Raspberry Pavlova Ice Cream Cake

I don’t have enough words to describe this, you guys. Let me slip back into my 20’s for a moment. Ahem! O. M. Geeeeeeeeee! How have I never had a Pavlova Ice cream Cake before???? When can I have it again????

Just a word of warning, this Raspberry Pavlova Ice Cream Cake is seriously good, seriously addictive but oh so classy. She’s special. You serve this to special people on a special day because this is a treat that is sweet and delicate, smooth and creamy and very, very special. Want the pav without the ice cream? Try this Mini Pavlova Grazing Board.

This Pavlova Ice Cream Cake starts with a homemade Raspberry Ice Cream. If you don’t want to make your own raspberry ice cream, you don’t have to. Just soften some store bought ice cream and press it into your cake mould, before refreezing. You know me, all about options.

So how does this all work? Pretty simple actually. You make a batch of ice cream. Then you make a pavlova. You stick the pavlova on top of the ice cream and bam! The most luxurious, melty, soft and creamy dessert you’ve ever tasted.

And guys, I know ice cream and pavlova both sound like quite technical recipes (and I might get a bit wordy here) but with a few tips and tricks they’re actually very easy. Boy, do I have some great tips for you.

How to make ice cream

This Raspberry Ice Cream is rich, smooth and super creamy. It melts away on your tongue in mere seconds and you’ll be blown away by the flavour. Here’s some tips to making your ice cream a success.

• Use whole milk and cream for the best flavour and texture. Lighter versions can be used, but both texture and flavour will suffer.
• Adding hot milk to egg yolks is called tempering and must be done very slowly. Don’t rush this step or you will end up with scrambled eggs.
• Keep the heat low and stir constantly, for the same reason as above. Scrambled egg ice cream? Uh, no thanks.
• Testing if the custard is ready is as simple as drawing a line with you finger across the film of custard on the spoon. If it holds a line for a few seconds before it breaks or runs, it’s done.
• Cool it in the fridge for a minimum of 3 hours (overnight is best) before churning

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How to make Pavlova

Being an Aussie, Pavlova is very close to my heart and once you know the ins and outs, it’s really not that tricky.

• Make sure you start with a clean bowl. Any traces of oils or fats, and the egg whites will not whip, no way, no how. You can run a lemon around the inside of the bowl first but I never do, just make sure the bowl has been cleaned with detergent and water and rinsed well.
• Yolks contain fat, ie don’t get any yolk in your egg white or they won’t whip. If you do happen to drop a little bit in, use a piece of egg shell to scoop it out.
• Egg whites will store in the fridge for in an airtight container or zip lock back for 3 days. You can even freeze egg whites
• Shape it however you like. I like a fairly smooth round pav but a lot of people like it to have a rough peaks all over. It’s easy to shape but be quick. If you play around too much you risk knocking out the air you took the time to whip in.
• Bake it low and slow – 120C / 250F / 100C fan forced for 2 hours. Then turn the oven off and let the pavlova cool completely in there.
• Don’t worry about cracks. The beauty of pavlova is that it’s perfectly imperfect. As long as you have a crunchy outside and a marshmallow inside you have pavlova.
• Just like meringues, you can freeze Pavlova – yes, really.  Wrap it loosely in plastic wrap then place in a safe spot in the freezer where it won’t get damaged. Thaw at room temperature. It will freeze fine with cream on top but I can’t attest to how the cream will thaw.

Tips to serve

To make serving up this Raspberry Pavlova Ice Cream as easy as possible, it’s important to be prepared. Here’s some tips to make it seamless.

• Transfer the ice cream base onto the serving plate at least 1/2 to 1 hour before you serve and place it back in the freezer.
• Make sure your guests are ready to eat dessert before serving.
• Do not assemble this until the last minute, right when you want to serve it. Don’t worry. The assembly only takes a few minutes.
• Have all your cream whipped and toppings ready to go and lined up before you take the ice cream out of the freezer.
• Very gently transfer the pavlova to the ice cream and make sure you get it in the centre as you can’t move it after you’ve put it down.
• If it doesn’t all get eaten, you can place whatever is left in the freezer intact. Once it has frozen, cover with plastic wrap.

More recipes you’ll love

• Raspberry Ripple Ice Cream
• Easy Peppermint Meringues 
• Mini Lemon Meringue Pies
• Swirled Chocolate Meringues 
• Chocolate Pavlova
• How to make Perfect Pavlova

Raspberry Pavlova Ice Cream Cake

Yield: 16 serves

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 2 hours hours 20 minutes minutes

Freezing time: 8 hours hours

Total Time: 2 hours hours 40 minutes minutes

5 from 3 ratings

Perfect homemade Pavlova perched atop a creamy, homemade Raspberry Ice Cream base, this Raspberry Pavlova Ice Cream Cake is a very special dessert.

Start this recipe 2 days ahead

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Ingredients

For the icecream

• ▢ 6 egg yolks, (keep 4 of the egg whites & set aside)
• ▢ 3/4 cup (150g) white granulated sugar
• ▢ 2 cups whole milk
• ▢ 2 cups thickened cream
• ▢ 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ▢ 3/4 cup frozen raspberries

For the pavlova

• ▢ 4 egg whites
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• ▢ 1 cup caster (superfine) sugar
• ▢ 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Topping

• ▢ 300 ml whipping cream
• ▢ 1 punnet strawberries, washed and hulled
• ▢ 1 punnet rasperries, washed
• ▢ 1/2 cup pomegranate arils

For best results, always weigh ingredients where a weight is provided

Instructions

 

For the Ice Cream (start no less than 2 days ahead)

• Prepare your ice cream maker, by putting the bowl in the freezer at least 24 hours before (if necessary)
• In a large saucepan over low-medium heat, heat the milk and half of the cream until you can see it steaming. Turn the heat off.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the yolks, sugar and vanilla until light and creamy.
• Very slowly drizzle the hot milk mixture into the yolks while stirring or whisking continuously then transfer the mixture back to the saucepan.
• Heat over low heat, stirring constantly until it the 'custard' thickens. This will take around 10-15 minutes. You know it’s ready when you can draw a horizontal line with your finger through the film on the back of the spoon and the line holds for a few seconds without breaking or drips.
• Place the remaining cream into a large bowl. Strain the custard into it and stir well. Allow to cool at room temperature for 30 minutes before transferring to the fridge to cool for at least 3 hours (overnight is best)
• Grease and line an 8 inch (20cm) spring form cake tin with baking paper (makes the ice cream easier to remove), then wrap the base in plastic wrap and sit on a plate.
• Transfer the ice cream custard mixture to your ice cream maker and churn as per the machines instructions (see notes to churn by hand)
• In the last minute of churning add the frozen raspberries (or the last churn if churning by hand)
• Pour into the prepared tin and smooth the top. Freeze for at least 8 hours.

For the pavlova - bake the night before or early in the morning

• Preheat the oven to 120C / 250F / 100C fan forced. Draw a circle just slightly smaller than your 8 inch springform tin onto a piece of baking paper. Flip the baking paper over and lay it on a large baking tray.
• Whisk the egg whites in a bowl until soft peak stage.
• Sift over the cream of tartar and start whisking again.
• Add the sugar 1 tablespoon at a time, then whisk the mixture until smooth and glossy and at firm peak stage.
• Add the vanilla and mix through thoroughly.
• Spoon the mixture onto your prepared baking tray and shape it with a spatula using the drawn circle as a guide.
• Bake for 2 hours.
• Turn the oven off. Let the pavlova cool in the oven with the door open until completely cool.

To assemble

• 1 hour before serving - transfer the ice cream onto the serving dish and place back in the freezer
• Whip the cream
• Sit the pavlova on top of the ice cream base
• Top the pavlova with the whipped cream, berries and pomegranate arils.
• Serve immediately

Notes

1. This recipe uses an ice cream maker. You can make the ice cream without one but you will need to churn by hand, by mixing it up every half an hour as it freezes, about 6 times in total.
2. Start this recipe early the day before or more. The other option is to use your favourite store bought ice cream and soften it enough to press into your cake tin.
3. You can store the pavlova in a large airtight container in the pantry.
4. See my tips in the post above for more information.
5. For best results, you should always weigh ingredients like flour and sugar. Kitchen scales are relatively cheap but if you can’t weigh the ingredients, use the spoon and level method (don’t scoop).

TOOLS USED IN THIS RECIPE

• A handheld beater or stand mixer
• An 8 inch springform tin

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Calories: 282kcal

Author: Marie Roffey

Course: Dessert, Sweets

Cuisine: Australian, Cake

Have you tried this recipe?Don't forget to leave a rating and comment below and let me know how it was! I love hearing from you. Nutrition information is approximate and derived from an online calculator. The brands you use may cause variations.