Today’s post arrives a day late and one waffle cone short, but better late than never.
Here we are—the day after National Ice Cream Day—with a homemade ice cream recipe I’d happily enjoy any day of the year. It’s made with cake—specifically birthday cake—so it’s already a win. Delicious!
Below is the full recipe for homemade birthday cake ice cream.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons warm water
- 2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 tablespoons rainbow sprinkles (or to taste)
- 1/4 cup cake crumbs in four or five different colors (multiple colors are optional but make it more festive)
Instructions
In a small bowl, combine the warm water and cornstarch, stirring until the cornstarch dissolves. Set aside.
In a saucepan, combine the whole milk, heavy cream, granulated sugar, salt, and vanilla. Prepare a separate bowl with an ice bath to cool the custard quickly after cooking.
Place the saucepan over medium heat and bring the mixture to a steady simmer. Once simmering, continue to heat for 6 minutes, whisking as needed to keep the mixture smooth. Reduce the heat to low and slowly whisk in the cornstarch mixture.
Return the heat to medium and cook for an additional 2 minutes, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens slightly.
Remove the saucepan from the heat and immediately set it into the ice bath, stirring occasionally to help the base cool evenly and quickly.
When the mixture has cooled to room temperature, transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate for at least one hour to chill thoroughly.
Pour the chilled ice cream base into your ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions. While the ice cream is churning, add the colored cake crumbs and sprinkles so they distribute evenly.
Churning time will vary by machine; in my experience it took about 20 minutes for the ice cream to set up.
Once churned, transfer the ice cream to a freezer-safe container with an airtight lid and freeze overnight to firm up. Serve scooped into bowls or cones and enjoy.
Recipe: Anissa Saxton
Photography: Amelia Tatnall
Styling: Brittni Mehlhoff
P.S. Many thanks to Brittany from The House That Lars Built for naming me one of nine Instagrammers to follow for National Ice Cream Day. I appreciate the shout-out!