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Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Torie Cox
To make this strawberry shortcake ice cream, a rich and creamy vanilla base is layered with strawberry chunks and toasted angel food cake cubes for a swirled result studded with pops of buttery cake throughout. Top a few scoops with fresh strawberry slices, and enjoy at a special occasion or on the porch for a mid-afternoon treat.
Whether served in a crisp waffle cone or in a chilled bowl, each spoonful promises a delightful blend of sweet, tangy, and creamy flavors that capture the essence of a beloved dessert in a refreshing new form. It's the perfect way to elevate your ice cream game and indulge in the bliss of springtime all year long.
Learn how to make strawberry shortcake ice cream, and scoop up a sweet dessert this season.
A Southern Spring Favorite: Strawberry Shortcake
The most quintessential springtime treat of them all is homemade strawberry shortcake, which you'll frequently spot at celebrations, from brunches and showers to weddings and graduations. It's easy to make and always a crowd-pleaser.
The first bite of a fresh-picked, super juicy strawberry means spring has finally arrived in the South. When the overflowing bushels of ruby red berries land on the counters of the Southern Living Test Kitchen, you can expect to see the sweet gems baked into biscuits, whipped into jams, sprinkled over salads, tossed into smoothies, and layered onto cakes—all recipes that celebrate the bounty of the season.
To take the dessert one step further, you can turn those same flavors into an unforgettable ice cream. Classic vanilla ice cream provides the base for a swirl of jammy strawberries and tender cubes of angel food cake. We wouldn't blame you if you served a scoop of this ice cream atop actual strawberry shortcakes. Double down on deliciousness!
Ingredients for Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream
Grab your ice cream maker, a few pantry staples, angel food cake, and of course, fresh, ripe strawberries. To make this homemade ice cream, you'll need:
- Whole milk: Helps create ice cream with a smooth consistency.
- Heavy whipping cream: Adds richness and creaminess to the ice cream base.
- Vanilla extract: For depth of flavor.
- Kosher salt: Enhances the flavor of the ice cream.
- Granulated sugar: Sweetens the ice cream.
- Angel food cake: Toasted to create buttery chunks of cake throughout the ice cream.
- Fresh strawberries: Diced and cooked down to create a strawberry swirl, and halved to serve along with the scoops of ice cream.
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Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Torie Cox
How To Make Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream
Eight servings of delicious homemade ice cream in under 30 minutes of hands-on time sounds pretty good to us. Full instructions are below, but here's a brief recap of the process before you get started:
- Step 1. Make ice cream base: Bring milk, cream, vanilla, salt, and some sugar to a simmer in a medium saucepan and cook, whisking, until sugar dissolves. Transfer to a heatproof bowl. Cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface and chill.
- Step 2. Toast angel food cake cubes: Transfer cake pieces to a baking sheet, and toast until lightly toasted. Cool, then crumble. Set aside or wrap and set aside overnight.
- Step 3. Cook strawberries: Bring diced strawberries and remaining sugar to a boil in a saucepan. Cook, stirring occasionally, until berries begin to break down. Cover and refrigerate.
- Step 4. Freeze ice cream: Freeze ice cream base in an ice cream machine according to manufacturer's instructions.
- Step 5. Layer ice cream with cake and strawberries, then freeze: Spoon half of the ice cream into a freezer-safe container. Top with half the strawberry sauce, and half of the cake crumbles. Repeat, then cover and freeze until firm. Serve with halved strawberries.
Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Variations
To add your own unique twist to strawberry shortcake ice cream, consider these variation ideas:
- Extracts: Substitute the vanilla extract with almond or lemon extract for additional flavor.
- Flavorings: Consider adding citrus zest, cream cheese, or spices like ground cardamom or black pepper for a flavorful touch.
- Mix-ins: When assembling the ice cream, layer in a drizzle of a balsamic reduction, lemon curd, or a swirl of jam for an even more fruit-forward flavor. You can also sprinkle in finely chopped mint or basil, shredded coconut, white or dark chocolate chips, graham cracker crumbs, or any desired mix-ins for a customized result.
- Angel food cake: Swap with toasted pound cake, or crumbled shortbread cookies for a crisp texture.
- Strawberries: If strawberries aren't in season, you can still make this ice cream using frozen berries. Thaw before cooking until the fruit begins to break down (this may happen more quickly with frozen fruit). You can also amp up the berry flavor by incorporating raspberries, blueberries, or blackberries into the mix.
Tips for the Best Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream
For strawberry shortcake ice cream with the best flavor and texture, keep these tips in mind:
- Prepare your ice cream base the night before: If you have the time, prepare your ice cream base the night before to give the flavors time to meld.
- Toast cake pieces: Toasting the cake gives them a crisp texture that works beautifully when folded into the ice cream.
- Use the best tasting strawberries: Ripe, sweet strawberries add incredible flavor to this ice cream, but you can also use frozen strawberries if needed.
- Balance the flavors: Taste your strawberry mixture before folding it in to make sure that the flavors are balanced. Sweeter strawberries may need less sugar, or a splash of lemon juice to brighten the flavors.
- Freeze until firm: Freeze your ice cream until firm for the most scoopable texture.
- Seal the container: Choose a container to store your ice cream that has a tight lid, or wrap tightly with plastic wrap to avoid freezer burn.
How To Serve Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream
Once you've made this delicious homemade ice cream, don't stop there. Top and serve it with a variety of additions for the ultimate strawberry shortcake ice cream sundae.
Top strawberry shortcake ice cream with a strawberry compote, add a dollop of whipped cream, drizzle with caramel or chocolate sauce, or sprinkle with toasted nuts, sprinkles, crushed shortbread cookies, or a few leftover cubes of angel food cake, if you have any.
You can also serve this ice cream alongside other homemade desserts, including pound cake, shortbread cookies, fruit cobbler, brownies, or of course, strawberry shortcake.
How To Store Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream
Once you've covered and frozen the ice cream until firm, it's ready to serve. At that point, you can keep it covered and freeze for up to two weeks, or possibly longer, depending on how tightly sealed the container is.
Using an airtight container for long-term storage is key, as it will reduce the likelihood of freezer burn or the infiltration of any freezer odors. Make sure to avoid letting the ice cream soften too much at room temperature while serving—re-freezing after the ice cream has partially melted can cause it to become icy in texture.
More Homemade Ice Cream Recipes You'll Love
From watermelon to banana, pineapple, pistachio, and more, our homemade ice cream recipes are just the thing for hot summer days:
- Watermelon Ice Cream
- No-Churn Key Lime Pie Ice Cream
- Pineapple No-Churn Ice Cream
- Fresh Peach Ice Cream
- Sea Salt Ice Cream
- Pistachio Ice Cream
Editorial contributions by Katie Rosenhouse.
Ingredients
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2 cups whole milk
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2 cups heavy whipping cream
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2 tsp. vanilla extract
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1/4 tsp. kosher salt
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1 1/4 cups granulated sugar, divided
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3 cups cubed (1/2-in. pieces) angel food cake
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1 lb. fresh strawberries, diced (3 cups)
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Halved fresh strawberries
Directions
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Make ice cream base:
Place milk, whipping cream, vanilla, salt, and 3/4 cup of the sugar in a medium saucepan; bring to a simmer over medium. Simmer, whisking constantly, until sugar is dissolved, about 3 minutes. Transfer mixture to a medium-size heatproof bowl. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on surface of mixture. Chill at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours.
Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Torie Cox
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Toast angel food cake cubes:
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 275°F. Spread cake pieces in an even layer on a small rimmed baking sheet.
Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Torie Cox
Bake in preheated oven until lightly toasted, about 30 minutes. Let cool 15 minutes; crumble. Set aside until ready to use or up to 24 hours (wrap tightly with plastic wrap if storing overnight).
Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Torie Cox
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Cook strawberries:
Place diced strawberries and remaining 1/2 cup sugar in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil over medium. Boil, stirring occasionally, until strawberries begin to break down and sauce slightly thickens, about 10 minutes.
Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Torie Cox
Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes or up to 24 hours.
Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Torie Cox
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Freeze ice cream:
Pour chilled milk mixture into frozen freezer bowl of a 2 1/2- to 3-quart electric ice-cream maker. Freeze according to manufacturer's instructions. (Instructions and times may vary.)
Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Torie Cox
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Layer ice cream with cake and strawberries, then freeze:
Spoon half of the ice cream into a freezer-safe container.
Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Torie Cox
Spoon half of the chilled strawberry sauce over ice cream, and sprinkle with half of the cake crumbles.
Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Torie Cox
Repeat layers once using remaining ice cream, strawberry sauce, and cake crumbles. Cover and freeze until firm, about 2 hours. Serve with halved fresh strawberries.
Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Torie Cox
Frequently Asked Questions
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You can use frozen strawberries in the place of fresh for this recipe, especially if you're making it when strawberries are out of season. Just thaw before using, and use as directed.
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Note that layering will give you swirls of strawberry and chunks of cake as the ice cream is scooped, but for even more of a swirl effect, increase the amount of layers, or swirl in the strawberry puree as you pour the ice cream into the container.
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This recipe is formulated to churn in an electric ice cream maker. If you don't have one, you can still make this delicious dessert by layering the cooked strawberries and toasted cake with a no-churn or store-bought vanilla ice cream.