Festive feasts often leave us with a familiar dilemma: what to do with the leftover Christmas cake. The rich, brandy-soaked fruit cake can be divisive, especially with younger members of the family. Now, a celebrated culinary expert has offered a brilliant solution that transforms those remnants into a universally adored treat.
From Stale Staple to Scoopable Sensation
Prue Leith, the renowned judge from The Great British Bake Off, has revealed her secret recipe for a Christmas cake vanilla ice cream. She shared that the idea was born roughly 40 years ago as a way to create a Christmas dessert everyone would enjoy.
"Few children like Christmas pudding, but I've never met one who didn't like ice cream," Prue explained. Her innovative approach involves combining shop-bought vanilla ice cream with crumbled festive leftovers, creating a dessert that has now become a family expectation during the holidays.
The Versatile Festive Recipe
The beauty of Prue Leith's method lies in its flexibility. While the recipe specifically calls for about 350g (12oz) of leftover Christmas cake, pudding, or mince pies, she notes that a jar of mincemeat works just as well. The essential goal is to capture that quintessential Christmas flavour.
Prue advises home cooks to taste as they mix, adding spices like powdered cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and ginger if needed. The recipe, which serves eight, also includes three tablespoons of brandy to enhance the festive notes.
The full ingredients list is:
- 1 litre (35fl oz) shop-bought soft-scoop vanilla ice cream
- About 350g (12oz) leftover Christmas cake, pudding, or mince pies, roughly crumbled
- 3 tbsp brandy
Prue's Pro Tips for Perfect Ice Cream
To ensure success, the baking expert has shared several crucial tips. First, chill everything beforehand: the leftover cake, the mixing bowl, and the container you plan to freeze the dessert in.
She strongly recommends using soft-scoop ice cream to avoid melting and beating the air out of the mixture. The ideal ratio is two-thirds plain vanilla ice cream to one-third added pudding or cake. The goal is to have visible, chunky pieces of Christmas cake throughout for texture and flavour.
The method is straightforward:
- In a large, chilled bowl, gently combine the softened ice cream, crumbled leftovers, and brandy. Avoid over-mixing.
- Line a pudding bowl or loaf tin with cling film, leaving plenty of overhang. Transfer the mix, cover, and freeze for at least six hours.
- To serve, unwrap and either turn out for slicing or scoop directly from the container.
This clever recipe not only solves the problem of festive food waste but also provides a delightful and unexpected end to any holiday meal. It proves that with a little creativity, even the most traditional Christmas leftovers can be given a delicious new lease of life.
