What Are Sweet Dreams Made Of? This Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Cake

Summer is the perfect time for ice cream isn't it? But really, is there ever a bad time for ice cream? Not in my books. That's why my Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Cake is the perfect summer dessert idea. You get to enjoy creamy homemade ice cream with layers of sponge cake, strawberries and whip cream. Yes, I know!

I use the ice cream recipe that was passed down to me by my grandmother. She made it with just a  few simple ingredients: Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk, whipped cream, and vanilla. And the only appliance needed is an electric mixer. That's it! I have fond memories of helping her prepare the ice cream. Often, a second can of condensed milk would have to be opened because I kept eating it! Lucky for me, I knew she kept a case of the "magic milk" in the pantry. That's what we called Eagle Brand milk because it made everything taste magical. Oh, the memories! My grandmother's recipe for homemade ice cream is now a traditional summer treat in my family and it's usually the star in all of my simple-to-make, which I love. When you find something that works perfectly, why mess with it?

My grandmother always stuck with a basic vanilla ice cream (which was amazing) but I, on the other hand, like to create many fun and delicious concoctions when I make homemade ice cream. This is how I came up with my Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Cake idea. Since it's summer and strawberries are plentiful, I thought, why not combine the shortcake and the ice cream to make my own ice cream cake?

I often make Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Cake when we're at the cottage because I only need  a few ingredients.

Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Cake

Ingredients:

1 can of Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk
2 cups whipping cream
1 tsp vanilla
1 package of mini sponge cakes or one flan cake, cubed
Fresh strawberries
1 can of prepared whip cream to garnish the top
Strawberry ice cream sauce

Directions:

   Line the cake pan with the cubed sponge cake.

   In a large bowl, mix the whipping cream and vanilla.

   Beat with a mixer on high until the whip cream forms peaks.

   Mix in the Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk until the color is uniform.

   Spoon the ice cream mixture over the cubed sponge cake crust.

   Cover and freeze for approximately 5 hours, or overnight. (overnight is best)

   Once you're ready to serve the ice cream cake, cut the cake into squares.

   Place each square onto a dessert plate or dish.

   Drizzle the cake with strawberry sauce.

   Garnish with sliced strawberries and whipped cream.

Note: Because this is ice cream, it must be made well in advance of serving to enable it to be frozen through. I usually make it the day ahead or at least 5 hours to allow thorough freezing.