02 Aug Peppermint Crisp Ice Cream Cake

It may be the middle of winter in South Africa, but that’s never stopped me from enjoying a slice of ice cream cake. Especially one as magnificent as this one! Peppermint Crisp Tart (and all its variations) has proven to be a perennial favourite so I couldn’t resist adding another recipe to the collection.

This Peppermint Crisp Ice Cream Cake has a crunchy Tennis Biscuit crust, caramel ice cream layer, choc-mint ice cream layer, and a vanilla ice cream layer with Peppermint Crisp pieces. If you can bring yourself to slice through the beautiful layers and take a bite, you’ll see how wonderfully all these flavours marry together.

It’s fabulous for entertaining, as it can be made in advance, and easily feeds 10-12 people.

Ingredients:

For the base:
200g Tennis Biscuits
80g butter, melted

For the Caramel Ice Cream Layer:
385g tin Caramel Treat, chilled
250ml cream

For the Choc Mint Ice Cream Layer:
1l chocolate-mint ice cream

For the Peppermint Crisp Ice Cream Layer:
385g tin condensed milk
5ml vanilla essence
250ml cream
3 x 49g Peppermint Crisp bars

To decorate:
50g butter, softened
100g icing sugar
a few drops caramel essence
mini Tennis Biscuits

Directions:

• Grease and line a 23cm diameter round tin with baking paper, leaving about 2-3cm sticking up over the top of the tin.
• Blitz the Tennis Biscuits in a food processor until you have fine crumbs, then add the melted butter and mix again. (Alternatively you can place the biscuits in a ziplock bag and crush with a rolling pin). Press into the base of the tin and freeze for at least 10 minutes.
• Place the chilled Caramel Treat and cream into a bowl and whip with an electric mixer until thick and creamy. Spoon over the base and freeze for at least 2 hours.
• Allow the chocolate-mint ice cream to soften at room temperature, then scoop about half a 2l tub onto the frozen caramel ice cream layer. Spread evenly and smooth the surface with a palette knife, then freeze again for 1 hour.
• Place the chilled condensed milk, vanilla essence and cream into a bowl and whip with an electric beater until thick. Roughly chop the Peppermint Crisp Bars and fold through the cream mixture. Spread evenly over the chocolate mint ice cream layer and freeze at least 2 hours.
• To decorate, beat together the butter, icing sugar and caramel essence until smooth. Pipe rosettes onto the top of the ice cream cake, then decorate with mini Tennis Biscuits. Serve and enjoy!