The trick to assembling this ice-cream cake is to make the ice-cream and sorbet a day ahead and let it soften slightly before layering. Don’t allow it to melt too much, though, or you’ll end up with ice crystals through your ice-cream. Stand at room temperature for five minutes before serving for ease of cutting. You’ll need to begin this recipe two days ahead.
Ingredients
Strawberry ice-cream
Strawberry-moscato sorbet
Pistachio meringue
Method
Main
1.For strawberry ice-cream, bring cream, milk, vanilla bean and seeds to a simmer in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk yolks and sugar in a heatproof bowl until thick and pale, pour over cream mixture, whisking continuously to combine. Return mixture to pan and stir continuously over low heat until mixture thickly coats the back of a wooden spoon; do not boil (7-8 minutes). Strain through a fine sieve into a bowl placed over ice and cool. Meanwhile, process strawberries, liqueur and lemon juice in a food processor until smooth, pass through a sieve and stir into cooled custard. Freeze in an ice-cream machine according to manufacturer’s instructions. Makes about 1 litre.
2.For strawberry-moscato sorbet, combine sugar and 120ml water in a saucepan and stir over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil and cook for 1 minute, then cool completely. Meanwhile, process strawberries in a food processor until smooth, add moscato and sugar syrup, process to combine, pass through a coarse sieve. Freeze in an ice-cream machine according to manufacturer’s instructions. Makes about 700ml.
3.For pistachio meringue, preheat oven to 100C. Whisk eggwhites and a pinch of salt in an electric mixer until soft peaks form, then, with motor running, add caster sugar in a thin steady stream and whisk until stiff peaks form and mixture is thick and glossy. Sieve over icing sugar and cornflour, add pistachios and orange rind and fold through with a large metal spoon. Transfer to a piping bag and pipe three 22cm-diameter discs onto baking paper-lined oven trays. Bake until crisp but not coloured (1¼-1½ hours), turn off oven and cool completely.
4.Place a meringue disc in the base of a 22cm-diameter by 5cm-deep ring mould (see note) placed on a baking paper-lined tray, trimming edges to fit. Spread a 1cm-thick layer of strawberry ice-cream over meringue (there may be a little left over), smoothing top. Place another meringue disc on top of ice-cream, pressing gently, then place in freezer until firm (1-1½ hours). Spread a 1cm-thick layer of sorbet over meringue (there may be a little left over), smoothing top. Place remaining meringue disc on top of sorbet, pressing gently. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze overnight until firm.
5.To serve, run a hot wet knife around inside of ring to loosen ice-cream, transfer to a chilled plate and scatter with strawberry wedges.
Note Ring moulds are available from select specialist kitchenware stores. If unavailable, use the ring of a springform pan placed on a baking paper-lined tray.
Notes
