Mint Chip Ice Cream Cake

Line a 9-inch springform pan with plastic wrap, making sure there’s some plastic wrap hanging over the edges. Place the cake round on the bottom.

Let the ice cream soften on your counter for 10 minutes or so—you want the texture to be slightly softer than simply “scoopable” but decidedly not “melted.” Spoon the ice cream out onto the cake and place a piece of plastic wrap directly on top. Use your palms to smush the ice cream down, making sure it’s in one even layer. (You could use a spoon, but using your hands is faster and honestly more fun.) Place it in the freezer while you make the whipped cream.

In a large bowl with a whisk, an electric hand mixer, or whatever you want, beat the heavy cream to medium peaks, then whisk in the powdered sugar. It might feel a touch sweeter than your average whipped cream, but that’s because it’s getting frozen, which dulls flavors, including sweetness. Beat until you’ve got nice, pillowy stiff peaks and whisk in a nice pinch of salt, for seasoning.

Remove the cake from the freezer and peel back the plastic wrap. Still inside the springform, spoon about 1 cup of the whipped cream on top of the ice cream and “frost” the top of the cake, just to create a nice even layer of whipped cream, then pop it back into the freezer for at least 2 hours. Keep the rest of the whipped cream refrigerated.

When you’re ready to serve, carefully unmold the ice cream cake—if it still feels a little too mushy/malleable for your liking, pop it back into the freezer until it feels solid enough to exist without its frame.

Once the cake is frozen and ready, remove the springform sides and frost the outside and the top with the remaining whipped cream. This can be put back into the freezer, if you like, or sliced and served as is. I find larger, fatter slices to be more dramatic, but they are perhaps too much for one person, so feel free to encourage sharing.