Cassata Ice Cream

4.98 from 36 votes

This easy cassata ice cream is made with a no-churn condensed milk and cream base, then folded with glacé cherries, pistachios, mixed peel and chocolate. A colourful make-ahead frozen dessert for Christmas, summer gatherings or any special occasion.

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Prep Time:20

Freezer time:12

Total Time:12 20

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: cassata ice cream, cassata ice cream recipe, no churn cassata ice cream, ice cream loaf, make ahead frozen dessert

Servings: servings

Calories: 455kcal

Equipment

1 Loaf tin 24 x 13 x 5cm (9½ x 5 x 2 inches), or about 1.5 litres (6 cups) capacity. A slightly different shape is fine too.

Ingredients

For the add-ins

100 gram (3.5 oz) glacé cherries, halved or roughly 20 x glacé cherries
75 gram (2.6 oz) pistachios roughly chopped
50 gram (1.8 oz) milk or dark chocolate chopped into small chunks
50 gram (1.8 oz) candied mixed peel

For the ice cream

600 millilitre (2½ cups) double cream heavy cream in the US
1 tin sweetened condensed milk circa 14oz/397g
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons liqueur of choice like Bailey's, Amarula, Kahlua, rum

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

Prepare the tin and add-ins

Line a loaf tin with cling film/plastic wrap, leaving enough overhang to cover the top later. A tin around 24 x 13 x 5cm (9½ x 5 x 2 inches), or about 1.5 litres (6 cups) capacity, works well. A slightly different shape is fine too.
Slice the glacé cherries in half and chop the pistachios and chocolate into small pieces. Smaller pieces make the cassata easier to slice neatly once frozen.
100 gram (3.5 oz) glacé cherries, halved, 75 gram (2.6 oz) pistachios, 50 gram (1.8 oz) milk or dark chocolate

Make the ice cream mixture

Add the double cream, condensed milk, vanilla extract and liqueur, if using, to a large mixing bowl. If your kitchen is warm, chill the cream and bowl first to help the mixture whip properly.
600 millilitre (2½ cups) double cream, 1 tin sweetened condensed milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 2 tablespoons liqueur of choice
Whip with an electric mixer until thick, smooth and softly holding its shape. The mixture should be thick enough to hold the fruit, nuts and chocolate in place, rather than letting them sink to the bottom of the tin.
Add the cherries, pistachios, mixed peel and chocolate. Fold them through gently so you don’t knock too much air out of the mixture.
50 gram (1.8 oz) candied mixed peel

Fill and freeze

Spoon the mixture into the lined loaf tin and smooth the top with a spatula or large spoon. This will become the base once the cassata is turned out, so make it as level as possible.
Cover with the overhanging cling film/plastic wrap and freeze for at least 12 hours, or preferably overnight, until firm enough to slice cleanly.

Turn out and serve

Remove the cassata from the freezer and peel back the top layer of cling film/plastic wrap. Turn it upside down onto a serving plate.
Lift off the tin and remove the remaining cling film/plastic wrap. If it doesn’t release straight away, leave it for a minute or two, then try again. For a stubborn tin, briefly dip the outside in hot water for a few seconds, taking care not to melt the ice cream.
Let the cassata stand at room temperature for 5–10 minutes before slicing. Decorate as you like, then slice with a sharp knife dipped in hot water and wiped dry between cuts.

Notes

Whip the cream mixture until it is thick enough to hold the fruit, nuts and chocolate in place, or the add-ins may sink.
Freeze for at least 12 hours, preferably overnight, so the cassata slices cleanly.
Let it stand at room temperature for 5–10 minutes before slicing.
For neat slices, use a sharp knife dipped in hot water and wiped dry between cuts.
Do not add more liqueur than stated, as too much alcohol can stop the ice cream from freezing firmly.

Nutrition