Tempura fried ice cream

Four words: tempura fried ice cream, a dessert that is made by frying a ball of ice cream to low temperature covered in a mixture of water and all purpouse flour.

Jump to recipe

It is a traditional Japanese creation that requires great care to avoid accidents with the oil in the kitchen. Once ready, it can be served with chocolate sauce, whipped cream, fruit, honey or powdered sugar… all on top.

Tempura ice cream is something that must be made in exact quantities because it must be eaten immediately, firstly because otherwise the ice cream would melt and secondly because it is fried and if it is left to stand for a long time after frying, its texture changes and it becomes watery and less crunchy.

To make tempura ice cream basically any flavor of ice cream can be used but in general it is made with a neutral flavor such as vanilla or chocolate. My favorite is vanilla since it can be easily paired with other flavors later on.

Eating fried ice cream is not something that should be done very often but when it is done, for my taste it should be done well, so don’t skimp on the ice cream or try to substitute ingredients for others that are more “healthy” so to speak.

Few things can be said about this dessert that its name does not describe because who does not like ice cream or fried things, so together they can cause us a foodgasm as they say when food causes us a lot of pleasure.

If you like this recipe, then you should make sure to go see our basil ice cream recipe, which you will for sure love!

Tempura fried ice cream

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 2 minutes
Freezing time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 17 minutes
Course Dessert, Snack
Cuisine American, Japanese
Servings 6

Ingredients
  

  • 24.40 oz (690 gr) ice cream of your choice
  • 12 slices sponge cake (type "pound cake") or regular plain loaf bread
  • 1 C (4.60 oz) (130 gr) all purpouse flour
  • 1 egg, large
  • 3/4 C (6 fl oz) (180 ml) cold water
  • Vegetable oil (for frying) (canola, sunflower, etc) needed amount

Instructions
 

  • Form 6 ice cream balls of the same size and place them on a tray with baking paper. Place in the freezer for at least 1 hour to firm up.
  • Once this time has passed, place a piece of plastic kitchen wrap on the clean countertop and place two slices of sponge cake or plain loaf bread on top.
  • Flatten or roll out the slices of bread with a rolling pin until they are approximately 0.11 inches (3 mm) thick (they must be thin to be able to cover the ice cream later).
  • Take a scoop of ice cream directly from the freezer, place it in the center of the flattened cake and wrap it with it until it is completely covered. Then wrap the entire scoop with the same plastic wrap and put it in the freezer again (this process must be done quickly to prevent the ice cream from melting).
  • Repeat the same process with the rest of the ice cream balls and let them sit again on the tray in the freezer for one more hour.
  • Once the ice cream has been resting for 15 minutes, place a large pot over medium heat with enough oil to deep fry the ice cream, that is, the entire scoop of ice cream should be able to fully be submerged in the oil and cooked at the same time.
  • Also, place in a medium bowl the flour with the egg and the water. Whisk with a hand whisk or a fork until you get a homogeneous and slightly liquid mixture.
  • When the oil is hot, about 392º F (200°C), take the ice cream balls out of the refrigerator and, two by two, roll them in the flour mixture and place them directly into the pan with the oil to fry for 30 seconds until lightly browned. As soon as they are ready, place them on a plate with blotting paper or kitchen towels to remove the excess oil.
  • Fry the rest of the ice cream in batches until everything is ready and eat right away. It can be served with chocolate sauce, dulce de leche, fruit or powdered sugar on top.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Related posts

Brookies

Nutella-stuffed pancakes

Mexican cajeta coyotas (Sonora style pastries)