I never.../-/Fully loaded Birthday cake ice cream

I know you should never say never. However in the kitchen as much of a foodie (or maybe more eater) that I am, there are just some things I will NEVER make. Not that I do want to appreciate the art making these foods; it is just that well… I am not bothered…



The process and satisfaction of making your own up there with one of the best feelings you can get out of life but over the years I found that there are some things you will never get right in kitchen. They will never taste the same as the original and will always fail you. Not only are so they have right equipment, the correct ingredients and a tired and true recipe; but also they have experience. For anyone who is baker or a cook, experience is one the key factors in sorting out the good from the best.



In age where the accessibility to gourmet and foreign foods is so easily, as bad as it sounds; I would rather get someone else to do it. I Think Nigella Lawson once said this in one of the episodes in Forever summer series; that when you go to a deli or cheese shops you are “not just buying their produce, you are buying their skills too”. Also can you imagine a world where there was no deli, no coffee bean roasting house and no pickling shop? Forget your morning coffee, and salami and antipasti sandwich. 

As expected some of these things on my list are complicated due to the long processes with equipment and weird ass ingredients. Give me a break, I have more appliances than I have fingers and toes and you say I still need more stuff?!

Sorry dessert chefs, I ran out of titanium oxide to dye your cake; I used in my last batch of impossible candies *feel the sarcasm*

No I do not have a foam pump to create aired chocolate bubbles or this “chocolate cous cous”.


*sign* Maybe one day I will be able to make these magical foods but until then I think I will make do with the “basics” (at least the basics for a baker)



You are probably wondering what I never make. Well I am NOT going to tell you. I can’t having you citing me wrong can we? ;) Nah kidding.

Some of these things are:

Beer ( failure results in explosive results)

Dried fruits, veggies or meats (I like sultanas but not that much)

Asian noodles eg. Soba, pulled noodles

Milk arrow Biscuits or Maria Biscuits (they are not the same when made at home)

Tim tams (ditto)

Homemade Candy bars (I might be inspired by candy but not enough to try and make it)


What are some of thing you will never make? Have you ever hand to go back on your word because you did end up making it?



Now this list is not set in stone because I never thought I would end up making my own ice cream. However the temptations are just too much and have given in to the trend. I have adapted a recipe from Philippa Sibley. She recommends a base of a cream angelise to create the smooth and melt in mouth ice cream and you should infuse the flavours of the vanilla pods or other spices before in the cream/milk mix.

Now this ice cream is the result of having left overs (again) in the kitchen. This might be a sin but we always have left over birthday cake; always. Even though cake is great the day after, you can make it better right here.

So birthday cake ice cream was the order of the day. The ice cream is vanilla cake flavoured base with chunks of cake and butter cream icing running through it. Really cake and ice cream? Who can argue with that?

So you can have birthday cake and ice cream!

Fully loaded Birthday cake ice cream
Adpated from Philippa Sibley, P.S Desserts
Makes 1.5 litres


350ml milk

300ml cream

1 vanilla bean, scraped.

150g sugar

7 egg yolks

50 ml Cake flavoured vodka

About 4 slices of cake (I used a caramel mud cake with vanilla/honey butter cream; GET IT HERE) So my cake was 20cm circle with 3x2cm layers with butter cream about 1 cm thick

In large pot combine milk, cream, and the skin of the scraped vanilla pod. Bring to boil.

In another bowl add egg yolks and sugar. Whisk to combine.

Pour milk and cream over the egg yolks while whisking continuously.

Pour mix back into the pan. With a wooden spoon, stir all the time until it reaches 80C.

Remove from heat and cool for 15 minutes.

Place vodka in the custard mix.

Cool in fridge overnight.

Separate your cake from your butter cream on your left over cake. Crumble up

Pour into your ice cream machine and churn to the manufacture instructions. In the last 5 minutes add the cake and butter cream pieces.

Freeze overnight in bowl of choice.