Tarta al Whisky (Whisky Ice Cream Cake)
We miss the summer days of some decades ago when this cake was the king of the dessert menu. Slowly corrupted by industrial, tasteless versions, it has joined other traditional desserts such as flan, natillas (custard), membrillo (quince) in the category of “vintage desserts”. Homemade is delicious and less complicated that it seems from the recipe.
Prep Time: 2 hours Cook Time: None Total Time: 2 hours Ingredients: For the base: Genoise cake. Each cake will produce 2 bases. For the light whisky syrup (to make the cake “drunken”) 2oz whisky ½ cup sugar 2/3 cup water For the whisky ice cream: 250g (8.8oz) whipped cream (homemade, already whipped, or fat free) 4 eggs 1 ½ cups of 2% lukewarm milk 50g sugar 1 box of fat free, sugar free vanilla pudding whisky (to taste 2-4oz) For the topping: 3 yolks 150g water (5.2oz) 150g sugar (5.2oz) 15g corn starch (approx. 1 Tbs) brown sugar for coating |
Step 1: Preparation of the genoise cake:
See specific recipe. You can prepare in advance and freeze it, if necessary. Step 2: Preparation of the whisky syrup: Mix sugar and water, bring it to a boil until it reaches a soft-crack stage. Add the whisky and pour over the cake until it saturates. Step 3: Preparation of the ice cream: If you whip the cream, reserve in the fridge. Separate whites from yolks. Whip the whites until stiff peaks form. Reserve in the fridge. Dissolve the vanilla pudding in the milk. Fold the egg yolks. Fold in the whipped cream. Fold in the egg whites very slowly so they do not collapse. Add the whisky. Note: I like to freeze the ice cream at this stage and then add the last layer once it is frozen so they do not mix. Step 4: Preparation of the topping: Beat the eggs until frothy. Mix them with the water and strain them. On a separate bowl, mix sugar and corn starch. Fold the mixture into the eggs and water and warm up, stirring constantly (do not boil, the egg will coagulate) until it reaches a thick, custard-like consistency. Cool down immediately. Pour over the cake. Sprinkle with brown sugar. Note: If you like to burn the sugar, use a torch and melt the sugar 5 min before serving. |