There was a list that has floated around for years titled “You know you’re Chinese when…” and proceeded to list 100 items that were frighteningly true. One of the points was “You have Tupperware in your fridge with three bites of rice or one leftover chicken wing”. I am also loathe to throw out food and indeed you may not find a single leftover chicken wing (I would have just eaten it) but I always seem to have leftover icing. I always seem to make too much of it, especially for cupcakes and cakes and whilst this is slightly deliberate in that I loathe running out of icing (so inconvenient mid piping) it means that there’s always a surplus and eating it straight from the container by the spoonful is not recommended if you want to fit into your clothes.
Dear Reader, you know I don’t often insist that you make a recipe but if you happen to love carrot cake I’m going to have to insist that you make this ice cream. It is quite simply, heaven in an ice cream form. When Mr NQN came home from work I was so excited I was jumping up and down asking him to try it. He’s not a huge carrot cake eater but he adored it.
This method could of course be easily applied to most cakes so watch out for my Red Velvet Cake and Apple Pie ice creams. It is of course quite rich as it has swirls of cream cheese icing and crumbled carrot cake throughout the richly speckled ice cream but as they say it’s quality, not quantity. At first people that tried it thought that it was a strange concept, and I suppose it is for the uninitiated. But similarly with my Lamingtonmisu which may have caused a double take, there was a respectful silence once it was sampled.
I brought some carrot cake ice cream to Liss’s Australia Day Barbecue. I’m absolutely in love with her three girls Eloise, Laura and Olivia and after meeting them promptly offered myself up for baby sitting duties which is not something I do often. I was so delighted to see that some things never change and that this could have almost have been an Australia Day from when I was a child.
A rite of passage for many Australian children: stuffing your sweet cheeks full of cheezels!
There were cheezels, cordial, pavlova, barbecued prawns, sausages, lamington (tiramisu), vanilla slices and of course what better Australia Day activity than the Slip and Slide! There were also salads galore, Vietnamese rice paper roll wraps, lamb kebabs, European cheeses, Asian style chicken and ribs, olives, Turkish bread and dips and salsa which of course reflects Australia’s multicultural heritage.
Wheeeeeeee!
Sadly for Mr NQN there was a weight limit to the Slip and Slide so he wasn’t able to play on it (and breaking a kid’s Slip and Slide is the best way to become the least popular kid in town) but the kids had a ball.
So tell me Dear Reader, what’s your favourite way to cool down on a hot day? ice cream? Slip and Slide? Or shopping in an air conditioned shopping centre?
Carrot Cake Ice Cream
An Original Recipe by Not Quite Nigella
- 600ml cream
- 3 cups carrot cake, crumbled (recipe below) or you can use a store bought one
- 1 cup cream cheese frosting (recipe below)
For Carrot Cake
- 1 cup plain flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons nutmeg
- 1 cup caster sugar
- 1 cup grated carrot
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted and cooled
- 1/2 cup crushed pineapple, well drained
- 160ml oil
- 3 eggs
For cream cheese icing
- 15g butter softened
- 40g cream cheese
- 3/4 cups icing sugar sifted
- 1 teaspoon of lemon juice
1. Line a non stick loaf tin with baking paper. Preheat oven to 175C. In a large bowl mix the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, sugar until combined. In a jug beat eggs and oil until emulsified and then stir in carrot, pineapple and walnuts. Add wet to dry ingredients and stir to combine. Scoop batter into lined loaf tin and bake for 45 minutes until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Cool and crumble.
2. To make cream cheese icing, beat the butter and cream cheese until smooth and then beat with icing sugar and lemon juice.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer using the whisk attchment, whisk the cream until soft and voluminous but not stiff. Fold 2 1/2 cups of the crumbled carrot cake into the cream reserving half a cup of it for sprinkling on top. Fold 3/4 cup of cream cheese icing into it reserving 1/4 cup of the icing to drizzle on top. Churn in an ice cream maker for 20 minutes. Resist the strong urge to eat it there and then. Sprinkle remaining cake crumbs on top and drizzle some cream cheese icing on top and then freeze until set.
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83 Comments | Add your own
Please, please, please make the apple pie ice cream. Pronto.
I couldn’t help reading this post with pride (probably completely unwarranted
) as I do remembering slipping the idea of carrot cake ice cream into your head?
But this is above and beyond more heavenly scrumptious-looking than the non-dairy version I mentioned in your pumpkin ice cream post, though that’s probably unsurprising
So much wanting right now, it’s quite traumatic.
That looks delicious. Liss’ BBQ looks like it was a blast! x
YUM! Mike loves carrot cake to bits, so this has me contemplating the purchase of an ice cream maker…!
Escaping the heat? I go to the movies. With choc top ice cream. Mmmm…
Love the pics! Must say as a diligent taste tester (gobbler) this icecream is a must-try!! And try I will, I have carrot cake in the freezer!
It was a fantastic day, great company, conversation, fun and food (if I do say so myself – and I just did!)
Oh wow! Looks like so much fun (and torture for those of us in the depth of winter!)
On a hot summer’s day, I like to cool down by putting my underwear & clothes in the freezer before I wear them =)
What a wonderfully delicious recipe! I can’t wait to try it.
And I just love the stuffed little sweet cheeks you’ve captured! Beautiful kids.
yummy idea!
That ice cream sounds and looks terrific!
Cheers,
Rosa
My Mum always made Greta Anna’s carrot cake and I would ask for a big slice. I didn’t like the cake at all, having a problem with pineapple that I have since overcome, so I would scoff the cake quickly and then linger over the cream cheese icing. How I loved it. I will submit and make this, right away!
I didn’t realise you were Chinese Australian as well, how cool is that? Love the Australia Day photos – cheezels, carrot cake ice cream and slip’n'slide. Just perfect.
I often buy slabs of carrot cake and put it in the freezer. I take it out and eat it while frozen. This ice cream would certainly be my cup of tea. Frozen cream cheese frosting yummmm.
That ice cream looks amazing, I would love to try that. I cope very badly with the sun, I burn even with SPF50 on, it does terrible things to me. My husband complains if we are “in a shopping centre on the hottest day of the year” but you see it makes perfect sense to me – quiet and cold!
Awesomeness! I think I would so love this icecream. Carrot cake is delicious
OH. MY. GOD!!! That looks like my idea of heaven!!! I love carrot cake.
My fav way to cool down is to go to the movies- the combination of the dark cinema and aircon is perfect.
Who can resist carrot cake in an ice cream form? YUM! I am jealous of the kids – they look like they are having a blast. Did they save a cheezel for me?
On a hot day, aircon (whever it is – even at work!) is my favourite way to cool down.
i think you might have ruined icecream for me for life… i think if i take a bite of this nothing will ever compare.
i LOVE carrot cake and cannot wait to give this a go
Ice-cream & tons of it. It’s a temporary measure so a refill is always called for.
Um – slip and slide during the drought? That’s a bit irresponsible. Aside from that, the ice cream looks amazing.
That looks amazing! YUM.
Love the ice cream
What fun! I was perfectly content with the snow on my ground until reading this! Now I am itching for the sun and heat to come back for some good slip n’ slide, bbq fun! I think I may need to make the ice cream now though
What a great idea!!
Oh my, that carrot cake ice-cream is food porn to the max! What a perfect combination.
Dang that looks yummy!
PS – My 4 year old is drooling on my laptop. LOL
Oh wow – this icecream is the happy union of two of my favourite things in the world!
When are you going to open your own cafe so I can move in right next door? x
Sorry for the double comment but the “You know you’re a Chinese when …” list is hilarious. Mom is not obsessed with plants and dad doesn’t have a bird, but my stove is covered with aluminium foil. Don’t judge me.
I always have left over icing tooo!!! It’s damn annoying!
Looks delicious though. I haven’t had carrot cake in aaaaages.
My favorite way to cool down… hmmm depends what mood I’m in. Could be the beach or an a/c shopping mall.
That looks delectable! Carrot cake rocks
Thanks for sharing
Now I can’t wait for the weather to warn up… this has to be pone of the most inspired ice-creams I have ever come across, it’s genius! Yay for NQN! Now I really, really do want an ice-cream maker, but where to keep it…
What better way to cool down than with ice cream?! And oooh slip n slide, the memories I have in my backyard as a child…! Such fun.
And hellOooOOOoooo carrot cake ice cream. I LOVE carrot cake. This is simply genius. YUM! I also just love ice cream and even had an ice cream and meringue themed dessert tonight – while watching the snow fall outside. You didn’t actually expect me to wait for the hot weather here in Switzerland…?!
I’ve tried carrot cake ice cream before, but never with that much cake and the frosting swirled in. Clearly I need your way very soon! Oh good goodness, it looks good!
I have the remainder of our store bought carrot cake that was delicious. How ironic that you made carrot cake ice cream. This has got to be an all time favorite dessert. I do not have an ice cream maker, but will tuck this recipe in with my others to try another time. Looks and sounds so good. Too bad we live so far apart. I would pop in and get some to taste. I love cold drinks with ice in them during hot weather and rootbeer floats.
Oh mercy, I’m impressed.
That ice cream looks and sounds crazily good 
That’s a new thing to do with leftover cake! I wonder if it’ll work with this new raspberry rum cake I just baked. Hmm…
(Oh, and did I see a mention of a tiramisu lamington?!? OMG!)
OMG Lorraine…I think maybe we’re long-lost sisters…carrot cake in all forms is absolutely irrestistible to me! I will be making this ASAP! (Snow outside and all!
)
And it’s when you post such marvels as these that you inspire people to blog!
I’m making this tonight and am sooo excited for it – I’ll write it up and link you when it’s done.
Looks sooooo good.
I love ice-cream and carrot cake so this is going on the list as a must make! I am glad to see the little ones getting stuck into the cheezels – one of the greatest inventions ever, as far as I am concerned. I have a bit of an obsession with the mini cheezels. They are so good!!
I was absolutely swoooning…what could I absolutely love MORE than carrot cake? I think its CARROT CAKE ICE CREAM! Took a double take when I saw the photo. Thankfully I was eating lunch or I might have lunged at my computer screen!
Lorraine that is BRILLIANT. I thought it was just cake until I saw the scoop in it. And the ingredient list makes me crack up – cream, cake and frosting? Genius, I say! Can’t wait to see the other iterations!
Carrot cake ice-cream… that’s a first for me but I suppose it does make sense, since we have cheesecake ice cream and oreo ice cream. Brilliant! And your citing of leaving a tupperware in the fridge with 2 mouthful of rice, had me laughing – guilty as charged too.
Will your wonders never cease? This looks just like the dessert I will making my always hungry mob this coming Sunday…thanks to you! AWESOME!
I want! Diet be damned!
OH MY GOSH.. WHOA… you have outdid yourself this time.. I LOVE, love carrot cake.. and .. Oh I just have to try this.
Oh.. I finally got around to adding links to my new site… hope you’ll add me too..
carrot ice cream!!! wow…first ever Ive heard of! what a fantastic idea
)
the Australia day looks so fun !!
OMG, when i saw its the ice cream … I was like “Wow, u are soooo amazing !”
What an intensely heavenly idea! I can almost taste the frozen frosting and cake against the cream. Heat I can handle but humidity has me running into the nearest air conditioned space for a triple shot of Vietnamese iced coffee!
that is so amazing & looks so delicious! can’t wait to try this recipe out myself =].
how long do you usually freeze your icecream for? my icecream seems to melt really quickly compared to store bought icecream
As a kid running through the sprinkler in the back garden was a fantastic way to cool down – but these days when sprinklers are banned (and even slip and slides in SA!!) we have no opportunity to embrace such fun.
Thanks for coming you two, hope you had as much fun as laura did posing for the cheezle stuffing photo’s… I have scoffed the tiramasu, well OK will finish the last morsal tonight.
Oh, there’s nothing quite like carrot cake and icecream, so I bet carrot cake IN icecream must be another kind of heaven. I have carrot cake in the fridge…. *lalalaa…*
What a fantastic idea Lorraine – I always have leftover icing too (I have some lemon curd cream cheese icing in freezer now – perfect!).
We’re lucky enough to have a beach close by so that’s where we head when temps soar.
oh lorraine. this is outstanding, magnificent, and sensational. it’s always better to have too much frosting than too little, and this is a phenomenal way to make use of the extra. crumbled carrot cake and swirls of said frosting make this one of the finest concoctions i’ve ever seen. period. the end.
I made it!
Oh my – i’m in a food coma as I type, I can’t even blog about it yet. We ate too much and now are harbouring headaches.
I can’t get over the texture and creaminess. I added some fresh carrot and ginger and it worked amazingly (made two batches, one with and one without). I prefer it with the fresh carrot, while Mr. didn’t seem to care as long as he was scoffing more down. I’m a huge ginger-bread fan so I loved the ginger.
Thanks NQN!
Lorraine – I don’t even particularly like carrot cake and you’ve absolutely convinced me to try making this!
It must be that amazing writing voice of yours
Ciao, Devaki
From the famous email, You know you are an Aussie When: You feel obliged to spread salty black stuff that looks like congealed motor oil on bread… and actually grow to like it. You’ve also squeezed Vegemite through Vita Wheats to make little Vegemite worms. PS: Hope everyone had a great Australia Day on Tuesday (and had the Monday off too….)
This looks absolutely a-ma-zing. Such a fabulous idea, especially since I always make too much icing as well.
Please don’t keep us waiting too long for the apple pie and red velvet ice cream!
A truly inspiring ice cream flavour. Fantastic daaaaahling, I’d love to try this!
*kisses* HH
I cannot wait and I mean CANnot wait to make this ice cream. Thanks for the recipe. I love to make ice cream.
where/how did you come up with the idea of carrot cake icecream?! I think it’s a good idea and I’m sure would’ve tasted lovely.
and lol to mr nqn wanting to go on the slip and slide. actually i think most boys are like that, regardless of what age they are
If desperate I sit under the airconditioner but if there is a gentle breeze, I prefer that to cool down.
Love your concept of carrot cake ice-cream, certainly not for the faint-hearted nor me atm as I’m three weeks into my gym program. Pictures look so inviting, I’ll just have to drool and feast with my eyes only.
*gasp*
this is so awesome, Lorraine! Two of my favourites in one!!
I LOVE spending a hot day inside with AC cranked up all the way, wrap myself in a blanket eating ice cream. LOL
Oh this is ingenious! NQN you have outdone yourself, can’t wait to, er, clear the freezer a bit so I can give this a whirl!
As for escaping the heat? Well my distaste for summer is such that I try to schedule our rare overseas breaks to the northern hemisphere right smack in the depths of Australian summer so that we can have three winters in a row
Unfortunately we can’t do that every year though.
Otherwise, I live right near a fancy new inner city park which has a kids play thing where the kids run around stepping on buttons in the ground to start some water sprinkler action. It’s unsurprisingly very busy on these summer days and I must confess to having a perverse desire to elbow the littlies out of the way and stand under the sprinkler jets myself…
That icecream has me drooling! Looks so yum.
Can you give me a little tip on ice cream makers? I would love a good one,and am not a millionaire, so can you recommend one? Thankyou, thankyou. I love your blog, so fun and delicious!
Oh how GOOD!!! I could eat carrot cake until it pushed out of my ears, so this definitely looks like another winner.
How do I keep cool? Well, as a weak northern hemisphere person, anything over 30 is a bit of a struggle! Although not exactly kind to the environment, I’m a big fan of aircon. If I do venture outside, then it’s usually for an enormous iced coffee and a wander round an inner-west shopping centre of choice, or to head for the hills.
Definitely no beaches for me, I find them intolerable, not least because I’d be glowing red the next day!
That’s…weird…but love your weird recipes! They always look so tempting.
Those kids are so cute, especially the one stuffing her face with cheezels (been there done that.. yesterday! ;P). I’m all for ice-cream and copious amounts of air-conditioning, during any heat wave.
Yum – love the idea – i always mash cake with icecream in a bowl – but your way has definitely got me interested!
I made a carrot cake last week using an adaptation of Planet Cake’s recipe – have you ever tried using moist shredded coconut through yours? mmmm so yummy
Wow… this looks awfully good to pass up. Thanks for sharing this original recipe.
Awesome! I think I’ll make a red velvet cake ice cream!!
oh man that looks simply scrumtrulescent
That ice cream look positively sinful! And I mean that in the best possible way! Yum!
Hi Blond Duck-Haha I knew you’d like that one!
Hi Hannah-Oh yes I couldn’t remember where I read about it but yes it was you! Thankyou so much!
I wish I could teleport you some!
Hi fat mum slim-It was so much fun!
x
Hi Julie-Oh cool! I’d love to know what you think of it if you do make it!
Hi Trisha-Hehe good idea!
Hi Liss-So glad that you all liked it! Absolutely, please do!
It was an excellent day indeed!
Hi Mowie-Oh yes of course! Well coem Summer I’m sure you’ll be torturing us with lovely gelatos and ice creams
Haha just like Marilyn! 
Hi Mary Poppins in Heels-Thankyou so much!
Aren’t they just gorgeous? The cheezels girl is Laura and I’ve asked her mum if Laura can come live with us 
Hi snooky doodle-Thanks!
Hi Rosa-Thanks very much!
Hi Amy-Ahh yes the cream cheese icing-an absolute must!
Fantastic! I’d love to know what you think! 
Hi Celia-I am! Thankyou! I was so impressed that some things still stay the same
Hi Katherine-Yes I couldn’t have it without the frosting could I!?
Hi Sarah-Thankyou!
Oh you poor thing! That must be so hard 
Yes I’ve been known to retreat to the safety of shopping centres in a heatwave!
Hi Esz-Thankyou! It is isn’t it!
Hi sandra-Oh cool!
Mmm yes I agree. Although once we did that and their air con wasn’t working and it was miserable! 
Hi Cakelaw-Thankyou! Hehe I think all the cheezels were long gone! I enjoyed them too as I hadn’t had one in years! OH yes right now I wish we had air con!
Hi A Girl Called E-Hehe I promise you it’s really worth making!
Hi Mary-Hehe yes access to lots of ice cream is what my husband opts for!
Hi Amy-They actually has a sustainable garden and are very environmentally conscious
Hi Minou-Thankyou!
Hi Big M-Thanks!
Hi Jen-Thanks! Yes I had forgotten about how much fun a slip and slide was!
Thankyou!
Hi foodwink-Hehe why thankyou! That’s the ultimate compliment!
Hi Anne-Thanks so much!
Haha how cute! 
Hi Emma-Hehe it’s the perfect ice cream marriage!
LOL now would that be fun? I want to open up my own afternoon tea place. How about that? 
x
Hi foodwink-Hehe isn’t it just! I know, the foil! We had it for years
Hi Iron Chef Shellie-Yes and I hate wasting food too!
Ahh both good options!
Hi Ladybird-Thankyou so much!
Hi Angela-Thanks darling! You are too sweet
I have an Kitchenaid bowl which just sits in the freezer ready to make ice cream 
Hi Kerrin-Me too! Did we all have one I wonder?
Thankyou so much! Oooh how fabulous, that sounds absolutely delicious! Haha of course not! 
Hi Brittany-Hehe it’s very over the top but trust me, it’s good!
Hi Darlene-Ahh cool! I hope you get to make it one day, it really is good
Oh my I love root beer floats-it’s been too long between them! 
Hi Krista-Hehe thankyou so much!
Hi Midge-I know! I don’t like throwing things out when they are still good. I bet it would! Yep you sure did!
Hi Faith-Hehe I know! When I saw your carrot cake oatmeal I clapped! Isn’t that funny!
Hi Miss Marci-Aww shucks, thankyou so much! I’m so glad that you liked it!
Hi Sian-Wonderful!
I know, all that glowing orange powder! They were so cute! 
Hi Einna-Hehe wonderful! You are too cute!
Hi anna-Thankyou so much!
I know, what’s not to love? 
Hi shirley-Yes it’s just another variation of it!
Hehe good to know that it’s not just isolated to us! 
Hi Tenina-Wonderful! I hope that you like it!
Hi Reemski-The cool thing is that it’s so rich you can’t have a lot!
Hi April Marie-Hehe thankyou so much!
Hi zurin-Thankyou! It was a blast!
Hi Ja-Aww Ja you are so sweet!
Hi Moya-Thankyou so much!
Oooh great idea, a caffeine jolt as well as a something to cool down! 
Hi vivian-Thankyou! I hope you like it!
I freeze it for a few hours but my freezer is super cold. Really? I find store bought melts really quickly and mine doesn’t so much? How odd!
Hi Ellen-Oh really! What a shame, yes the old days when we could have them!
Hi Adam-Thanks for having us! Hehe she is so adorable! I’m so glad that you liked it!
Hi Sweets at Vicky’s-Hehe yes it kind of makes sense doesn’t it?
Hi shaz-Ooh that would be delicious!
Great idea!
Hi grace-Aww thanks Grace! That is so sweet of you to say!
Hi Miss Marci-Ahh too much food? You’re welcome! It’s really a nice texture isn’t it!
Hi Devaki-Aww shucks thankyou! You are too sweet
Hi taxing woman-Haha oh yes good old Vegemite! I remember when Rob Lowe first tried it and he spread it like peanut butter. His facial expression was priceless
I love the worms on vita weats! I hope everyone did too! 
Hi Su-yin-Thankyou so much! I promise I won’t!
Hi Heavenly Housewife-Thanks so much sweetie! Xxx
Hi Lea Ann-Wonderful! I hope that you like it and plmk what you think of it!
Hi Panda-I read about it on Hannah’s website. She bought one from the supermarket although I think theirs was a healthy version! Hehe so true!
Hi Matilda-Thankyou so much! Ahh yes not for anyone that’s going for healthy eating I’m afraid but not too bad for a treat every now and then!
Hi Yas-Hehe now that’s not a bad idea at all! I like it!
Hi Amy-Thankyou so much!
Ahh interesting! Nice if you can do it! 
Aww that sounds like lots of fun! LOL young at heart-nothing wrong with that! 
Hi Julie-Thanks very much!
Hi Jo -I use the Kitchenaid ice cream bowl attachment. Previous to that I used the Cuisinart soft serve maker but both need a freezer temp of -15 or lower to work which is not a problem with my new fridge was was a problem with my old fridge
Thankyou so much! 
Hi Diane-Ahh well this is definitely the ice cream for you!
Ahh sounds like the beach is definitely not for you! 
Hi pigpigscorner-Hehe it’s not so weird when you think about cheesecake ice cream!
Hi Y-I know, isn’t she adorable?
That’s certainly a quick and tasty way to cool off! 
Hi Rob-Hehe well it sounds like you were already doing your own version of it!
I do that in a hummingbird but not in a carrot. Maybe next time! 
Hi Tuty-Thankyou so much!
You’re welcome!
Hi justJENN-Great idea!
Hi betty-Hehee thankyou!
Hi erin-Haha it is! It’s definitely not virtuous!
Wow. I love carrot cake, and I can only imagine how amazing carrot cake ice cream would be.
I will definitely make this recipe! A bit of a pain about needing to buy an ice cream maker, but if I have to…
Oh dear god why did you have to make this delicious amazing thing? Why, Lorraine?!?!! I have just begun a post-Melbourne binging calorie-watching period and you do this to me???
CARROT CAKE ICE CREAM?!
no freakin way! omg.
i LOVE carrot cake.
in icecream form?
omg to die for.
you’re amazing lorraine to come up with this!
Lorraine, it was a pleasure to meet you on this day. I think both Grant and I needed to be rolled home thanks to Lamington-misu, Carrot cake icecream and the long list of other yumminess!
We have just today bought a slide like Liss’s and hope Miss C doesn’t run away screaming when we connect the hose this time! lol
Wow, great photos and I bet the carrot cake ice cream is AMAZING. My mum is from England and she loves to make carrot cake. I’ll have to show her this recipe.
It is jan 10 as i am reading this. I dont care that it is cold I have to make this! Thanks for sharing and happy eating to you!
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[...] been trying to think of some recipe to add carrot cake flavors to after seeing this amazing Carrot Cake Ice Cream over on Not Quite Nigella. This was my [...]
[...] think this looks amazing as well, can’t wait to bust out the ice cream machine again this [...]
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