Summer Ice Cream Cakes

Ice cream cakes are great fun to make and delicious to eat. Here are two recipes: a simple treat that is ideal for a children’s summer party and a much more grown up version of the ice cream cake, which is the perfect ending to an August Dinner Party.

Simple Summery Ice Cream Cake

This ‘cake’ serves 8-10 kiddies, although adults may enjoy a taste too! It’s best made the night before you want to eat it.

Ingredients

• 1.5 litres ice cream - vanilla, chocolate or fudge are the best flavours
• 100g (4oz) roast cashew nuts, lightly chopped – if you’re making this cake for a party, check if any guests have nut allergies and if so, leave the nuts out of the recipe
• 100g (4oz) chocolate spread
• 100g (4oz) chocolate chips – you can choose white, milk or dark or a mixture of all three
• 1 packet of honeycomb sweets, like Maltesers or 2 x 40g Crunchie bars, lightly crushed
• 1 packet Maryland cookies, or 1 tray home-made chocolate chip biscuits, broken into small pieces
• 50 ml (2fl oz) maple syrup
• To decorate - 50g (2oz) chocolate chips

Leave the ice cream out of the fridge for half an hour or so to soften. Line a tin with clingfilm so that it hangs over the edges– ideally you want a 20cm spring-form tin so that you can easily remove the cake, but you can use a loaf tin or cake tin although it can be a little more fiddly to get the cake out neatly.

Tip the softened ice cream into a large bowl, and stir all the other ingredients, except the maple syrup into it. Don’t try and mix it evenly, you want a swirled effect. Use a spatula to transfer the ice cream to the tin, then draw a big circle on the top of the ‘cake’ with maple syrup and lightly fold it into the cake, using the spatula, so that it makes syrupy swirls through the mixture. Now smooth the top of the cake flat.

Cover the top with more clingfilm and put in the freezer overnight to set firm again. Serve straight from the freezer, opening the tin if it’s springform or if not, run a hot palette knife between the clingfilm and the sides of the tin before turning it out onto a plate. Sprinkle the top with the remaining chocolate chips.

Leave to stand for five minutes before cutting.

Sophisticated Tiramisu Iced Cream Cake

For the topping:

• 500g (1lb 2oz) mascarpone
• 110g (4oz) caster sugar
• 6 tablespoons Tia Maria or other coffee liqueur
• 50g (2oz) dark chocolate chips
• 150ml (5fl oz) double cream

For the base:

• 200ml (7fl oz) strong cold coffee
• 85g (3½ oz) caster sugar
• 3 tablespoons brandy
• 200g (7oz) sponge fingers

Line a 1 kilo loaf tin with cling film, allowing some to hang over the edges of the tin. Lightly whip the double cream, then beat the mascarpone, sugar and Tia Maria together before folding in the chocolate and cream gently so as not to lose the air you incorporated when you whipped it.

Stir the sugar and brandy into the coffee until the sugar is fully dissolved. Dip the sponge fingers into the coffee mixture then use them to line the base and sides of the tin, so that they stand above the rim. If any break, use them for the base rather than the sides.

Pour in the cream mixture and then fold the sponge fingers over the top so that they bend into the filling. Cover with more clingfilm and freeze overnight– you may need to put a weighted plate on the top for the first ten minutes to ensure the sponge fingers remain bent over.

To serve, turn onto a plate, strip away the clingfilm and dust with cocoa powder before slicing.