Serious Eats - seriouseats.com
Banana Split Ice Cream Cake
[Photographs and original illustrations: Cakespy]
Banana Split Ice Cream Cake is a wonderful way to enjoy all of the classic flavors of a banana split, but in ice cream cake form. Assembling the Neapolitan flavors of ice cream with dividing levels of crumbled chocolate cake or cookies and a layer of banana slices makes for a pretty presentation. The dessert is assembled and then frozen, which allows the flavors to meld and lends a nice banana tone to the whole dessert once you're ready to eat it.
Note: You have some freedom in terms of the ice cream flavors used in this recipe. While I went for the classic vanilla-chocolate-strawberry combo, feel free to tailor the flavors to suit your tastes.
About the author: Jessie Oleson is a Seattle-based writer, illustrator, gallery owner, and cake anthropologist who runs Cakespy, an award-winning dessert website. She is currently at work on her first book.
Every recipe we publish is tested, tasted, and Serious Eats-approved by our staff. Never miss a recipe again by following @SeriousRecipes on Twitter!
About This Recipe
| Yield: | serves 8 |
| Active time: | 20 minutes |
| Total time: | 3 hours 20 minutes (includes chilling) |
| Special equipment: | 9-inch cake or pie pan, spatula, plastic wrap |
| This recipe appears in: | Cakespy: Banana Split Ice Cream Cake |
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups (about 8 ounces) chocolate ice cream, softened
- 2 1/2 cups (about 16 ounces) cookie or cake crumbs (chocolate preferred)
- 1 cup (about 5 ounces) vanilla ice cream, softened
- 1 cup (about 5 ounces) strawberry ice cream, softened
- 2 medium ripe bananas, sliced into 1/4-inch coins
- 1/2 cup hot fudge sauce
- whipped cream, nuts, and a maraschino cherry for garnish (optional)
Procedures
-
1
Line a 9-inch cake or pie plate with plastic wrap, ensuring that once pressed into the pan, the plastic wrap extends out of the plate—this will make removal much easier later.
-
2
Put the chocolate ice cream in the pan. Using a spatula or wooden spoon, spread the ice cream so that it forms an even layer on the bottom of the pan. Cover the chocolate ice cream layer with 1/3 of cookie crumbs.
-
3
Spread vanilla ice cream over crumbs. Spread with another third of crumbs. Lay the banana slices on top of this crumb layer, making an even layer all across the pan.
-
4
Spread strawberry ice cream over bananas, then top with remaining crumbs. Let chill for at least 3 hours, or overnight
-
5
When you're ready to serve, remove the pan from the freezer. If you gently tug on the plastic wrap and then turn the pan over, it should come out on a serving plate fairly easily; if not, run a butter knife under hot water and gently run it along the inside of the pan (outside of the plastic wrap). Place a plate on top, then turn together with pan to release.
-
6
Directly before serving, spoon the hot fudge on top of the cake, and top it with whipped cream and nuts, and, if desired, a maraschino cherry on top.
Comments