Description
Sweet holiday berry delight ice-cream cake brings festive cheer to winter celebrations. Cool layers of creamy goodness merge with seasonal berries, creating a delectable dessert you’ll savor to the last delightful bite.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 litre (33.8 fl oz / 1000 ml) good-quality vanilla bean ice-cream
- 800 grams (28.2 oz) square dark fruit cake
- 550 grams (19.4 oz) frozen mixed berries
- 2 tbsps brandy or rum
- 1 ½ tsps finely grated mandarin or orange rind
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ cup (40 grams / 1.4 oz) dry-roasted almonds, chopped coarsely
- 10 vanilla flavour mini meringue drops
Instructions
- Preparation: Grease a 20cm springform pan and line the base and sides with parchment paper, ensuring complete coverage.
- Cake Foundation: Slice the fruit cake into three horizontal layers and arrange them in the prepared pan.
- Berry Decoration: Press frozen berries against the pan’s interior walls using softened vanilla ice cream as an adhesive, creating a frost-kissed border.
- Flavor Fusion: In a mixing bowl, combine softened vanilla bean ice cream with brandy, nutmeg, citrus zest, and chopped almonds until thoroughly blended.
- Layer Assembly: Construct alternating layers of spiced ice cream mixture and crumbled cake trimmings, ensuring even distribution and textural complexity.
- Freezing Process: Transfer the dessert to the freezer and allow it to set completely for a minimum of four hours or preferably overnight.
- Presentation: Release the springform pan and transfer the cake to a serving plate, adorning the top with fresh berries and delicate meringue droplets.
- Serving and Storage: Serve directly from the freezer and preserve any remaining cake by wrapping securely in plastic wrap for up to one week.
Notes
- Prep Ahead Strategy: Complete cake assembly 1-2 days before serving to allow flavor melding and stress-free entertaining.
- Freezing Pro Tip: Ensure freezer temperature remains consistently below -18°C for perfect texture and preventing ice crystal formation.
- Berry Placement Technique: Work quickly when positioning frozen berries to maintain their vibrant color and prevent premature thawing.
- Alcohol Adjustment: Replace brandy with orange liqueur or vanilla extract for family-friendly version without compromising depth of flavor.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Mixing
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 11
- Calories: 370
- Sugar: 32 g
- Sodium: 80 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 47 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 40 mg