Pink Birthday Cake Ice Cream

 

Everyone is probably posting Olympic treats today for the Opening Ceremonies, but my husband & I are celebrating today for a different reason. It's our sixth anniversary!

{I swear it's been longer than that.  Children make you feel so old.}

We like to tell our kids that our anniversary is our family's birthday, and usually I make a treat the night before and let them blow out candles.  (Wanna keep a 2 year old entertained?  Let him blow out candles for fifty-ish minutes or so.)  My husband isn't really into lovey heart shaped treats anyways, so this year for our anniversary I made this birthday cake ice cream that I have been drooling over (and dying to make) for months.  It turned out to be hubby's favorite homemade ice cream yet.

Vanilla bean ice cream (tinted pink) + chunks of vanilla bean cupcake + swirls of frosting + sprinkles= pink birthday heaven

I live with three boys and a male cat so sometimes I have to dye things pink.  My two year old {boy} loves pink so at least I have somebody on my side.

The cupcakes that are mixed into this ice cream need to be made in advance so that you can freeze them and cut them into chunks.  Freezing them keeps the cake from getting soggy and will keep it from crumbling into tiny pieces when you stir it in.

The ice cream also needs to harden overnight after churning. So...  realize that this is at least a 2 day process.  Plan ahead and it's not a big deal.  Almost all of that time is freeze time or cool time.

Worth it? Totally!  This ice cream has the dreamiest texture, and if you use vanilla bean paste in your ice cream it has fantastic flavor as well.

{Confession- I used homemade buttercream for the frosting in this and cut it into chunks and mixed it in after churning.  I hated it!  I ended up wishing I had just used (brace yourself)-  canned frosting.  I swear you will never hear those words out of my mouth again, but in this case it's true. The chunks of buttercream weirded me out. I am rewriting the recipe using canned frosting and swirling it into the ice cream instead of mixing in chunks.  If you can't stomach buying canned frosting, you can still make your own but I recommend swirling it in instead of using chunks. I like canned frosting because it gives that "authentic birthday cake taste" that most people think an ice cream like this should taste like. Yes I realize I just used 'canned frosting' and 'authentic' in the same sentence. Also it doesn't freeze super hard like most buttercreams do, so it is great in ice cream.}

If you want a cake batterish flavor to the ice cream instead of vanilla, just mix in a few Tablespoons of white cake mix with the rest of the ice cream ingredients (before churning). You can also probably cut the vanilla bean paste in half.


"Happy Birthday" to my sweet family, and Happy Anniversary to the best husband a girl could ask for.  Seriously he is the most selfless,  giving,  thinks he's the funniest ever,  person I know. Love you forever honey!

Pink Birthday Cake Ice Cream

Recipe based on Birthday Cake Ice Cream by Pint Sized Baker

-5 vanilla bean cupcakes (below)
-Vanilla bean ice cream (below)
-Sprinkles
-1 can of vanilla frosting

Vanilla Bean Cupcakes:

Make cupcakes from a vanilla box mix (I like Betty Crocker French Vanilla and usually add an extra 2 tsp vanilla bean paste.).  Allow to cool completely, then freeze overnight.  I use 5 cupcakes for this recipe.

Vanilla Bean Ice Cream:

Recipe adapted from The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz

-2 cups heavy cream (divided)
-1 cup sugar
-pinch of salt
-1 cup whole milk
-1 Tbsp vanilla bean paste (Sur La Table has this)
-Food coloring, if desired (I used Americolor Deep pink)

Combine 1 cup of cream, sugar, and salt in a saucepan over medium heat.  Whisk until sugar is completely dissolved.  Remove from heat. Stir in second cup of cream, milk, and vanilla bean paste.  Add food coloring and mix well. Cover mixture well and refrigerate overnight.

Freeze ice cream in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer's directions.

To Assemble Birthday Cake Ice Cream:
While ice cream is churning, remove 5 cupcakes from freezer and cut them into bite-sized chunks.  Melt your can of vanilla frosting in the microwave, 20 seconds or so, just until melted enough to drizzle.  (You don't want it too hot or it will melt your ice cream, so if you overdo it, allow it to cool slightly before using.)

When ice cream has finished churning, scoop it in to a freezer-safe container, fold in cupcake chunks and some sprinkles if desired.  Drizzle frosting on top (amount is totally up to you- I probably used about 1 cup.  Use less if you are sensitive to sweet.) and fold in just a few times.  Add additional sprinkles on top of ice cream, and freeze overnight before serving.

This ice cream is fantastic as-is.  But topping with a little hot fudge, whipped cream, cherries, and sprinkles won't hurt anyone.