Now that summer is here and the days are nice and warm, there’s something extra appealing about cold desserts that require little or no baking time. This cake makes for a perfect summer treat, and it includes some of my favourite things… lemons, ice cream, and cheesecake. Here’s the recipe!

INGREDIENTS
makes one 6″ cake (for a regular 9″ cake, just double the recipe!)

for the crust;
65 g graham cracker crumbs (in France I use Lu Tea Biscuits)
25 g unsalted butter, melted
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ginger

for the ice cream;
200 g cream cheese, room temperature
juice of a lemon
100 g sugar
4 egg yolks
150 g whole milk
150 g heavy cream
zest of a lemon
~½ cup lemon curd

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 180°C (~350°F). In a small bowl, stir together the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, cinnamon, and ginger. Press the mixture into the bottom of a 6″ springform pan – using the bottom of a glass makes this really easy. Bake for 10 minutes, until golden brown. Allow the crust to cool to room temperature, and then put it into the freezer until you’re ready to fill it.

Whisk together the cream cheese and lemon juice until smooth, and set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the sugar and egg yolks. Use the whisk attachment to beat on high speed until thick and pale yellow.

Meanwhile, combine the milk, cream, and lemon zest in a pot, and cook over medium heat until the milk mixture is steaming (but don’t let it boil). Add the cream cheese mixture, and gently beat with a hand mixer or whisk until it’s smooth.

With the mixer going, pour the hot milk mixture into the egg yolk mixture to incorporate. Return the liquid to the pot, and continue to cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened – about 10 minutes. Do not let it boil at any point.

Remove the pot from the heat, and place the liquid into the fridge until cold – at least an hour. Then pour it into an ice cream maker, and churn for 20 minutes. Alternatively, if you don’t have an ice cream maker, you can do it by hand – just place the liquid into the freezer in a metal pan, and use a whisk to beat it well every 15 or 20 minutes. Do this until it has a slushy consistency – about an hour.

Pour the ice cream into the springform pan, and tap it onto the counter a few times to level it. Place a few dollops of lemon curd on top, and use a toothpick to swirl it around. Freeze for 3 to 4 hours before serving.

To remove from the pan, run a hot knife all around the edge, and then release the sides of the springform. Then use an offset spatula to lift the cake off the base – it should pop right off.

Enjoy!