgent, easy to make dessert ever! A firm favourite with my family. Thank you Nigella! x
While in Singapore I came accross liquid buttercream - bit like liquid egg white. You mix in kitchen aid for 6 mins then pipe it onto the frozen ice cream cake. Apparently it can be eaten directly from the freezer. Anyone know where I can purchase the liquid buttercream in the UK please?
This is our favourite desert in summer and winter, and it draws loads of compliments, and lots of friends and family ask for the recipe. Winner every time, thanks Nigella.
For a christmas dessert, I took the lid off the top of a Panettone (Italian Christmas cake) and hollowed it out. I then placed the ice cream mixture into the Panettone, sealed it with cling wrap and replaced the top of the Panettone as a lid. I then put it into the freezer to harden and drizzled melted white chocolate over before serving. Delicious!
This is so simple and will look quite elegant on my table at dessert time. Thank you.