Black Forest Cake Ice Cream

You won't believe how simple it is to make this no churn Black Forest cake ice cream. This chocolate ice cream has a fresh cherry compote swirled through out and chunks of fudgy brownie pieces in every bite.

This homemade Black Forest cake ice cream is so velvety, you won't believe it's made without an ice cream maker. The rich chocolate and sweet cherries are the perfect combination of flavors.

For more frozen dessert recipes, make sure to try my Strawberry and Banana Milkshake and Cherry Popsicles with Greek Yogurt.

Jump to:

• What is Black Forest Cake
• Why You Will Love This Recipe
• Ingredient Notes
• Step By Step Instructions
• Expert Tips
• FAQ
• Storing and Freezing
• Other Dessert Recipes To Try
• 📖 Recipe

What is Black Forest Cake

This ice cream recipe was inspired by the classic German dessert, Black Forest cake which combines chocolate sponge cake, fresh cherries, cherry liquor and whipped cream.

My version uses crumbled chocolate brownies instead of cake. Frozen brownies are the best! They're chewy and have the best fudgy texture.

Why You Will Love This Recipe

• No churn ice cream- This recipe does not require an ice cream maker and is so easy to make.
• Fresh Bing cherries- There are swirls of fresh cherry compote throughout this ice cream.
• Fudgy brownies- You can use store bought or homemade. Either way, these brownie chunks add a deep chocolate flavor and chewy texture to this ice cream.

Ingredient Notes

For a full list of ingredients, scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of the page.

• Sweetened condensed milk- You will need 1 (14 oz can).
• Heavy cream- Make sure when whipping, your cream is cold and straight from the refrigerator.
• Dutch process cocoa powder- This gives the ice cream a dark, intense chocolatey flavor.
• Semi-sweet chocolate- Use a good quality chocolate and melt inside the microwave.
• Cherries- Since it's summer, I use fresh Bing cherries.
• Cornstarch- This is used as a thickening agent for the cherry compote.
• Sugar- I use white granulated sugar to sweeten up the cherries.
• Vanilla extract- Use pure vanilla extract for the best flavor.
• Kirsch- Traditionally used in Black Forest cake, this cherry flavored liquor can be found inside the liquor section at your local grocery store. This is optional, so feel free to omit it if you want.

Step By Step Instructions

Have a 9x5 loaf pan chilling inside the freezer for at least 2 hours or overnight. This will help keep all the ingredients cold.

STEP 1: Make cherry compote. Add pitted cherries, lemon juice and sugar to saucepan. Cook on medium heat for 5 minutes. In a small bowl combine cornstarch and water. Add to cherry mixture. Bring to a simmer and cook until thickened. Stir in Kirsch (optional).

Place cherry compote inside the refrigerator to completely cool.

STEP 2: Whip heavy cream. Place heavy cream inside bowl of stand mixer. Beat on high speed until medium peaks form. Refrigerate until ready to use.

STEP 3: Melt chocolate. Place chocolate inside a bowl and microwave until melted.

STEP 4: Mix wet ingredients. In a medium size bowl, combine the sweetened condensed milk, melted chocolate and sifted cocoa powder.

STEP 5: Fold in whipped cream. With a spatula, gently fold in half of the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture. Once combined, fold in the remaining amount.

STEP 6: Swirl in cherry compote. Spoon ⅓ of the chocolate ice cream into the bottom of the chilled loaf pan and spread it out evenly. Spoon ⅓ of the cherry compote on top of the cream. Then, use a skewer to swirl it throughout.

STEP 7: Mix in brownies. Take ⅓ of the crumbled brownies and sprinkle on top of ice cream and cherry mixture. Repeat for the next two layers. For the top layer, garnish with grated chocolate and whole stemmed fresh cherries.

STEP 8: Freeze. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on top of the ice cream. Followed by wrapping the entire pan with plastic wrap and then foil.

Expert Tips

Before you make the ice cream, freeze your loaf pan inside the freezer for a minimum of 2 hours or overnight. This will help the ice cream stay cold while you layer the ingredients.

Make sure the mix-ins are cold. I like to freeze the brownie crumbles so they hold their shape when I add them to the ice cream. The cherry compote should be completely cold as well before mixing in.

When folding in your whipped cream, be gentle and do not over mix as this will deflate your whipped cream and cause it to not freeze properly.

When making no churn ice cream, give yourself a minimum of 12 hours before you serve it. I like to leave mine overnight to make sure everything is frozen.

Once frozen, the ice cream will become very hard. Leave it out at room temperature for 10-15 minutes before scooping.

FAQ

Storing and Freezing

Keep this Black Forest cake ice cream inside the freezer. Make sure to cover the entire surface area, as well as the pan with plastic wrap to prevent crystallization.

This ice cream will last a couple of months inside the freezer. But if you notice any freezer burn, it's time to throw it out.

Other Dessert Recipes To Try

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📖 Recipe