Birthday Cake Ice Cream

Yesterday was my 25th birthday. In my quarter-century wisdom, I thought, "Why have cake and ice cream when I can have cake ice cream?" Yes, that "the old, the wiser" thing is true. And wow, this ice cream really does taste exactly like birthday cake. My only birthday wish: That none of those calories actually counted. 

Who says you need a cake to blow out the candles?

First, make the cake. You can use any kind you want. I used yellow cake and added sprinkles.

The sort-of secret ingredient: Half a cup of birthday cake mix added into the ice cream custard.

After your ice cream has finished turning, mash in two large slices of cake (with or without frosting). Don't mash it too much. You want to have some chunks in there too.

Recipe:

1 1/2 cups whole milk

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1/2 cup sugar

5 egg yolks

1/2 cup powdered cake batter mix

1 teaspoon vanilla

two large slices of cake 

Combine milk, heavy cream, and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat and stir occasionally. Whip the egg yolks in a separate bowl. Just before the cream and milk come to a simmer, gradually add about half of the liquid into the bowl of egg yolks, half a cup at a time, stirring continuously. Gradually pour the egg mixture back in to the saucepan. Stir continuously until the liquid forms a thick custard that coats the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and stir in the cake batter mix until no clumps remain. Cool the custard in the refrigerator or using an ice bath. Once it's very cold, stir in the vanilla. Pour the custard into the ice cream maker and churn. When it has reached the desired consistency, turn off the machine and gently mash in the large pieces of cake so that some chunks remain. You can use any kind of cake you want.