Rainbow Cassata Ice Cream Cake
The classic Indian-Italian “rainbow cassata” — alternating layers of chocolate cake, coloured-essenced ice cream and vanilla cake, frozen solid and finished with fresh fruit on top. Each ice cream layer takes its own flavour — peppermint, strawberry, mango — so every slice is a stripe of colour.
Per serving
Ingredients
- 1Chocolate cake, 4 inch (sliced)
- 1Vanilla cake, 4 inch (sliced)
- 500 g (1/2 kg)Vanilla ice cream
- as neededFood colours (2-3 different — e.g. blue, red, yellow)
- a few drops eachEssences (peppermint with blue, strawberry with red, mango with yellow)
- 1/2 cupAlmond flakes / nuts, for layers
- 3 tbspMilk (to sprinkle between layers)
- as neededFresh fruit slices, for garnish
Method
- 1
Divide the softened vanilla ice cream into 2 portions. Tint and flavour each portion differently (e.g. portion 1: blue + peppermint, portion 2: red + strawberry, or yellow + mango). Mix gently and return each to the freezer to firm up.
- 2
Line a loose-bottom tin with cling film, leaving extra hanging over the sides.
- 3
Place the first chocolate cake disc in the base. Scatter some nuts and almond flakes, sprinkle 1 tbsp milk and press flat.
- 4
Spread one of the coloured ice cream layers over the cake and smooth flat. Freeze 15 minutes (this prevents the next layer melting and blobbing).
- 5
Lay the vanilla cake disc on top of the firm ice cream, scatter more nuts and almond flakes, sprinkle milk, press flat.
- 6
Spread the second coloured ice cream layer over the vanilla cake. Freeze 15 minutes.
- 7
Top with another chocolate cake disc (or end with an ice cream layer — your choice). Cover with cling wrap, freeze 6 to 8 hours.
- 8
Unmould the cake, peel off cling film, garnish with crushed fresh fruit slices. Slice with a hot knife for clean rainbow stripes.