Layered with frozen yogurt, fresh-fruit sauce, and airy vanilla cake, this berry-packed wonder looks impressive but is actually a snap to construct. The hard part: allowing all the flavors time to meld—and not devouring a slice before it chills.
Read on for the recipe that chef Jeni Britton Bauer, author of Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream Desserts ($16; amazon.com), shared with InStyle.
Want more ice cream recipes to beat the heat? Pick up the July issue of InStyle, available on newsstands and for digital download now.
The Ice-Cream-Cake Comeback
Total time: 9 hours, 30 minutes
Prep/cooking time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Inactive time: 8 hours
Makes: One 9″ cake
Ingredients:
1 lady cake
²/₃ cup blackberry sauce
1 cup whipped cream
2 pints huckleberry frozen yogurt (or blueberry frozen yogurt)
Fresh blueberries, huckleberries, or blackberries for garnish
Fresh mint leaves for garnish
For lady cake:
1 cup cake flour (not self-rising),cornstarch, or wheat pastry flour
¼ tsp baking soda
½ tsp baking powder
¾ tsp fine sea salt
6 tbsp (¾ stick) unsalted butter, softened
¾ cup sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
¾ cup sour cream or buttermilk
For blackberry sauce:
2 cups fresh or frozen blackberries
1 cup sugar
For whipped cream:
3 tbsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1½ cups heavy cream
Directions:
For lady cake:
1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Butter the bottom of a 9″ round cake pan, and line it with a round of parchment. Butter the paper and dust it with flour, then shake out excess.
2. Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
3. Using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar on high speed until thick and pale, scraping down sides of bowl. Add eggs and vanilla; mix until incorporated.
4. Gently fold in one-third of flour mixture, then half of sour cream or buttermilk. Repeat, alternating; mix just until flour is incorporated.
5. Pour batter into pan. Bake for 40–50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Cool in pan on rack for 10 minutes, then invert cake onto rack, remove parchment, and cool completely.
For blackberry sauce:
1. Combine berries and sugar in a 1-quart saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, and stir to dissolve sugar; cool. Press mixture through a sieve to remove seeds (optional).
2. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
For whipped cream (prepare just before serving):
Using a hand mixer, beat sugar, vanilla, and cream in a large chilled bowl until soft peaks form.
To assemble:
1. Cut cake in half horizontally.
2. Fit bottom cake layer into a 9″ springform pan, spread ¹/₃ cup sauce on top,then evenly layer with 1 pint softened frozen yogurt.
3. Repeat with top half of cake, remaining sauce, and remaining frozen yogurt. Ensure top layer is smooth and flat.
4. Freeze cake, covered, for at least 6 hours.
5. Remove from freezer; frost with whipped cream. Garnish with berries and mint leaves.