Nilsson Schmilsson (Put the Lime in the Coconut) Ice Cream Cake
by: Amy Ramm
Yield: 12-16 slices
Ingredients
3 pints coconut ice cream
10 ounces lime curd
Graham Cracker and coconut crust
Crust
20 whole graham crackers
3 tablespoons (packed) golden brown sugar or coconut (palm) sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup untoasted coconut flakes
1/4 cup toasted coconut flakes
Directions
Preparation for crust
Preheat oven to 350°F. Blend crackers, sugar and salt in food processor until finely ground. Add butter; process until texture is evenly moistened. Add coconut flakes and process on pulse 2-3 times, to combine. Line 9-inch-springform pan with baking parchment and press crust into pan to form an even layer of crust (about 1/2 inch). Bake crust until lightly brown and fragrant, about 8-12 minutes. Cool and then store in freezer.
Preparation for cake
Soften ice cream in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours, until very soft around sides of container, but not melted. Remove crust from freezer. Spread thin layer of lime curd overcenter of crust, leaving up to 1/2 inch border around the edges with no lime curd. Spread an even layer of the softened coconut ice cream over the crust, so that the layer is up to half the height of the pan. Spread another layer oflime curd, leaving the same 1/2 inch border around the edges. Add a final layer of coconut ice cream, leveling off the top of the pan. Freeze until hard, at least 6 hours, before removing from pan.
To serve
Run a thin, flat butter knife or pastry spatula around the inside edge of the cake, to loosen it from the pan, thenrelease the springform latch to remove the outer ring of the pan. Grab the parchment to slide the cake off the bottom of the pan. Peel off the parchment and transfer cake onto a platter or cake round. Garnish with remaining limecurd and toasted coconut flakes, either before or after cutting and serving.
NOTE: If you cannot find lime curd, here’s a recipe:
—Lime Curd—
1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons grated key-lime zest plus 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
Directions for Lime Curd
1. Combine sugar, eggs, lime zest, and juice in a medium saucepan and cook gently over medium-low heat. Whisk constantly, until mixture begins to thicken and holds the mark of the whisk, 10 to 12 minutes.
2. Remove pan from heat, and whisk in butter, a piece at a time, until well combined. Strain mixture through a sieve into a glass bowl. Lay plastic directly on surface to prevent a skin from forming. Chill 3 hours or overnight to set the curd.
Enjoy!
