The Viral 2-Ingredient Ice Cream Bread That Kicks Cakes To The Curb
Ice cream is a classic cold treat that can be enjoyed in many mouthwatering ways: on a crunchy waffle cone, adorned with hot fudge, whipped cream, and a bright red cherry, fried without melting, and so on. If you think you have milked ice cream for all its delicious uses, unless you've used it for bread, think again. Ice cream bread is the viral treat that is so easy to whip up, it is practically begging for you to try it.
It requires only two ingredients, making it quite the competitor to a traditional homemade cake. These ingredients include only ice cream and self-rising flour (along with any mix-ins and toppings you desire). With your favorite ice cream flavor on hand, some simple steps, and a few minutes of your time, your ice cream bread will come together and show you just how versatile a simple pint can be.
An ice cream bread how-to
Ice cream bread comes together so easily because of everything the sweet, creamy ingredient already brings to the table. A store-bought pint of ice cream contains almost all the ingredients required to make a cake. It comes with all the sugar, fat, emulsifiers, and flavors you need — as long as you use a full-fat flavor instead of a low-fat alternative. All you need to do is combine the ice cream with flour (and possibly a leavening agent; more information on that to come) to create your fluffy, flavorful, cake-like confection. Many have put this recipe to the test, including TikToker @angelhallman. She demonstrates using the ever-so-delectable Ben & Jerry's Cherry Garcia ice cream.
As shown, you need a pint (2 cups) of your favorite ice cream and 1½ cups of self-rising flour (note, it is not the same as self-raising flour). You want to use it only when appropriately softened, and a plastic bag can save you some time for the thaw. Once soft, mix the ice cream with the flour until it forms a soft dough. Then, transfer the mixture into a sprayed loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 40 minutes. As with most baked goods, preparing it is the easy part; waiting while the sweet smell fills your kitchen is where the real challenge lies.
Some notes on ingredient substitutions
If you do not have self-rising flour in your pantry, don't panic just yet. Self-rising flour is a mere mixture of all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. The baking powder is the leavening agent that gives the flour its "self-rising" title. Just plan to add 1½ teaspoons of baking soda and ¼ teaspoon of salt to every cup of flour you need, then mix the dry ingredients well before combining with the ice cream.
If you are seeking a dairy-free rendition of ice cream bread, the jury is out on whether the recipe can be adapted to work with a dairy-free ice cream alternative. Some sources say it works best with dairy-based ice cream, while others assert that a dairy-free alternative will work fine. If you'd like to test it yourself, just use a high-fat pint to keep the bread as moist as possible.
As for toppings and mix-ins, feel free to get creative. Some ice cream pints come premixed with chunks and crunches, but if not, add in whatever you like, whether that's chocolate chips, peanut butter cups, crumbled cookies, or sprinkles. As long as you have fun with it, you can't go wrong.