A Simple Ice Cream Cake for New Years

 

My friend Shirley posted a photo of a delicious looking ice cream cake on Facebook on Christmas Day.  Oh my but it looked good.  I just had to ask for the recipe. This was her reply:

   " I lined a loaf tin with cling film then put after eight mints on the bottom and sides. Then soften some ice cream and add whatever you like. I used some brownie chunks and mint areos. Then pop more mints on top and re-freeze. I dusted with icing sugar before serving. You could use anything in the ice cream mix....Christmas pudding, choc chunks, cranberries, cherries, toffee etc. Customize it to taste!"



Easy peasy!!  I hesitate to even call it a recipe because it's so simple even a child could make it!  All you need are a variety of bits and bobs to layer with the ice cream in the pan.  If you didn't want to use mints on the outsides, you could use flat chocolate biscuits, which would be nice, or custard creams, or whatever.

 

You  could drizzle the layers with your favourite kind of ice cream topping . . . Dulce de Leche, Chocolate Fudge, Strawberry Jam . . .

 

You could use any flavour of  Ice Cream you want to use.  I am thinking that chocolate ice cream would go really well with bits of marshmallow, cherries . . . toasted praline nuts . . . or broken up Terry's Chocolate Oranges.

 

Hopefully you can see where I am going with this.   Just use your imagination and what you have to hand, just making sure that the flavours you use are ones which go well together.  Cherry and  toasted almonds.  Milk Chocolate and Orange.  Lemon and Vanilla.  Peanut butter and Chocolate.   Broken Digestives, peanut butter, chocolate and marshmallows . . .  there is no end to the combinations you could come up with.

 

The most important thing is to have fun with it.  I don't think I've ever seen an easier dessert or one that was as ooohed and aaahed over.  Happy New Year!




* Simple Ice Cream Cake*
Makes about 10 servings
Printable Recipe

This is so easy to do and so adaptable.  I hesitate to even call it a recipe.   It's just basically layering ice cream with some of your favourite goodies.

1 litre of vanilla ice cream (1/2 quart), slightly softened
1 box of thin mint chocolate patties (such as After Eights)
4 mint aero bars, broken
5 shortbread biscuits, broken up, or broken up
(brownies or other sweet squares or biscuits, even rice crispie squares
work well.  You want something which will go with the mint)
pieces of fudge or caramels chopped

To serve:
icing sugar to dust
little chocolate candies and sprinkles, silver dragees, etc.

 

Line a loaf tin with some plastic cling film, allowing it to drape over the sides.  Line the tin with a layer of the mint patties.  (Place them so that their right sides will be facing out, when you unmold the cake.)
Fill the tin with 1/3 of the softened ice cream.  Top with 1/2 of the broken aero bars, biscuits and fudge bits top with another third of the ice cream pressing it down. Sprinkle with the remaining aeros, biscuits and fudge and then top with the final third of the ice cream.  Top with a final layer of mint patties.  Fold the cling film over top to cover tightly and place into the freezer for at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours.

When you are ready to serve, Uncover the top of the cake and tip it out onto a serving tray about 15 minutes before you plan on serving it.  Carefully peel off the cling film.  Dust with some icing sugar and sprinkle with candies, dragees, sprinkles, etc.

Cut into slices with a warm wet knife to serve.

Note:  The best thing about this is that you can use whatever you have to hand.   Candy cane ice cream would be lovely, or chocolate ice cream with chocolate orange chunks.  Malteasers, leftover Christmas chocolates, crumbled Christmas pudding, or whatever else is available.

Mmmm . . . Next up Chocolate Orange Chip Cookies, filled with lots of chocolate orange chunks, semi sweet chocolate chips and toasted walnuts.