Between the weather getting hotter and my pregnancy cravings, I am on a full-blown ice cream kick. And since discovering how easy the no-churn ice cream method is, I can’t stop experimenting with different flavors! When you open my freezer these days, you’ll always see at least one loaf pan full of my latest ice cream concoction. My most recent flavor success is probably my favorite of all my ice cream recipes thus far: strawberry shortcake! 

This easy strawberry shortcake ice cream features delicious fresh strawberries that have been sweetened and reduced to amplify flavor, plus baked shortcake crumbs to give it extra texture and beautiful bursts of shortcake flavor. These toppings get incorporated into the base ice cream recipe, which is vanilla ice cream spiked with a little cream cheese to give it a rich and creamy cheesecake-like flavor. So, so good. Like, irresistibly good!

Like most great recipes, this one will require a little more involvement than the average no-churn ice cream recipe. It’s still easier than a churned ice cream recipe, there are just a couple elements that require cooking (the strawberries) and baking (the shortcake crumbles). 

You’ll start by chopping up some fresh strawberries and adding them into a saucepan along with some granulated sugar and a pinch of salt. These strawberries will cook for about 20-25 minutes, until most of the liquid has evaporated and you’re left with more of a jam-like consistency with big strawberry chunks in it. Eliminating the majority of the liquid not only amplifies the strawberry flavor, it will make the overall consistency of the ice cream perfect. Too much liquid will result in chunks of strawberry flavored ice in your ice cream, which isn’t the most pleasant. So be sure not to skip the reduction! And when it’s finished, just pop it into the refrigerator to cool completely. 

The next element is the shortcake crumbles, which involve mixing up a few dry ingredients and binding them together with melted butter and vanilla extract until the mixture is crumbly. Then you’ll throw them on a lined cookie sheet and bake them. You could even toss this part of the recipe together and bake the crumbles while you’re reducing the strawberries to make things even more efficient. 

Once your toppings are both completely cool, you’re ready to make the ice cream base and mix it with the toppings in a chilled loaf pan. To make sure there are strawberries and shortcake crumbles throughout, I like to do the assembly process in layers: add one layer of ice cream, top it with strawberries and shortcake crumbles, swirl everything together with a skewer, repeat twice more. After a 6 hour stay in the freezer, your strawberry shortcake ice cream is ready to enjoy! 

I could not stop eating this ice cream during the photo session. It’s so delicious in a cone or simply by the spoonful, so saturated with strawberries and shortcake crumbles that you get the best bite every time. If you love strawberry shortcake and ice cream, this is a dessert made in heaven just for you – a true must try!

Now all I want to do it turn this flavor combo into an ice cream cake. Stay tuned for that!

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No-Churn Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream

No-churn vanilla ice cream with sweetened strawberries and baked shortcake crumbles in every bite. So dreamy and easy to whip up (no ice cream maker needed!)

Prep Time 40 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Freeze Time 6 hours

Servings 6 Cups (12 servings)

Ingredients

Strawberry Reduction

• 2 Cups (300g) fresh strawberries*, halved
• 1/3 Cup (70g) granulated sugar
• pinch of salt

Baked Shortcake Crumbles

• 3/4 Cups (90g) cake flour
• 2 1/2 Tbsp (32g) granulated sugar
• 1/8 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3 Tbsp (42g) unsalted butter, melted
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Ice Cream

• 4 Oz (120g) cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 1/2 Cups (12 Oz) sweetened condensed milk
• 2 Cups (480ml) heavy whipping cream
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Instructions

Make the Strawberry Reduction

• In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the strawberries, sugar, and salt. The strawberries will begin to release their juices. Bring the mixture to a simmer and mash up the strawberries as you cook them down. 
• Simmer over medium-low heat until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. The mixture should become somewhat of a jam-like inconsistency after the reduction. Place into an airtight container and refrigerate until cold.

Bake the Shortcake Crumbles

• Preheat the oven to 250°F/121ºC and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, whisk together the cake flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
• Add the melted butter and vanilla extract. Mix with a rubber spatula until the mixture begins to form small clusters, then press the ingredients together with your hands to form even more clusters. Spread the clusters onto the prepared baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes. Cool the crumbs completely before using in the cake assembly.

Make the Ice Cream

• Place a large metal bowl into the refrigerator and a loaf pan into the freezer to chill for at least 15-20 minutes. Meanwhile, add the sweetened condensed milk and vanilla into a small bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside.
• Remove the large chilled metal bowl from the refrigerator and add the cream cheese into it. Beat with a hand mixer (or using the whisk attachment on your stand mixer) until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the heavy whipping cream and beat the two ingredients together on high speed until stiff peaks form, about 3 minutes.
• Using a rubber spatula, fold one half of the sweetened condensed milk mixture into the heavy whipping cream mixture. When combined, gently fold in the rest of the sweetened condensed milk mixture in.
• Remove the chilled loaf pan from the freezer and add 1/3 of the ice cream mixture into it. Smooth it down with a rubber spatula and add 1/3 of the strawberries and a few Tablespoons of the shortcake crumbles on top. Use a skewer to marble the toppings into the ice cream. Repeat twice more.
• Cover the loaf pan with a piece of aluminum foil and freeze for at least 6 hours, after which the ice cream should be semi-firm and ready to enjoy!

Notes

*You can use frozen strawberries, but since there is added liquid content from the ice, you may need to cook them for longer than this recipe indicates to reach a jam-like consistency. 

Time saving tip: Mix up and bake the shortcake crumbles while the strawberries are reducing! You’ll have plenty of time since the strawberries only need to be stirred occasionally. 

Make ahead tips: the strawberry reduction and shortcake crumbles can be made up to one week ahead of time. Store both in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator until ready to use. 

Storage tips: This ice cream is best stored in an airtight container in the freezer. It will last for several months (if you can make it last that long). 

Did you make this no-churn strawberry shortcake ice cream? I want to know how it went! Let me know in the comments below and feel free to tag @sugarandsparrowco on Instagram to show me. I love to see what you create with my recipes!

The post No-Churn Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream appeared first on Sugar & Sparrow.

Let it be known that this is the summer I fell in love with no-churn ice cream! Up until now I’ve hesitated to try making ice cream, mostly because I’ve heard traditional ice cream recipes can sometimes turn out with an eggy taste. Maybe someday I’ll end up trying one of the more complicated recipes but for now, the no-churn method is totally rocking my world. It started with this mint chocolate chip ice cream recipe and now I’m over the moon for this no-churn strawberry ice cream. It’s so easy and absolutely delicious!

This strawberry ice cream only requires a handful of ingredients and is so simple to throw together. You’ll essentially whip up some heavy whipping cream until it reaches stiff peak status, then fold in a mixture of sweetened condensed milk, freeze dried strawberry powder, some strawberry preserves, and a little vanilla extract. After a 6 hour stay in the freezer, you’ll have the creamiest, most refreshing strawberry ice cream with unbelievable flavor. Trust me, this is a must try! 

I tried two different approaches to flavoring this ice cream. First, I tried using fresh strawberries that I purèed, then reduced to get rid of most of the liquid and make the flavor more powerful. This way worked just fine, but the strawberry flavor was subtle. For the second batch, I used freeze dried strawberries that I ground into powder before adding it to the ice cream mixture. The results were stunning. Powerful and refreshing strawberry flavor throughout! 

To make extra sure, I made my husband do a blind taste test and he chose the freeze dried strawberry version, so that’s the one you’ll find here. Since fresh strawberries will work as a substitute, I put that version in the recipe notes. Just know that fresh berries will produce a more subtle (but still very delicious) strawberry flavor. 

I’m already dreaming about using this no-churn strawberry ice cream in an ice cream cake recipe (similar to what I did with this mint chocolate chip ice cream cake). I’m just a tad obsessed with blending my two loves: cake and ice cream. Stay tuned for more ice creamy recipes because I can’t stop!

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No-Churn Strawberry Ice Cream Recipe

Easy and delicious strawberry ice cream flavored with freeze dried strawberries for the most flawless flavor.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Freeze Time 6 hours

Servings 6 Cups (12 servings)

Ingredients

• 2 Cups (60g) freeze dried strawberries*
• 2 Cups (480ml) heavy whipping cream
• 14 Oz sweetened condensed milk
• 2 Tbsp strawberry preserves
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Instructions

• Place a large metal or glass bowl into the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes to chill before you get started. Using a food processor, grind the freeze dried strawberries into a semi-fine powder (it's okay if there are some larger pieces). You'll have about 1 Cup of powder after grinding. Set aside.
• Add the heavy whipping cream into the chilled bowl, then whip it with a hand mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form, 2-3 minutes. You can alternatively use a stand mixer with the whisk attachment for this part.
• In a separate medium bowl, add the sweetened condensed milk, freeze dried strawberry powder, strawberry preserves, and vanilla. Whisk together until combined. Gently fold the strawberry mixture into the heavy whipping cream with a rubber spatula.
• Pour the strawberry ice cream into a 9x5x3 inch metal loaf pan, cover with aluminum foil, and freeze until solid and scoopable, 5-6 hours.

Notes

*You can alternatively use fresh strawberries instead of freeze dried strawberries, but the flavor will be more subtle. To use fresh strawberries, start by purèeing 1 lb of fresh strawberries (washed and hulled), then add the purèe into a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat until the strawberries are reduced by half, stirring occasionally, 35-40 minutes. Chill the reduced strawberry puree in the freezer for 20 minutes until cold before folding it into the sweetened condensed milk mixture in Step 3. 

Storage tips: This strawberry ice cream is best stored in an airtight container in the freezer. It will last for several months (if you can make it last that long). 

Did you make this no-churn strawberry ice cream? I want to know how it went! Let me know in the comments below and feel free to tag @sugarandsparrowco on Instagram to show me. I love to see what you create with my recipes!

The post No-Churn Strawberry Ice Cream Recipe appeared first on Sugar & Sparrow.

After I started experimenting with no-churn ice cream this summer, my husband casually mentioned that I should try making a neapolitan ice cream cake. I will admit, I was skeptical at first because my only memories of eating neapolitan ice cream as a kid involved eating just the chocolate part. I went along with the ice cream cake idea to appease him and also I thought it would be a fun little project. Lo and behold, I have come out the other side a complete neapolitan ice cream fan. The chocolate-vanilla-strawberry flavors are perfect together and I can’t believe it took me this long to realize it! 

This neapolitan ice cream cake features delicious layers of decadent chocolate cake, chocolate ice cream, strawberry ice cream, and vanilla ice cream. All three of the ice cream flavors are made from one big batch of no-churn ice cream! You’ll simply divide it up into thirds and create each flavor separately, then layer them together with the cake layers in an acetate lined cake pan. The finished cake ended up being about 6 inches tall, which makes it the perfect party cake! 

The best part about the no-churn method is that it’s incredibly easy to whip up without an ice cream maker. Even though it’s a simple recipe, the texture of the ice cream ends up absolutely perfect and the flavors are incredible. It’s a whipped cream and sweetened condensed milk base, and the three flavors are created using pure vanilla extract, freeze dried strawberries, and melted semi-sweet chocolate chips. If this is your first time trying no-churn ice cream, it will change your life! I am borderline obsessed with it at the moment. 

My one and only regret with this neapolitan ice cream cake is not taking the time to make sure the acetate collar was super tight around the bottom cake layer. Since there was a slight gap, some of the chocolate ice cream ended up oozing out around the bottom cake layer. I was actually considering redoing the cake for prettier photos until I unwrapped the acetate and saw that all the layers inside still looked amazing. My advice to you is to make sure that acetate collar is nice and tight around that bottom layer!  

If you’ve never made a cake in an acetate collar before, here is a great post that explains how to do it. I used this 6-inch acetate for the collar and this 6-inch springform pan for structure. Once the cake is layered inside, all you have to do is pop it into the freezer for at least 6 hours to let everything set up. Aside from the crushed freeze-dried strawberries and chocolate chips on top, there isn’t any additional cake decorating you’ll need to do. The best part is you can easily make this cake ahead, store it in the freezer, and have it ready to roll when you are – up to a month ahead of time! 

With such a nostalgic flavor palette, this neapolitan ice cream cake is so perfect for a summer party. The layers make it such a showstopper! It was a huge hit with my husband and our friends, and I hope it’s a hit at your house too. Enjoy!

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Neapolitan Ice Cream Cake

Layers of delicious no-churn ice cream in classic neapolitan flavors (chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla), paired with decadent chocolate cake. It's nostalgic, so easy to whip up, and a true crowd pleaser!

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Freeze Time 6 hours

Servings 20 slices

Ingredients

Chocolate Cake

• 1 Cup (132g) all purpose flour
• 3/4 Cup (150g) granulated sugar
• 1/3 Cup (30g) natural unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 Cup (60ml) vegetable oil
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 Cup (120ml) buttermilk*, room temperature
• 1/2 Cup (120ml) hot coffee or hot water

No-Churn Neapolitan Ice Cream Layers

• 3 Cups (720ml) heavy whipping cream, cold
• 21 Oz sweetened condensed milk, divided
• 1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract, divided
• 1/2 Cup (3oz) semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted and cooled
• 1 Cup (30g) freeze dried strawberries, finely ground
• 1 Tbsp strawberry jam
• 1 drop pink food coloring, optional

Instructions

Make the Chocolate Cake

• Preheat the oven to 350ºF/177ºC and prepare two 6-inch cake pans by spraying the sides with baking spray and fitting a parchment paper circle to the bottom of each pan.
• Whisk all of the dry ingredients together in a large bowl to fully combine them. Add the vegetable oil, eggs, vanilla, and buttermilk and mix on low with either a hand mixer, the paddle attachment on your stand mixer, or by hand until combined. Add the hot coffee (or hot water) in a slow stream. Continue mixing on low until fully combined and smooth, 1-2 minutes. The batter will be very thin.
• Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared cake pans and bake for 20-24 minutes, until a wooden toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool completely before layering with ice cream.

Make the No-Churn Neapolitan Ice Cream

• Wait to make the ice cream layers until right before you're ready to assemble the cake. Place a large metal or glass bowl into the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes to chill before you get started.
• Add the heavy whipping cream and 2 teaspoons of the vanilla extract into the chilled bowl, then whip it with a hand mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form, 3-4 minutes. You can alternatively use a stand mixer with the whisk attachment for this part. Place the whipped cream into the refrigerator while you move on to the next step.
• Divide the sweetened condensed milk evenly between three medium bowls. To one bowl, add 1 teaspoon of vanilla. To the second bowl, add the finely ground freeze dried strawberry powder and strawberry jam. To the last bowl, add the melted and cooled semi-sweet chocolate. Whisk the ingredients together within each individual bowl to create the three different flavor bases.
• Divide the whipping cream evenly between each of the three bowls you created in the previous step. Fold each sweetened condensed milk mixture together with the divided whipped cream to create vanilla ice cream, strawberry ice cream, and chocolate ice cream.

Assembly

• Once the chocolate cake layers are cooled completely, level them to about 1/2 inch tall. Place a 6-inch cardboard cake circle into the bottom of a 6-inch springform pan, then place the first cake layer on top. Wrap a sheet of acetate around the cake layer and tape it together once it's the same diameter as the cake layer. Here are more detailed instructions on how to prepare the acetate collar.
• Add half of the chocolate ice cream mixture on top of the chocolate cake layer and smooth it with a spoon or spatula until it reaches the acetate. Add half of the strawberry ice cream mixture on top of that and smooth it down, then add half of the vanilla ice cream mixture and smooth it down. Place the second cake layer on top and continue the layering process with the remaining ice cream.
• Freeze the ice cream cake for at least 6 hours. When you're ready to serve it, remove the cake from the springform pan and unwrap the acetate. Garnish with a crown of crushed freeze dried strawberries and chopped chocolate.

Notes

*DIY Buttermilk recipe: add 1 Tbsp of white vinegar to a jar and top it with 1 Cup of whole milk. Stir and let sit for 15 minutes before using in the recipe. 

Make Ahead Tips: 

1. The chocolate cake layers can be made ahead and stored at room temperature, covered tightly in plastic wrap, for up to two days. Alternatively, you can cover with plastic wrap and store in the freezer for up to two months before thawing to room temperature. 
2. The no-churn ice cream must be made right before assembling the cake and cannot be made ahead. 
3. The assembled cake or leftovers can be stored in the freezer, wrapped in acetate or plastic wrap, for up to two months. 

Did you make this neapolitan ice cream cake recipe? I want to know what you think! Tell me about it in the comments below and feel free to tag @sugarandsparrowco on Instagram to show me. I love to see what you create with my recipes!

The post Neapolitan Ice Cream Cake appeared first on Sugar & Sparrow.