![Semifreddo with hazelnut Ice Cream and cake](https://www.edenprojectcommunities.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/hh_bloomsbury_gino_dacampo_day_13_spumone_002.png)
Semifreddo with Hazelnut Ice Cream and Cake (Spumoni)
Ice cream, sponge cake, fruit and nuts – what is not to like in a dessert when you have all these ingredients combined?
“I made this for Jessica while touring through Puglia, and, as she was saying that no dessert could top the beautiful setting I had picked for us to enjoy this treat, a mouthful was taken and her eyes said it all. It’s a fantastic dessert which can be made days before needed. Remember to take it out of the freezer for about five minutes before serving, to soften slightly.”
Ingredients
Serves 6–8
- 400g chocolate and hazelnut ice cream, softened
- 100g sponge cake, shop-bought is fine, cut to the size of the tin
- 30ml Amaretto liqueur
- 500ml double cream
- 200g condensed milk
- finely grated zest of 1 orange (ideally unwaxed, if possible)
- 80g amarena cherries in syrup, drained, syrup reserved
- 50g roasted hazelnuts, crushed
- 1 tbsp finely chopped candied orange zest
Method
![Semifreddo with hazelnut Ice Cream and cake](https://www.edenprojectcommunities.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/hh_bloomsbury_gino_dacampo_day_13_spumone_002-640x853.png)
Step 1
Line a 900g loaf tin with cling film, making sure you have at least 10cm extra on each long side, so you can cover the top of the spumoni.
Step 2
Spoon the ice cream into the prepared tin and use a spatula to level it out. Lay the piece of cake on top of the ice cream, gently pressing down. Drizzle over the Amaretto to soak into the sponge.
Step 3
Whip the cream to soft peaks, then fold in the condensed milk, orange zest and cherries.
Step 4
Cover the sponge layer with the cream and fold over the cling film to cover. Place in the freezer for a minimum of 6 hours, or ideally overnight.
Step 5
Remove the spumoni from the freezer about 5 minutes before you are ready to serve.
Step 6
Slice it into thick pieces and serve sprinkled with crushed roasted hazelnuts, some of the cherry syrup and the candied orange zest.
![Gino Dacampo](https://www.edenprojectcommunities.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/gino_dacampo_photo_credit_haarala_hamilton_031.png)
This lovely Spumoni recipe is from Gino’s Italian Family Adventure: Easy Recipes the Whole Family will Love by Gino D’Acampo, published by Bloomsbury. Photography credit: Haarala Hamilton