Looking for a quick and easy ice cream treat with a twist? No churn ice cream is the perfect way to get an ice cream fix, without the hassle of an ice cream maker. My recipe takes this to the next level, packing your frozen favourite with leftover cake. Easy, fun and flavourful - the options are limitless!
What is No Churn Ice Cream?
One of the biggest problems confronting anyone seeking to make their own ice cream is the need for special equipment. Ice cream makers will freeze the ice cream ingredients, while churning through them, adding air and allowing for a finished product that is creamy and smooth. Without an ice cream maker, many conventional ice cream recipes will become unpleasant and icy solid blocks in the freezer.
Rather than using an ice cream maker, no churn ice cream relies on whipping the ingredients together before freezing. This process incorporates air to create a traditional ice cream consistency once frozen.
The Magic Ingredient: Condensed Milk
No churn ice cream's secret ingredient is condensed milk. This adds sweetness without needing to use granulated sugar. Its limited water content also helps avoid ice crystals forming and allows the ice cream to freeze a little softer.
Add-ins and Alternatives
No churn ice cream, like any other ice cream, just begs for experimental additions! You could play with flavourings, add bits of fruit or candy or swirl in a sauce. For this recipe, I've paired mine with leftover cake for the ultimate grocery store glow-up.
Coffee Walnut Cake Ice Cream
One of my favourite classic British cakes is coffee walnut. It is packed with an espresso flavour to the cake and buttercream frosting, with some chopped walnuts on top. To make this the simplest recipe ever, I just used a shop bought version, which I easily crumbled up into my mix.
Tips to Making Additions to Ice Cream
- You can add as much or as little of the add-ins as you'd like, but adding loads may make your ice cream a bit more firm and difficult to scoop.
- I'd recommend adding around 1 or 1.5 cups of crumbled cake to the amount of cream mixture in my recipe. This is enough to carry the flavour into the cream without over stuffing.
- Be sure to fold the cake (or other ingredient) in gently so as not to avoid loosing all the air you worked into the cream while whipping.
Some Other Ideas for Cake Based No Churn Ice Creams:
- Chocolate Cake Ice Cream: using a store bought chocolate cake with chocolate icing, you can create the ultimate chocolate ice cream packed with chunks of moist cake.
- Lemon Cake Ice Cream: bits of lemon cake or leftover classic pound cake make for a refreshing and lightly zesty ice cream treat.
- Carrot Cake Ice Cream: a spiced carrot cake added to your mix will make for a lovely ice cream with the warm notes of cinnamon.
If you like this recipe, you might also like:
No Churn Cake Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 2½ cups heavy cream (or double cream)
- ¾ cup condensed milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- leftover cake to taste
Instructions
- Add the cream, condensed milk and vanilla to a large bowl. Using a hand held electric whisk or a standing mixer, whisk together the ingredients until thickened to the consistency of whipped cream.
- Crumble up your cake and add to the cream mixture, folding to incorporate.
- Pour the mixture into a long baking tin or other freezer safe container and place in the freezer until set - usually at least 4 hours or overnight.
Leave a Reply