Go Back Email Link

Strawberry & Vanilla Bean Ice Cream with Pretzel Crust

Print Recipe
Layers of creamy vanilla bean and strawberry ice creams with a light-as-air angel food cake center and cookie/pretzel crust. Sounds great doesn’t it? It is!
This recipe calls for all store-bought ingredients to make it as easy and hassle-free as possible. You should know before you start that it does require a little freezing time between ice cream layers and then once it’s all assembled. It’s worth the wait ;)

Ingredients

  • Ingredients
  • 1 Cup small salted pretzels pulsed into crumbs (not too fine)
  • 15 Lotus Biscoff cookies or Gingersnap or Graham Crackers
  • 6 Tbsp salted butter melted
  • 5 Cups vanilla ice cream
  • 4 Cups strawberry ice cream
  • 1/4 Cup strawberry jam or other berry jam
  • 1 Cup sliced fresh strawberries
  • 1 Store bought angel food cake cut into 1 inch thick slices and then torn into large chunks
  • Optional toppings: Crushed cookies & pretzels Halved pretzels, small fresh mint or basil leaves

Instructions

  • Instructions
  • Preheat oven to 350
  • Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving a little overhang so you can eventually lift the cake out with it.
    In a food processor, pulse the pretzels and cookies into fine crumbs. Slightly bigger pieces are ok.
    Add to a bowl and add the butter and mix until the mixture holds together when pinched. Press into the bottom of the pan.
    Bake for 10 minutes or so and allow to cool. Alternately, you can freeze it for 15 minutes * see note.


    Scoop 4 cups vanilla ice cream out onto the crust. Flatten/spread into an even layer.
    Freeze for 30 minutes.
  • Tear pieces of the cake slices over vanilla ice cream, fitting the pieces together tightly like a puzzle.
    Cover with a piece of plastic wrap and press down. Store in the freezer while you prepare your Strawberry ice cream. 


    Dollop the strawberry ice cream onto the cake layer and begin to flatten and even it out with the back of a large spoon.
    Add dollops of jam and swirl into the strawberry ice cream. Smooth it out and Freeze for 30 mins
    Take a 1/2 cup of vanilla ice cream and flatten/spread onto the strawberry layer. It’s ok if the two ice creams blend a little, it’s pretty.
    Top with sliced strawberries and other toppings if desired.
    Wrap the cake and freeze 4 hours or until fully frozen.


    Remove the cake from the freezer. Use the parchment paper to lift the cake out of the pan. Let sit 5 minutes.
    Slice and enjoy!

Notes

Note: In an ice cream cake, you can simply freeze the crust but I find that baking it instead dissolves the sugars, making a more solid crust and if it adds a little toastiness to the flavour, all the better! But you do you.
If you decide to bake your crust, cool it down quickly by popping it in the fridge for a bit. It can’t be warm at all or your ice cream layer may melt too rapidly.