Ice Cream Bread Is The Vintage Recipe That Blurs The Lines Of Cake

Ice cream bread has finally captured the attention of Gen Z, garnering interest everywhere. But what exactly is ice cream bread? Essentially, it's a bread made up of 2 ingredients. Simply grab your favorite half-melted pint of ice cream and your self-rising flour. Combine the two, then bake. And if you're curious about the origin of this recipe, look no further than a cookbook called "Cook Book" from 1974, shared by @bdylanhollis. However, this recipe might have been recently in the spotlight but its original comeback was sometime in 2005.

Yet this recipe has left us with many unanswered questions, like "Is it bread or cake? What does it taste like?" as we all picture a folded-over slice of white bread enveloping a scoop of ice cream. We think it's both bread and cake, contingent on your ice cream flavor and imagination, with the crumb resembling bread more than cake, but still carrying a hint of sweetness from the ice cream. This is still not as sweet as eating straight ice cream. Fundamentally, it blurs the lines between the two and divides us all. Furthermore, you can even reheat your creation in the toaster, just like regular bread; just remember to keep an eye on your sprinkles. Or even turn it into French toast, really pushing the limits between bread, cake, and now breakfast.

So, if you're like the rest of us, wondering why and how ice cream bread works, you've come to the right page. To answer this question, we must first examine the ingredients. Ice cream is composed of milk, eggs, and sugar, which happen to be the main components in many common sweet bread recipes. When mixtures like water or milk are combined with self-rising flour, it triggers the formation of gluten, just like in regular bread. 

Or as @bdylanhollis puts it, "Ice cream has your sugar, your flavor, your fat. Everything!"

@bdylanhollis

It's baking season so you need to make this #cooking #vintage #baking #icecream

♬ original sound – B. Dylan Hollis

Although this is a straightforward recipe with only 2 ingredients, there are a few potential hiccups you should be aware of. For starters, do not microwave your ice cream. It's crucial to allow your ice cream to melt and naturally reach room temperature. With the plethora of ice cream options available, you might want to experiment. Low-fat ice creams could yield a differently flavored bread due to their lower fat content. This also applies to the texture. Avoid overmixing, as it can lead to tough gluten formation, resulting in chewy bread. And if you don't have self-rising flour on hand, you can use 2 cups of regular flour, along with 3 teaspoons of baking powder and 1 teaspoon of salt. Don't hesitate to get creative with mix-ins like sprinkles, nuts, fruit, or even cookies.