Martha Stewart 7-Layer Ice Cream Cake

Martha Stewart 7-layer ice cream cake turns pound cake, raspberry sorbet and vanilla ice cream into a creamy, fruity frozen dessert in 1 hour 30 minutes. It's an easy summer dessert for Fourth of July cookouts, birthdays or potlucks, and it's a no-bake recipe with no oven needed.

Let the sorbet and ice cream soften before you spread them, because soft layers press flat and even against the cake. Spoon in rock-hard scoops and they tear the cake slices and leave gaps in the stack.

Martha builds the cake in a plastic-lined loaf pan, so a store-bought pound cake becomes seven stripes you can lift out in one piece. She also crowns it with a stovetop meringue that is cooked over simmering water first, which keeps it glossy and safe to eat without baking.

Martha Stewart 7-Layer Ice Cream Cake

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Course: DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

8

servings

Prep time

30

minutes

Cooking timeminutes

Calories

310

kcal

Pound cake slices, bright raspberry sorbet, vanilla ice cream and chocolate wafer crumbs freeze together into a clean, sliceable stack. A cloud of glossy meringue goes on just before serving, so the cake stays cold and the topping stays soft.

Ingredients

• 1 frozen pound cake (10 ¾ ounces) in aluminum loaf pan, unthawed, or 1 homemade 4 ½-by-8 ½-inch pound cake, room temperature
  

• 2 cups raspberry sorbet, softened
  

• 1 cup vanilla ice cream, softened
  

• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped chocolate wafer cookies
  

• 2 large egg whites
  

• Cream of tartar
  

• 1/2 cup sugar
  

• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  

Directions

• Slice and line: Remove the pound cake from its pan and cut it horizontally into 4 slices. Then line the loaf pan with plastic wrap, leaving a 6-inch overhang on 2 sides.
• Build the layers: Stack the bottom cake slice, 1 cup raspberry sorbet, a cake slice, 1/2 cup vanilla ice cream, the chocolate wafer crumbs, 1/2 cup vanilla ice cream, a cake slice, 1 cup raspberry sorbet and the top cake slice, in that order. If the ice cream starts to melt while you work, return it to the freezer for a few minutes.
• Wrap and freeze: Wrap the whole pan tightly in plastic wrap and freeze it for at least 1 hour. It keeps well for up to 3 days, so you can make it ahead.
• Cook the meringue: Lightly whisk the 2 egg whites with a pinch of cream of tartar in a heatproof bowl, then set the bowl over (not in) a pan of simmering water. Whisk until the whites turn foamy, then slowly whisk in the 1/2 cup sugar and keep whisking until it dissolves, which you can test by rubbing a little between your fingertips.
• Whip the meringue: Take the bowl off the heat and beat the whites with an electric mixer on medium-high for about 6 minutes, until stiff, glossy peaks form. Add the 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract and beat for 1 more minute.
• Unmold and top: Lift the cake out of the pan using the plastic overhang, then trim the sides if you like a neater edge. Dollop the meringue on top and slice it right away.

Tools for this recipe

• KitchenAid 5-speed hand mixer, USA Pan 1-pound loaf pan, Mercer Millennia 10-inch bread knife, Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon vanilla extract, 8 oz. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

FAQs

Can I use whipped cream instead of meringue?

Yes, and it turns the cake into a true no-cook dessert since you skip the stovetop step. Whipped cream is also less sweet than meringue, so it balances the sorbet nicely.

Can I change the sorbet and ice cream flavors?

Think of the recipe as a blueprint: mango or strawberry sorbet works in place of raspberry, and strawberry or pistachio ice cream can replace vanilla. Skip ice creams with big chunks, because they make the cake hard to slice cleanly.

How far ahead can I make it?

Build the layers, wrap the pan in plastic and freeze it for up to 3 days. Make the meringue only when you are ready to serve, since it is best fresh on top of the frozen cake.

Can I make a mocha or lemon version?

For mocha, use chocolate, marble or plain pound cake, swap the vanilla ice cream for coffee and use chocolate sorbet. For lemon, use lemon pound cake with vanilla ice cream, lemon sorbet and vanilla or lemon cookie crumbs.

What is the most common mistake with this cake?

Using ice cream or sorbet straight from the freezer is the big one, because hard scoops tear the cake and leave air pockets between layers. Soften them first, and if things get soupy while you assemble, pop the pan back in the freezer for a few minutes.