- Preparation time
- 60 mins
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Serves
- 10 people
- Meal course
- Dessert
- Posted by
- Posted on
- August 1, 2016
I call this my ‘cheats’ Ice Cream Cassata, because you don’t need to make the ice cream, you can buy it and just add extra stuff to make it more amazing.
I created this dessert as part of a recent OzHarvest and Uber Ice Cream promotion, but it really is so delicious and thoroughly impressive that I’ve decided to share it with you all.
You can make it even more cheaty, by purchasing the cake too, but I think it’s worthwhile making your own because you’ll find the end result so much more satisfying, and I’ll share with you my super simple Dark Choc Sponge recipe below. You can also add different cake layers to really wow the crowd (like I did), if you want my Sticky date recipe too you can find it HERE
You will need to start preparing this at least the day before you want to serve it as you need to allow for the 3 layers to each individually set.
Anyhoo, enjoy, and watch your salivating guests marvel over your cassata making amazingness!
PS… This would make an AWESOME, make ahead Christmas dessert… May I suggest using a fruit cake for the layers with your 3 favourite creamy ice creams… Uhhhh Yeah.
3 x 500ml tubs of your favourite best quality Ice Cream ***
1 Sponge Cake
Extra nuts, dark Chocolate Chips, Caramels, Fruit, Berries etc.
2 Waffle Cones
- Line the base and sides of a long loaf tin with clingwrap. Then line the base and sides of the same tin with baking paper over the cling wrap. This step is important for 2 reasons. #1. The clingwrap will facilitate easy removal of your cassata at serving. #2. The baking paper will ensure the outside edges of your cassata are completely smooth without wrinkly clingwrap marks, it's purely for aesthetics.
- Take your first flavour out of the freezer and allow to sit at room temperature for 15 minutes to slightly soften. Using your discretion here dependent on the sized tin you are using, take about 1 heaped cup of the icecream out of the tub and place it into a bowl, put the remaining ice cream back into the freezer to eat later. If you want to add some extra bits (like nuts, chocolate, fruit etc.) now is the time to stir them through, then carefully spoon and smooth the ice cream into your prepared loaf pan, making it as even as possible.
- Now carefully place a cut layer of your desired sponge or cake over the ice cream. Push gently to even out and then cover with clingwrap and place the pan back into the freezer for at least 2 hours to firm up.
- Once the first layer is firm, repeat the exact same process again with the following two flavours, allowing the middle layer to firm up in the freezer before finishing the final flavour with a layer of cake as the base ***
- To Serve, turn out your Ice Cream Cassata and place on your desired serving plate. Leave at room temperature for 10 minutes before crumbling over the waffle cones and presenting to your ridiculously excited diners!
- *** TIP: Use the best quality ice cream you can afford, but also be mindful of the flavour combination you choose. Make sure they are complimentary flavours, Lemon Gelato and Salted Caramel Ice cream aren't really gonna be friends on the plate if ya get what I mean...
- *** TIP: Always finish with a layer of cake as it acts as a buffer beteen the ice cream and the plate so it won't turn into a runny mess while it's standing proud on your dinner table. Any uneaten cassata can be placed back into the freezer to eat later if you get it back there before it fully melts... But really, uneaten cassata? Who TF am I kidding? #WhatIsUneatenCassata
- DARK CHOCOLATE SPONGE - Adapted from an AWW recipe. *** Cook the Sponge in the same pan you are using to create the cassata. INGEDIENTS: 3 Eggs, 1/2 cup Caster Sugar, 1/4 cup Cornflour, 1/4 cup Plain Flour, 1/4 cup Self-Raising Flour, 2 tbs Dutch Cocoa. METHOD: #1. Preheat oven to 160°c fan forced and grease your tin and line with baking paper. #2. Beat the eggs in a small bowl with an electic beater until smooth and creamy. Beat on high speed for at least 5 minutes as the air is incredibly important. #3. Graduly add the sugar, beating well to dissolve between additions. #4. Place all the dry ingredients together into a bowl and have an empty bowl ready, now sift them 4 times between the bowls. Again, this step is important as it will ensure a super light sponge. I also like to sift 4 times instead of the traditional 'triple sift' because, surely an extra sift can't hurt... right? #5. Spread mixture into your pan and bake for 25 minutes. Turn the cooked sponge top-side up on a wire rack to cool. #6. Carefully cut the top, bottom and sides off and then slice the sponge lengthways into 3 even sized layers for your cassata. Also, dont worry if you make any cutting mistakes, you'd be surprised how forgiving the cassata will be if you have to arrange the cake into it like a jigsaw puzzle. Enjoy!!
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