No-churn blackberry and biscuit ice cream cake recipe
Deliciously indulgent but by no means extravagant in terms of cost, this homemade ice cream cake tastes fantastic, is easy to make and, best of all, doesn’t call for an ice cream machine. The double cream lends the ice cream a luxurious richness, the biscuit layer adds a lovely crunch to the base, and the blackberries provide pops of colour and a tart sweetness.
The recipe features in former Great British Bake Off semi-finalist Hermine Dossou’s latest book, The Thrifty Baker: Shop, Bake & Eat on a Budget, in which she not only provides an array of great recipes – from snacks to desserts, brilliant bakes and main meals – but also offers indispensable tips, ideas and hacks for reducing food costs yet still eating well.
Hermine says: “This is one of those penny-saving recipes to make when you stumble upon discounted double cream at the supermarket. You can omit the blackberries and make a simple vanilla ice cream, or use it as a base for any other fruit coulis you like: mangoes and coconut or raspberries and/or strawberries when in season, would be a few suggestions. You can even substitute chocolate or marshmallows for the berries.”
Things to note:
The recipe calls for a 900g (2lb) loaf tin, but you could also use a plastic box of a similar size and shape or a loose-bottomed 20cm (8in) round cake tin.
If you like, you can swap the digestives for a different biscuit of your choice; Hermine says crushed Oreos or shortbread would work well.
For US ingredients and measurements, use the drop-down menu and select 'Cups'.
Ingredients
- 200 g blackberries
- 1 tbsp caster sugar
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 0.5 lemon, zest only
- 200 g digestive biscuits
- 80 g butter, melted
- 379 g can condensed milk
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 600 g whipping or double cream
Details
- Cuisine: British
- Recipe Type: Sweet
- Difficulty: Easy
- Preparation Time: 20 mins
- Cooking Time: 5 mins
- Serves: 12
Step-by-step
- Put the blackberries in a pan with the sugar and the lemon juice and zest. Cook over a medium-low heat for about 5 minutes, or until the blackberries break down and the mixture thickens to a loose coulis. Set aside to cool.
- Line a 900g (2lb) loaf tin (or a plastic box of a similar size and shape; see note above) with baking paper (parchment) to help you lift out the ice cream once frozen.
- Put the biscuits in a plastic food bag and crush them with a rolling pin or similar. Once the biscuits have been bashed to crumbs, tip them into a bowl, add the melted butter and stir until combined.
- Tip the mixture into the prepared tin and spread it level, then press down firmly and place in the fridge to set.
- Put the condensed milk and vanilla in a bowl and mix well.
- In a separate bowl, whip the cream until it almost holds firm peaks – take care not to overwhip or it will curdle. Gently fold the whipped cream into the condensed milk a little at a time, until fully incorporated.
- Pour half the cream mixture over the biscuit base. Drizzle with half the blackberry coulis and swirl it in using a knife. Pour over the remaining cream mixture and repeat the process with the rest of the blackberry coulis to make a pretty swirl on top. Place in the freezer until firm.
- To serve, lift the ice cream from the tin using the edges of the baking paper (parchment) to help. Transfer the ice cream to a plate, peel away the paper and allow to soften at room temperature, before slicing into it.
Recipe adapted from The Thrifty Baker: Shop, Bake & Eat on a Budget by Hermine Dossou (White Lion Publishing). Photography by Patricia Niven.
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