Best Cranberry Pistachio Ice Cream Cake Recipes

RASPBERRY AND PISTACHIO ICE CREAM ICEBOX CAKE

Steps:

• Line a 9x5" loaf pan with plastic wrap, leaving a few inches of overhang on all sides. Chill pan until ready to use. Toast nuts in a dry small skillet over medium heat, tossing occasionally, until golden brown, 5-8 minutes. Let cool, then coarsely chop; set aside.
• Using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat cream and powdered sugar in a large bowl until stiff peaks form, about 3 minutes. Place jam in a medium bowl and whisk to loosen, then gently mix in half of whipped cream. Mix vanilla and salt into plain whipped cream.
• Scoop half of vanilla whipped cream into prepared loaf pan and spread into an even layer. Arrange a layer of cookies on top, breaking or cutting to fit as needed. Add half of raspberry whipped cream, smooth into an even layer, and top with another layer of cookies. Dollop ice cream across top and smooth into an even layer. Add a third layer of cookies, followed by remaining raspberry whipped cream. Repeat with a fourth layer of cookies and finally spread remaining vanilla whipped cream over (don't worry if it's a little higher than edges of pan). Scatter reserved pistachios on top. Cover with plastic overhang and freeze until set, at least 6 hours.
• To serve, using plastic overhang, unmold cake (if it's hesitant to come out, run the sides of the pan under warm water for a few seconds to loosen) and cut into slices. Do ahead: Cake can be made 2 days ahead. Keep frozen.

CRANBERRY ICE CREAM SWIRL CAKE

Steps:

• In a food processor or blender, process wafers until finely ground. Stir ground wafers together with 1/4 cup melted butter and press into the bottom and partway up the sides of an 8-inch springform pan. Freeze 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a covered saucepan over medium heat, simmer cranberries, corn syrup, sugar and water for 10 minutes. Transfer mixture to a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Place in a bowl and chill until cold.
• Spread half the softened ice cream over the frozen crust. Drizzle all but 1/3 cup of the cold cranberry mixture over the ice cream. Top with remaining ice cream. Draw a knife through the layers to marble. Freeze 30 minutes, or until firm.
• Spread remaining 1/3 cup cranberry mixture over top of frozen dessert and freeze 15 minutes more.
• Meanwhile, chop pistachios finely and place in a small skillet over medium heat with 1 tablespoon butter and salt. Cook, stirring, 1 minute, until fragrant. Set aside to cool.
• In a chilled bowl, whip cream until soft peaks form. Beat in confectioners' sugar and vanilla and whip until stiff peaks form. Fold in cooled pistachios and spread cream over chilled cake. Freeze 30 minutes, then cover tightly with plastic wrap and foil and freeze 4 hours.
• To unmold, wrap a hot, dampened towel around the sides of the pan for 1 to 2 minutes. Then remove the sides of the pan.

CRANBERRY-PISTACHIO BAKED ALASKA

Steps:

• Make pistachio custard for ice cream:
• Split vanilla bean lengthwise and scape seeds into a heavy medium saucepan using tip of a paring knife, then add pod. Add milk, cream, and half of sugar and bring to a boil, stirring until sugar has dissolved.
• Whisk yolks with remaining sugar in a large bowl. Slowly add hot milk mixture, whisking. Return mixture to saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until custard is slightly thickened and registers 170°F on an instant-read thermometer (do not let boil)
• Immediately strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a metal bowl, discarding vanilla bean. Whisk in pistachio paste. Chill custard at least 6 hours.
• Make cranberry base for sorbet:
• Bring cranberries, water, sugar, and zest to a boil in a medium saucepan, then simmer, stirring occasionally, until most of the cranberries have burst, about 5 minutes. Purée in a blender (use caution when blending hot liquids), then force through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl. Chill at least 6 hours.
• Prepare cake layer:
• Line loaf pan with a large sheet of plastic wrap, leaving a 4-inch overhang on all sides. Trim off top of cake and cut 2 (1/2-inch-thick) long horizontal slices from cake, reserving remainder for another use. Place 1 layer in bottom of pan, trimming to fit, and put in freezer. Cover remaining cake layer with plastic wrap to keep moist.
• Make sorbet:
• Freeze sorbet base in ice cream maker, then transfer to loaf pan, smoothing evenly over cake layer. Freeze 1 hour.
• Make ice cream, and assemble:
• Freeze custard in cleaned ice cream maker, then fold in chopped pistachios, spread ice cream over cranberry sorbet, smoothing top, then top with remaining cake layer, pressing it flat. Wrap cake with overhang and freeze until firm, at least 6 hours.
• Make meringue:
• Preheat oven to 450°F with rack in middle.
• Beat egg whites with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until foamy. Gradually beat in sugar, then beat until whites hold stiff peaks. Invert cake onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and discard plastic wrap. Spread meringue over top and sides of cake. Bake until meringue is tipped with brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Serve immediately.
• Do Ahead
• Assembled cake (without meringue) can be frozen, wrapped tightly with plastic wrap, up to 4 days. Cake can be covered with meringue (but not baked) 4 hours ahead and frozen, uncovered.