People have been making and enjoying ice cream for centuries, so much so that it is almost considered an art form. No doubt it has changed a great deal since ancient times but the process used today is mostly unchanged for the last few decades. When you make homemade ice cream, of course, you won’t use the same process that big companies use to pump out thousands of gallons of ice cream to be sold in parlors and grocery stores everyday. Your process will be smaller, fresher and have a personal touch.

There will only be a slight resemblance in the taste of your homemade ice cream and the ice cream you buy at the store. Yours will taste much better. The ingredients you are going to use, fruits, nuts and other flavorings are going to be fresh, not mass produced. You will put in your flair, personal attention and care. You will taste the difference in the finished product. Not to mention the enjoyable experience you will have spending time with family and friends making and enjoying your unique ice cream creation.

A good place to start, of course, will be with a good recipe. As you can imagine, there are hundreds of great ice cream recipes that you can use to get you started but you will undoubtedly want to come up with your own as you get more comfortable. Check with family members to see if there are family recipes that have been handed down through the years. The connection to the past is a big reason that many people choose to make their own homemade ice cream. What’s better than having ice cream “just like grandma used to make?”

Once the ingredients are mixed and smooth, load it into the churn or ice cream machine. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions regarding the ice and salt and activate the machine to churn the ice cream. Or if you’re using a manual churn, turn the crank for about 10 minutes to give the ice plenty of time to freeze the cream in the interior compartment. You may need to crank a bit longer if the cream has not set up after 10 minutes.

Once you have completed the “hard labor” put the ice cream in the freeze for a couple of hours to finish freezing into your wonderful frozen treat. The last part of the process is the easiest. Take your ice cream out of the freezer and find some family and friends to indulge in your delicious creation. Now that you’re an expert at homemade ice cream, start planning your next big party or family get together to show off your new skills!

The very best thing about having birthday cake is the ice cream that goes along with it. This delicious home made ice cream recipe can be made with a few simple ingredients and a couple of coffee cans. Ice cream and cake have long been the staples of birthdays, weddings, graduations and many other types of celebrations. It’s little wonder some culinary genius decided to combine them. Most of the time, ice cream is a delicious dessert all by itself. Filling delicious ice cream between layers of flaky, moist cake allowing the two to melt together is a flavor explosion so good it is sinful.

It would seem that this wonderful combination of two cherished desserts could only be experienced at a restaurant or bought from an ice cream shop or grocery store. Purchasing an ice cream cake can be quite expensive, usually more than a regular cake. But in reality it isn’t that difficult to make a custom ice cream cake right at home and it’s much cheaper. In fact it’s a lot of fun to do. And once you get good at it you’ll probably look for every opportunity there is to make great ice cream cake for your friends and family.

Start with a quart to a quart and half of your favorite flavor of ice cream. The biggest trick to making an ice cream cake at home is to get the ice cream to just the right level of softness. You’ll want it soft enough to mold but not to the point that it is getting melted and runny. So don’t just leave it out for an hour and forget about it. Somewhere around 20-30 minutes should do it. In fact, try setting a timer so you can record the perfect amount of softening time for the next ice cream cake you make. Make it part of your own personal recipe. When you bake your cake, use only about half of the batter. Rather than throwing it out, use the other half to make cupcakes. Follow the directions on the box and remove the cake from the pan and allow it to cool. It should be completely cool before proceeding.

Once you have the ice cream at the right level of softness you’ll need to make the cake using a simple layering technique. Use a deep round cake pan or you can experiment with other sizes and shapes once you are comfortable making the cakes. Bring out your cake and cut it into slabs about an inch thick. Start with a layer of cake on the bottom and then make a layer of ice cream about the same thickness. If the ice cream is at the right softness, you should be able to cut and mold it easily. Continue adding layers of ice cream and cake until the cake pan is full. At this point you’ll want to work very quickly to avoid letting the ice cream melt too much. Always use a layer of cake at the top so you can frost it or use sundae topping or fruit or whatever topping you like.

Now cover the ice cream cake with plastic wrap and put back in the freezer for at least three hours. Once it is frozen, take it out and slice it as you would a regular cake. Now you have an ice cream cake just as good as in any restaurant and for half the price. Are you looking for a unique family friendly party idea? How about throwing an ice cream party? It doesn’t have to be only for the kids. What a perfect way to spend an evening or afternoon during any time of year. This could be a child’s birthday party. Make it just like an old-fashioned ice cream social and invite your friends or neighbors that you haven’t seen for a while to an afternoon gathering at your home.