Spumoni Ice Cream Cake
This spumoni ice cream cake is a tri-colored dessert made with layers of chocolate, pistachio and cherry ice cream on a base of cookies then topped with whipped cream. It’s a showstopper!
This spumoni ice cream cake recipe is an elegant dessert that is easy to make with layers of ice cream, fruit and nuts then topped with whipped cream. It never fails to impress just like my easy ice cream cake!
The layers of ice cream will remind you of a neapolitan ice cream but instead of chocolate, strawberry and vanilla ice cream it’s made with chocolate ice cream with chocolate chips, cherry ice cream with sliced maraschino cherries and pistachio ice cream with chopped pistachios!
Why I Love This Recipe
- Easy to make: While impressive, the ingredients are store-bought and this no bake dessert just takes a little time and assembly!
- Nostalgic: Unless you live in an Italian neighborhood, traditional spumoni can be hard to find. Making this spumoni ice cream cake at home is such a special treat!
Traditional Spumoni
“Spumone” as it is called in Naples comes from the Italian word ‘spuma’ meaning foam and referring to the dessert’s light and airy texture. In Italy it is made with three layers of gelato, including chocolate, pistachio and cherry along with fruits and nuts.
It’s such a wonderful dessert of contrasting textures and colors! As food often does, this dessert has now evolved and the Italian-American version I am sharing here is made with ice cream but still retains all the wonderful flavors and complex textures of the classic dessert.
Ingredient Notes
- Cookie base: Any cookie crumb of choice can be used from Oreo cookies to amaretti. I used lady fingers crusted in my food processor but homemade savoiardi would really take this dessert over the top!
- Ice cream filling: Chocolate ice cream, cherry ice cream and pistachio ice cream.
- Add-ins: Mini chocolate chips and fruit and nuts such as sliced maraschino cherries and chopped pistachios.
- Whipped cream: Heavy cream and powdered sugar.
How to Make Spumoni Ice Cream Cake
Start by making the cookie base by combining the melted butter with the cookie crumbs. Place cookie crumbs at the bottom of the cake pan then flatten with the bottom of a glass until firm. Refrigerate until ready to add the ice cream layers.
Stir in mini chocolate chips to the softened chocolate ice cream then spread over the cookie base. Tap the pan on the counter to remove air bubbles then cover chocolate layer with plastic wrap and place in the freezer while mixing the next layer.
Mix in maraschino cherry slices to the softened cherry ice cream.
Then spread over the chocolate ice cream layer. Tap on the counter, then cover again with a new piece of plastic wrap and place in the freezer to stay cold.
Stir in chopped pistachios to the softened pistachio ice cream then spread on top of the cherry layer. Gently tap on the counter, then cover pistachio layer with plastic wrap and place in the freezer.
Before serving, use an electric mixer to whip the heavy cream until soft, stiff peaks appear then add the powdered sugar and beat until firm. Spread the whipped cream on the top of the spumoni cake then with the back of a spoon make waves like clouds. Sprinkle with extra chips or chopped pistachios then slice and enjoy this frozen dessert!
Variations
- Crust: A chocolate crust is popular in spumoni ice cream and can be anything from chocolate wafers to crushed chocolate waffles cones or even a brownie-like crust.
- Ice cream flavors: While chocolate, cherry and pistachio are traditional, you could use other flavors like vanilla combined with some of the maraschino cherry juice or even strawberry ice cream.
- Add a cookie layer on top: If you have extra cookies, add a cookie layer on top!
- Frost in advance: While fresh whipped cream tastes best, it will get hard in the freezer. I like to make stabilized whipped cream if I plan to not serve the ice cream cake all at once.
- Garnish: Add chocolate shavings on top of the whipped cream or sprinkles!
Spumoni Ice Cream Cake Tips
- Freeze between layers: Otherwise the layers will start to mix and not be three distinct layers.
- Use your hands: It may be messy but pressing the softened scoops of ice cream into an even layer works best with your hands.
- Best type of ice cream to use: This dessert works best with a higher quality full fat ice cream as that is less prone to getting freezer burnt from water crystals.
- Type of pan: I used an 8-inch cake pan but a springform pan would also work great for easy removal! You could use a loaf pan like I do in my chocolate ice cream cake but I would line it with parchment paper for easy removal.
Storage
Freeze leftover spumoni ice cream cake in an airtight container at the back of the freezer for up to 2-3 months although I think it is best within a few days!
I hope you enjoy this Spumoni Ice Cream Cake half as much as the Italian did! Enjoy.
Spumoni Ice Cream Cake
Ingredients
COOKIE BASE
- 1½ cups crumbs (cookie of choice eg. oreo, graham cracker, amaretti, digestive or lady fingers, we used lady fingers)
- 5 tablespoons butter melted
ICE CREAM FILLING
- 2 cups chocolate ice cream
- 2 cups cherry ice cream (or vanilla ice cream if you can't find cherry that's what we did)
- 2 cups pistachio ice cream
EXTRAS
- ¼ cup mini chocolate chips
- ¼ cup marachino cherries sliced (see note below)
- ¼ cup chopped pistachios
- 1 cup cream whole/heavy/whipping cream with at least 30% fat content
- 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
Instructions
COOKIE BASE
- Mix together the melted butter and cookie crumbs. Place the crumbs at the bottom of the 8 inch cake pan, flatten with the bottom of a glass until firm, place in the refrigerator while the chocolate ice cream softens.
ICE CREAM FILLING
- Remove the chocolate ice cream from the freezer and let sit at room temperature until soft, stir in the mini chocolate chips. Remove the base from the fridge and spread with the chocolate ice cream, cover with plastic and freeze.
- While the cherry ice cream softens or vanilla, mix in the cherry slices and 2 tablespoons of cherry juice if using vanilla ice cream, remove the cake from the freezer spread with the cherry ice cream and freeze.
- While the pistachio ice cream softens, stir in the pistachios and spread on top of the cherry ice cream. Cover and freeze over night.
- Before serving, whip the cream until soft peaks appear then add the sugar and beat until firm. Spread the whipped cream on the top of the cake, with the back of the spoon make waves like clouds. Sprinkle with extra chips or chopped pistachios. Enjoy!