It’s Friday and I felt like putting cake in your ice cream.
So you can have the best of both worlds: creamy ice cream and cakey chunks.
I also fold in crunchy brown butter sugared almonds for extra texture and flavor.
Yes, I’m one of those people who puts almonds in ice cream now — and I’m not mad about it.
The real trick is adding slabs of almond torte cake. You can bake the cake yourself, but if you’re only going to slice it and toss the rest into the ice cream, there’s no shame in buying a favorite almond cake, leaving the icing on, and churning it into the ice cream.
Fat chunks of cake suspended in rich, creamy ice cream — ridiculous in the best way. I didn’t think I cared about cake that much, until this.
Sunny cones! Having cones around makes me eat way more homemade ice cream — it’s perfect for afternoon treats and spontaneous scoops.
There isn’t much else to say except: it’s ice cream season. Make this. Enjoy it.
Almond Torte Mascarpone Ice Cream with a Brown Butter Almond Crunch
1
quart
8
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons almond extract
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 12 ounces mascarpone cheese
- a few slices of almond torte cake, cut into pieces
- brown butter crunch almonds
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2/3 cup sliced almonds
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
Instructions
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Add the cream, milk, sugar, almond and vanilla extracts, and salt to a saucepan over medium heat. Stir constantly until the sugar dissolves and the mixture warms and begins to bubble around the edges. Remove from heat. Whisk the mascarpone in a bowl until smooth, then slowly pour the warm milk mixture over it while whisking continuously. At first it may separate, but keep whisking until it becomes uniform. Refrigerate until completely cold, at least 60 minutes.
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Once chilled, churn the mixture in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s directions. A few minutes before churning finishes, add the cake pieces in increments so they distribute through the ice cream. When churning completes, gently fold in the brown butter crunch almonds with a large spatula. Transfer the ice cream to a freezer-safe container and freeze for at least 4 to 6 hours. Let soften a few minutes before scooping.
Brown Butter Crunch Almonds
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Place the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat and whisk immediately. As it bubbles, continue whisking; after 3 to 4 minutes you’ll see brown bits form and a nutty aroma. Remove from heat and whisk for 30 seconds more. Return to low heat, add the sliced almonds and brown sugar, and stir lightly until the sugar dissolves and the almonds are coated. Remove from heat and spread the almonds on parchment to cool completely.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
Please tag your photos with #howsweeteats and share on social media if you’d like — it’s always fun to see your versions. I appreciate you so much!
This is also what happens when you try to photograph ice cream in 80-degree heat.