Spumoni Frozen Gelato Cake Adventure
In what now feels like a remarkably cool childhood experience, my folks and I discovered that the Italian proprietor of a local motel made delicious small-batch gelato during the summers.
For a limited time, she’d take orders at a lower-level window and hand us full containers that we brought over to Yiayia’s to share. This was the first time we heard about spumoni: a delectable combination of dark chocolate, pistachio, and cherry gelato.
With summer supposedly winding down here, I decided to try creating the perfect spumoni cake at home. Big changes are ahead for us, which is why there’s been a brief hiatus from culinary adventures. But the idea of crafting an epic frozen boozy dessert — no cooking required — filled me with excitement.
Spumoni comes from Naples, but the dessert’s history is shrouded in mystery, according to Serious Eats. An Italian dish with murky origins — who could have predicted?
Mine would have a chocolate cookie base, since that’s been a constant in the ice cream cakes I’ve loved. And distinct layers of high quality gelato. Plus an amaretti cookie layer to bump up the nuttiness. One summer, Deb from Smitten Kitchen made a whole hot fudge sundae cake from scratch, including the cookies and the ice cream, but I’m not at that level. Instead, I applied some of her strategies and those of the commenters.
Excellent grocery store cherry gelato is elusive. Some of the best comes from an Italian market and restaurant in Denver, but a pint would liquify on the way home, especially with temperatures hitting 100°F, even in September. So I attempted to make my own from fresh cherries, almond liqueur, and vanilla gelato.
My first spumoni cake felt like an expensive disaster. The cookie base didn’t hold together. Neither did the amaretti crumb layer. Not protecting the gelato between freezes with plastic wrap caused ice crystals to form. My cherry-vanilla gelato mixture was oddly tasteless, as was the slightly sweetened whipped cream on top. However, I did discover that letting the slices thaw for a while before serving helped.
For take two, I added more chocolate gelato, bumped up the butter in the cookie layers, and made no-churn ice cream for the top with addictive Amarena cherries in syrup. One thing that helps with assembly is tasting each component before committing to a whole layer. The textures and flavors were significantly better, especially the cherries. Although my recipe calls for a quarter cup, you could easily add a bit more — if you haven’t eaten them first.
This cake might be best as a special occasion dessert due to the investments in high-quality ingredients and assembly time, although that occasion could simply be having a taste for a frozen dessert that brings back happy memories.
Spumoni Gelato Cake
1½ pints Pistachio gelato
2 pints Chocolate gelato
1 C. Heavy whipping cream
3 Tbsp. White sugar
1 Box chocolate wafer cookies (9 oz.)
12 Tbsp. Unsalted butter, divided in half
1 bag Amaretti cookies (7 oz.)
¼ C. Amarena cherries, including syrup
1 Tbsp. Almond liqueur such as Disaronno
1 tsp. Vanilla extract
Chocolate sprinkles, for decorating
8 Whole cherries, for decorating
2 Tbsp. raw unsalted pistachios, for decorating
Equipment: 9-size springform pan, spatula, small food processor, cling wrap.
Carefully line a 9-inch springform pan with plastic cling wrap, allowing enough room so the pieces hang over the sides.
Melt 6 tablespoons of butter. In a small food processor, crush the chocolate wafers. In a bowl, mix together the cookie crumbs and the butter. Press into the base of the springform pan and freeze for 10 minutes or until firm. You can use the food processor to blitz the amaretti cookies right after the chocolate wafers.
While the base firms up, soften the chocolate gelato at room temperature for about 10 to 13 minutes. Remove pan from the freezer and spoon the chocolate gelato in. Use plastic wrap to press gelato into an even layer. Leave the plastic wrap on top to prevent crystallization. Freeze for 1 hour.
Melt the other 6 tablespoons of butter. Crush amaretti finely in a food processor. Mix the amaretti crumbs and the butter together.
Take the pan from the freezer, remove plastic wrap top, and discard it. Press the amaretti mixture into an even layer. Cover with a fresh piece of plastic wrap and return it to the freezer for 10 minutes to firm up.
While the amaretti layer firms, let the pistachio gelato soften at room temperature for about 10 to 13 minutes.
Take the pan from the freezer, remove plastic wrap top, spoon the pistachio gelato over the amaretti, and use a piece of plastic wrap to press the gelato evenly. Leave the plastic wrap on top, and return the pan to the freezer for 1 hour to harden.
Measure out the Amarena cherries and cut each one in half. Combine cherries, some syrup, and almond liqueur in a small bowl. Set aside. Okay to use more than the ¼ cup of the cherries, if desired.
Put the heavy whipping cream in a bowl and whip with a hand mixer until firm, slowly adding the sugar a tablespoon at a time. Add the vanilla extract. Should taste sweet and not grainy. Gently fold in the Amarena cherry mixture.
Rinse and dry 8 whole cherries. Roughly chop the 2 tablespoons of pistachios.
Get the pan from the freezer. Remove the plastic wrap top. Spoon the whipped cream mixture into an even layer. Gently place the whole cherries in a circle around the top. Sprinkle the edge with a ring of chopped pistachios and some chocolate sprinkles.
Put a piece of aluminum foil over the top and freeze for at least 1 hour.
To serve, take off the foil, remove the metal form, pull the plastic wrap down the sides, and transfer the cake to a cutting board. Cut slices. Wrap and refreeze any leftover pieces right away. Let the slices sit at room temperature for about 10 – 20 minutes, or until the edges begin to melt, for the best consistency and flavor.