Tarta helada, an ice cream cake, is a dessert that a local ice cream chain made popular in 90s; watch my video recipe to learn how to make a very easy version of this frozen dessert.
By - Reviewed: . Original: Jun 22, 2006
❝ That was really good! ❞
Why we ❤️ it
Say you want to serve something that looks fancy, but you don't really have the time for a long, multi-step recipe. I feel ya. For those occasions, I make this cute ice cream trifle dessert, a dessert that it's a whole lot easier to make than it seems.
You can make this frozen cake even a day ahead and have it ready for when your guests arrive. It's the perfect summer dessert. Sounds amazing, doesn't it?
Tarta helada
Tarta helada is a dessert that combines a layer of cake and layers of ice cream. In the Dominican Republic, it became a very popular birthday cake sold at a very popular chain of ice cream parlors, and typically combined layers of cake, ice cream, and meringue.
This ice cream cake recipe is simple enough that you can make it without any hassle.
Ice cream trifle with fruit.
Serving suggestions
This makes a fantastic summer dessert for parrilladas (cookouts), and is great for celebrating birthdays with friends.
See lots more popsicle and ice cream recipes.
Top tips
- Garnish: I used strawberries to garnish, but you can also use canned cherries.
- Variations: You can change the flavor of the ice cream or use Suspiro (meringue) or whipped cream, whichever you prefer. Whipped cream is quicker and easier to prepare, and it holds up well in the fridge for a few hours.
- Cake: For this dessert, I used store-bought pound cake. I also made it from scratch using the tres leches cake recipe, which is perfect for this (to ensure it's the right size, bake it in the same pan you'll use to assemble the ice cream cake).
Another option is to bake it in a square or rectangular pan and use slices. - With rum: If you're serving only adults, you can brush the cake with a little rum-this will keep it softer when frozen and add flavor. In that case, you can use rum and raisin ice cream as one of the fillings.
- Preparing in Advance: If you want to prepare this dessert a couple of hours ahead of time, make the meringue or whipped cream in advance and store it covered in the refrigerator, then assemble the cake and freeze it. Decorate just before serving.
- Serving: Our home freezers aren't specifically designed for ice cream, so the cake will be harder than if it were stored in an industrial ice cream freezer (it's happened to all of us). So you'll have to wait a few minutes after taking it out of the freezer before you can cut it. 🤷🏽♀️
About this recipe
This is the perfect dessert to serve for summer, or any time that you are preparing a complex meal, and can squeeze barely enough time for dessert.
At home, we've celebrated many birthdays with ice cream cake (both homemade and store-bought) since many of our birthdays fall in the summer.
The best part about this recipe is that you can buy almost everything in advance, and you don't have to bake anything if you don't want to; you can make it as simple or as elaborate as you like.
What do you think? Have you tried ice cream cake? Let me know in the comments.
Video
Recipe
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Tarta Helada [Video+Recipe] Easy Ice Cream Cake
Equipment
- Springform mold 6 inches in diameter, 2.8 inches in height [16 centimeters in diameter, 7 centimeters in height]
Ingredients
- 1 supermarket cake, cut into 3 layers the size of the pan (see important tips above the recipe)
- 1 pint strawberry ice cream, [0.5 liters] (see notes)
- 1 pint vanilla ice cream, [0.5 liters]
- 1 cup whipping cream
- ½ cup powdered white sugar
- ¾ vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon cream cheese
- Fruit for garnish, (see notes)
Instructions
1. Assembling the ice cream layers
Take the ice cream out of the freezer about 5 to 10 minutes beforehand to let it soften slightly so you can spread it. The time will depend on the room temperature and the brand of ice cream you're using.Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper. Place one of the cake layers in the pan, then cover it with the strawberry ice cream, spreading it into an even layer.Place another layer of cake on top and press down lightly to even it out. Cover the cake with the vanilla ice cream and spread it into an even layer. Cover with the remaining layer of cake and press down lightly to even it out.
2. Freezing
- Cover tightly with aluminum foil and freeze.
3. Preparing the whipped cream
- Chill the mixer bowl and wire whisk for at least half an hour beforehand (or 20 minutes in the freezer).Whip the whipping cream and powdered sugar on medium-high speed until soft peaks form (about 3 minutes).Add the cream cheese (see notes) and whip until combined and stiff peaks form, but be careful not to overbeat, or the cream will turn into butter.You can store the whipped cream for up to three hours, covered with plastic wrap.
4. Decorating and serving
- 10 minutes before serving, remove from the freezer and top with the whipped cream; you can use a piping tip to make rosettes.Garnish with fruit and serve immediately.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is calculated automatically based on ingredients listed. Please consult your doctor if you need precise nutrition information.
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More fruits recipes
There are many fruit recipes in our collection, made with Dominican fruits, and imported fruits too. You'll love our batidos, as well as our fruit juices. Dulce de cereza en almíbar, dulce de cajuil, dulce de piña y leche, and others.
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