Cheesecake Ice Cream
It has been so aggressively hot here in the South, that the words “cheesecake ice cream” literally bring tears to my eyes. Why, yes, of course I want a frozen version of one of my all-time favorite desserts! Give me all the tang! The creaminess! The ice! I will take just about anything if you promise it will lower my core body temperature by a half a degree, and the fact that said offering comes in a waffle cone makes me feel like it’s Christmas morning. Hallelujah.
I spent the weekend playing nurse to Charlie who had strep throat. The poor little buddy had a fever on his birthday, but I’ll tell you what- I’ve never been so grateful for the doctor to tell me, “It’s just strep!” No coronavirus = happy Mama. Brett and the big kids spent most of the weekend in the pool, which means I had some alone time to test recipes. You might think that after all this time I wouldn’t be so excited by the prospect of a day alone in the kitchen, but I’m happy to report that the shine still hasn’t worn off. I live for it. In the next few weeks, you all will be treated to some fun recipes that got some attention this weekend, but for now, I’m happy to share this delightful cheesecake ice cream!
Introducing: The Recipe!
Rose Levy Beranbaum, the author of “The Cake Bible” and “The Baking Bible” is a household name for me. She is tremendously talented, and her precise methodology and recipes have inspired LOADS of bakers. For her most recent project, she stepped away from the oven to create “Rose’s Ice Cream Bliss,” a book that breaks down ice cream making and the science of it all to make it comprehendible for home cooks. Although there are tons of mouthwatering recipes I am eager to try, I was immediately drawn to the cheesecake ice cream.
To make this ice cream at home, you will need an ice cream maker. I’d also recommend reading through the instructions once beforehand. That way, you can move through the execution of the recipe with ease. Although homemade ice cream is a bit of a process, this one is worth the effort. I topped my ice cream with some granola and a berry rhubarb sauce I had leftover from another project. The ice cream is, by far, the most cheesecakey tasting ice cream I’ve ever had, and it paired phenomenally with the fruit and crunchy oats. If you have an ice cream maker, please let me point you to this book! It’s a fun read and the recipes are nothing short of inspiring! I hope you all have a terrific week. Find a way to stay cool… maybe with this ice cream? Hugs to y’all and happy baking!
If you like this cheesecake ice cream you should try:
No-Churn Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream
Blueberry Mascarpone Ice Cream
Oatmeal Cookie Chunk Ice Cream
No-Churn Honey Salted Almond Ice Cream
Turtle Ice Cream
Cheesecake Ice Cream
This cheesecake ice cream is a creamy custard-based frozen treat from Rose Levy Beranbaum’s book! Try it topped with a fruit sauce!
- Prep Time: 40
- Total Time: 360
- Yield: 1 quart
- Category: Dessert
Ingredients
- ¾ cup (200 gm) cream cheese
- 1 tablespoon (9 grams) cornstarch
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (261 gm) heavy cream, divided
- ¾ cup (150 gm) sugar
- 2–1/2 tablespoons (53 gm) glucose or reduced corn syrup
- Pinch of salt
- ¼ cup plus 2 teaspoons (74 gm) egg yolk (from about 4–6 yolks)
- 1–1/2 cups (363 gm) sour cream
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon lemon oil
Instructions
- Cut the cream cheese into piece (1 inch) and allow it to soften at room temperature while mixing the rest of the base. Have a fine-mesh strainer suspended over a medium bowl. Prepare an ice water bath.
- In a custard cup or small bowl, stir together the cornstarch and 29 grams/2 tablespoons of the cream until smooth. Cover with plastic wrap.
- In a medium saucepan, with a silicone spatula, stir together the remaining cream, sugar, glucose, and salt until well blended.
- In a medium bowl, place the egg yolks and whisk them lightly. Set it near the cooktop.
- Over medium heat, bring the cream and sugar mixture to a boil, stirring constantly. Lower the heat and cook at a slow boil, stirring for 2 to 3 minutes to evaporate some of the water in the mixture. Remove the pan from the heat. Allow the mixture to cool for a few minutes.
- Stir the cornstarch mixture to make sure it is smooth and then whisk it into the hot mixture. Return the pan to the heat and bring the mixture to a slow boil. Cook for 1 minutes, whisking gently. It will thicken slightly.
- Remove the cornstarch mixture from the heat and gradually whisk about ½ cup of the mixture into the egg yolks to temper them. Then use a whisk to stir the egg yolk mixture back into the pot. Check the temperature. If an instant-read thermometer reads at least 170 degrees Fahrenheit, there is no need to heat it further. If it is lower, heat the mixture on low, stirring constantly until thickened a little further. When a finger is run across the back of the spatula, it will leave a well-defined track. An instant read thermometer should read 170 to 180 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Immediately remove the pan from the heat and pour the mixture into the strainer, scraping up the thickened mixture that has settled on the bottom of the pan. Press it through the strainer into the bowl and scrape any mixture clinging to the underside of the bowl. Remove the residue and set the strainer over the medium bowl used for the egg yolks, for the second straining.
- Set the bowl containing the custard mixture in the ice water bath and allow it to cool until no longer warm to the touch, stirring occasionally. Whisk in the cream cheese, sour cream, vanilla, and lemon oil. It will be mostly smooth, but the cream cheese will be slightly lumpy. Scrape the mixture into a food processor and process until as smooth as possible, then press it through the strainer again. Cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 8 hours or until no warmer than 43 degrees Fahrenheit. Set a covered storage container in the freezer.
- Churn the cheesecake custard in a prechilled ice cream maker. Transfer the ice cream to the chilled container. Press a piece of plastic wrap on the surface of the ice cream, cover the container, and allow the ice cream to firm in the freezer for at least 4 hours before serving.
Notes
- I used regular corn syrup in place of the reduced corn syrup and was pleased with the results.
- The lemon oil is optional!
- I found it easy to whisk the cream cheese into the custard while it was still warm. There were no lumps at that point.
- In lieu of chilling the mixture in the freezer, I poured the custard into a gallon-sized Ziploc and submerged it in an ice bath in the sink. The mixture was chilled in under an hour.
- I store my ice creams in metal loaf pans topped with a sheet of aluminum foil.
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