Chocolate, raspberry, vanilla coconut and macaron ice cream cake
Australia Day Is Coming. And like every one that has come before it, the day is likely to be blisteringly hot requiring cold things. Cold things that you can make ahead and whip out on the day like the barbeque wielding culinary good thing that you are. Like this layered icecream, raspberry and macaron ice cream cake.
I'll be honest, I didn't realize until after I had made and devoured this that I essentially came up with an upscale Neapolitan icecream cake but there is nothing wrong with an unconscious nod to a classic is there?
Obviously like everything good in life there is a shortcut in making this – buy the gelato and ice cream flavours from your local gelateria, allow to soften slightly, pour into a mould, allowing each layer to harden before you add another, and you have the easiest dessert on the planet. Or if like me, you get a kick out of making your own ice cream, the recipes for each are below – they make just over a litre of each and you can do one a day and spread the making out
Serves 10-12
Ingredients
Coconut and vanilla (you will need a double batch of this to prepare the chocolate ice cream)
500ml cream
500ml full cream milk
250g caster sugar
10 egg yolks
6-8 tbsp dessicated coconut
Chocolate ice cream
1 portion of the vanilla ice cream (prior to adding the coconut)
750g dark chocolate, chopped
Raspberry gelato
360g caster sugar
1L water
600g raspberries
2 tbsps icing sugar
1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped
To serve
Fresh raspberries
Chocolate and raspberry macaroons
Method
Line a 3.5L capacity freezer safe container (I used a large high sided cake tin) with glad wrap or alternatively grease with a light brushing of grapeseed oil to prevent the ice cream from sticking. Make the layers in any colour combination you wish although it helps to have the sorbet in the middle as this tends to ice more quickly than the icecreams with dairy.
For the vanilla combine the cream, milk, vanilla pod and seeds and half the sugar in a large heavy-based saucepan. Heat gently until sugar dissolves then increase the heat and bring to just below a simmer. Remove from the heat.
Put the egg yolks and remaining sugar in a mixing bowl and beat until light and foamy using the whisk attachment. Turn speed to low and add a small amount of the hot cream mixture until incorporated then very slowly pour in the rest. Pour mixture into a clean large saucepan and stir continuously over low heat for up to 10 minutes until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Strain into a large bowl and then cool mixture completely. For the coconut batch, this is where you stir through the coconut until combined. Remove the vanilla pod then pour into an ice cream machine and churn according to the manufacturers instructions. Pour into your mould and allow to firm. Cover with plastic wrap if leaving overnight.
For the chocolate ice cream, repeat the vanilla ice cream process. You need to add the chopped chocolate to the hot custard and stir thoroughly until completely melted.
To make the raspberry sorbet combine sugar and water and bring to the boil. Keep at a high simmer for three minutes, then remove from the heat and cool. Puree the raspberries and add to the syrup, stirring thoroughly. Strain to remove the seeds then stir through the vanilla. Churn the syrup in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturers instructions until frozen or freeze in a container and stir to break up the crystals every hour or so for at least 3 hours. Pour over the base flavour and cover with plastic wrap until firm. Repeat this element for the final flavour.
Just before serving, turn out onto a large serving platter and top with fresh raspberries and halved macarons.
