Carrot Cake Sandwich¶

From the transcript of Ice Cream Sandwiches | Basics with Babish.

Composition of the semifreddo

This recipe levels up the classic ice cream sandwich by using thin, spicy carrot cake instead of hard cookies.

The filling is a super rich Cream Cheese Semifreddo that stays soft even when frozen. The key is removing moisture from the carrots to keep the cake tender and using a double-boiler method for the egg yolks to create a stable, airy foam.

If you aren't careful when folding the whipped cream into the cheese base, you might deflate the mixture, resulting in a dense, icy sandwich instead of a light and creamy one.

Note: Be sure to use a hot knife to slice the sandwiches perfectly once they are rock-hard.

Ingredients¶

Carrot Cake Bread

• 250g Carrots (2 cups) • peeled and finely grated, then pressed
• 210g All-purpose Flour (≈ 1 3/4 cups)
• 250g Brown Sugar (1 1/4 cups) • packed
• 100g White Sugar (1/2 cup)
• 150g Large Eggs (3 large)
• 165g Vegetable Oil (3/4 cup)
• 5g Vanilla Extract (1 tsp)
• 5g Baking Powder (1 tsp)
• 3g Baking Soda (1/2 tsp)
• 5g Cinnamon (2 tsp)
• 2g Ground Ginger (1 tsp)
• 1g Nutmeg (1/2 tsp)
• 0.5g Ground Cloves (1/4 tsp)
• 4.5g Kosher Salt (3/4 tsp)

Subtotal Weight: 1151g

Cream Cheese Semifreddo Filling

• 240g Heavy Cream (1 cup)
• 200g Cream Cheese (≈ 7 oz) • room temperature cubes
• 100g White Sugar (1/2 cup)
• 90g Egg Yolks (5 large)
• 5g Vanilla Extract (1 tsp)

Subtotal Weight: 635g

Directions¶

1. Cake Prep: Grate the carrots and press them firmly between paper towels to squeeze out as much moisture as possible. Whisk the dry ingredients (flour, leaveners, spices, salt) together in a medium bowl. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, sugars, oil, and vanilla until completely smooth. Stir in the d-wetted carrots, then gently fold in the dry ingredients until no streaks remain.
2. Baking: Spread the cake batter onto a large, oiled, and parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake at 350°F (≈ 175°C) for 15 minutes until the top is soft and glossy. Let the cake cool completely on a rack. While cooling, start the semifreddo by beating the heavy cream to stiff peaks and chilling it in the fridge.
3. Cook Base: Combine egg yolks, sugar, and vanilla in a heat-proof bowl. Place over a saucepan with one inch of simmering water (double boiler). Beat constantly for 3–5 minutes until the mixture is lighter in color and doubled in volume. Remove from heat and whisk until it returns to room temperature.
4. Mixing: Use a stand mixer to whip the room-temperature cream cheese into the yolk mixture for about 5 minutes until perfectly smooth. Retrieve the cold whipped cream and very gently fold it into the cream cheese custard base, taking care not to deflate the mixture.
5. Hardening: Cut the cooled cake in half and freeze for at least 6 hours until firm. Line a mold with plastic wrap, pour in the semifreddo mixture, smooth it out, and freeze overnight until rock-hard.
6. Assembly: Use the mold to trim the frozen cakes to size. Layer the cake, semifreddo, and second cake layer in the mold. Freeze for another hour or two to firm up before slicing into bars with a hot, clean knife.

Nutrition Facts¶

Note: Calculations based on the Australian Food Composition Database (AFCD).