Banana Ice Cream Cake
This Banana Ice Cream Cake is creamy, dreamy and absolutely a winner! Layering vanilla ice cream, banana cream, fresh bananas, and whipped cream over a crunchy sweet/salty crust is sublime! It’s the perfect choice to finish off a summer meal!
The crust, made of salted mini pretzels and vanilla wafers, is a great way to provide stability and amazing flavor to this frozen treat. It’s salty, sweet, and crunchy!
The two layers of plain vanilla ice cream and ice cream mixed with mashed bananas, honey and vanilla give this ice cream cake a banana-cream-pie nostalgia. Oh, did I mention that there is a sprinkling of honeyed pretzel/vanilla wafer crumbs between those two layers?
Finally, topping it all with fresh bananas and honey whipping cream provides the ultimate in summer-time desserts!
We begin this creamy dessert by crushing mini pretzels and vanilla wafers in a food processor until they are in fine crumbs. Add melted butter and continue to pulse until the crumbs are wet. Press half of the crumbs into a springform pan and spread the remaining crumbs onto a baking sheet and drizzle with honey. Bake the crumbs on the sheet pan and the crust in the springform until they are toasted. Let them cool.
Scoop softened vanilla ice cream into the cooled crust and spread into a smooth layer. Sprinkle half of the pretzel/cookie crumbs over and pop into the freezer for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, mash some bananas in a bowl with honey, vanilla and a pinch of salt. Add 2 cups of softened vanilla ice cream and swirl together. Spread onto the vanilla layer and freeze for another 30 minutes.
Just before you are ready to serve the cake, whip the heavy cream with honey and vanilla.
Remove the cake from the freezer and from the pan. Top the cake with sliced fresh bananas, freshly whipped cream and the remaining crumbs.
Slice and serve! Enjoy this delicious frozen treat!
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Banana Ice Cream Cake
Makes: 8 servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Bake Time: 8 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes plus freeze time one hour minimum
Ingredients
- 2 cups mini salted pretzels
- 30 vanilla wafer cookies (about 2 big cups)
- 8 tbsp salted butter, melted
- 4 tbsp honey
- 5-6 cups vanilla ice cream, divided and slightly softened
- 2-3 ripe bananas
- 3 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup sliced fresh bananas
- 1 cup heavy cream
Instructions
Line a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper. Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
In a food processor, pulse the pretzels and vanilla wafer cookies into fine crumbs. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture holds together when pinched. Press half of the crumbs into the bottom of the springform pan, spread the remaining crumbs out on the baking sheet, and drizzle with 1 tablespoon honey. Bake the crust and the crumbs on the sheet pan 5-8 minutes, until toasted. Let them cool completely.
Scoop 3-4 cups of vanilla ice cream out onto the cooled crust. Flatten/spread into a mostly even layer. Sprinkle with half of the loose pretzel/cookie crumbs. Freeze for 30 minutes.
Mash 2-3 bananas in a bowl with 2 tablespoons honey, 2 teaspoons vanilla, and a pinch of salt. Add 2 cups vanilla ice cream and gently swirl together. Spread onto the vanilla layer. Freeze for 30 minutes more.
Before serving, use an electric mixer to whip the cream with 1-2 tablespoons honey, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and a pinch of salt until soft peaks form.
Remove the cake from the freezer. Use the parchment paper to lift the cake out of the pan. Top with sliced bananas, whipped cream, and the remaining crumbs. Slice and enjoy immediately.
Recipe by Half Baked Harvest
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