Terrazzo Ice Cream Cake

This sliceable ice cream cake comes together quickly, just make sure to allow time for it to chill for several hours or even overnight so it freezes over again. It should be very firm before you serve it. Make sure you have a sharp knife and you let it sit at room temperature for just a few minutes to make slicing easier. Try this cake with all kinds of berries, cherries or even chopped stone fruit in the summer.

Serves 68

3 ounces raw whole almonds, roughly chopped 2 ounces pine nuts

1 ounce unsweetened coconut flakes

1 cup mint leaves (about 1 ounce)

2 pints vanilla, coconut or plain flavored ice cream 8 ounces strawberries

1 tablespoon lemon or orange zest

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Flake salt

2 tablespoons honey

Instructions: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Toast the almonds, pine nuts and coconut flakes by placing them on a sheet pan in the oven until golden brown, about 7-8 minutes. Turn off the oven and let the nuts and coconut cool on the tray.

Line a standard 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with plastic wrap with enough extra wrap overhanging to eventually wrap the cake. Line a plate with a paper towel. Put a small pot of water on to boil. Once boiling, add half the mint leaves. Submerge them with a large fork or mesh strainer, swishing them around for about 10-15 seconds and then transfer them to the lined plated. Repeat with the remaining mint.

Take the ice cream out of the freezer to temper it. Depending on the size of the strawberries, quarter or halve them, making sure they are no bigger than small bitesize pieces. Add them to a small bowl with the zest and lemon juice. Let marinate for 5 minutes.

Add the ice cream in scoops to a large bowl with the toasted nuts, coconut, chopped mint and a sprinkle of flake salt. Use a large spoon to break up the ice cream into smaller chunks so you can more easily incorporate the ingredients without melting the ice cream too much. Don’t overmix. If you need to, place the bowl in the freezer for a few minutes at a time to keep the mixture cold.

Place one-third of the ice cream mixture into the lined loaf pan and smooth it so it’s flat. Press half the strawberries into the bottom layer so they’re evenly spaced. Drizzle half the honey in between the strawberries. Press in another layer of ice cream to fill in between the strawberries and cover them, leaving the last third of ice cream in the bowl. Place the remaining strawberries into the second layer like before and drizzle with the remaining honey. Add the last layer of ice cream to cover the strawberries and fill in the gaps. Neatly fold over the plastic wrap and place the pan in the refrigerator for at least 4-6 hours, or even overnight until very firm.

To serve: Take the wrapped ice cream out of the pan, unfold the wrap and let the ice cream cake sit uncovered for 3-5 minutes (to make slicing easier). Cut into 1-inch-thick slices. Place individual slices on a plate or on a platter to share.