Japanese Tempura Fried Ice Cream Recipe
Japanese Tempura Fried Ice Cream is a delightful dessert featuring creamy ice cream balls wrapped in buttery pound cake, coated in a light tempura batter and panko breadcrumbs, then deep-fried to golden perfection. This treat balances cold and crunchy textures with a sweet, fluffy cake exterior and a warm, crisp coating.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes (excluding freezing times)
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours 20 minutes (including freezing)
- Yield: 4 servings
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients
Ice Cream and Cake
- 2 cups vanilla ice cream or flavor of choice
- 16 slices butter loaf cake or pound cake, ¼ inch slices
Tempura Batter and Coating
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- ½ cup cold water
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
Frying
- 1 quart canola oil
- 1 tablespoon powdered sugar (optional)
Instructions
- Freeze Ice Cream Balls: Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper and scoop out 4 balls of ice cream. Place them on the sheet and freeze for 1 hour to firm up.
- Prepare Cake Wrapping: Lay 4 slices of butter loaf cake on a sheet of plastic wrap. Gently flatten each slice with a rolling pin to make it pliable.
- Wrap Ice Cream with Cake: Remove one ice cream ball from the freezer and place it in the center of the flattened cake slice. Use the plastic wrap to carefully wrap the cake around the ice cream, patching any crumbled areas. Press gently to form a tight ball and freeze for at least 2 hours to harden. Repeat with remaining ice cream balls one at a time.
- Heat Oil: In a small pot, heat the canola oil to 400°F (205°C). Ensure the oil is at least 3 inches deep for deep frying.
- Make Tempura Batter: In a bowl, mix the all-purpose flour and cold water until combined. The batter should resemble pancake batter with small lumps; do not overmix.
- Prepare Coating Station: Place panko bread crumbs in a separate bowl ready for coating.
- Coat Ice Cream Balls: Remove one ice cream ball from the freezer. Dip it in the tempura batter, allowing excess to drip off, then fully coat it in panko bread crumbs.
- Deep Fry: Carefully lower the coated ice cream ball into the hot oil. Fry for 20-30 seconds until the coating is golden brown. Remove and drain on a wire rack to let excess oil drip off.
- Serve: Dust with powdered sugar if desired and serve immediately with your favorite toppings.
Notes
- Prep time does not include the freezing periods required for shaping and hardening the ice cream.
- Adjust the tempura batter by adding more flour or cold water one tablespoon at a time to achieve a pancake batter consistency.
- Nutrition values do not account for oil absorption during frying, which may slightly increase fat and calorie content.
Find it online: https://marthatasty.com/japanese-tempura-fried-ice-cream-recipe/
