THE ITALIAN WAY TO ICE CREAM
With cocoa powder, milk, heavy cream, sugar, and cornstarch.
This is our Italian Way of Ice Cream because of the cornstarch we use to thicken the ice cream mixture as in Italian gelato recipes. It is the kind of ice cream which is refreshing and cooling, with a full-bodied mouthfeel. It is also firm and resistant to melting, making it the perfect ice cream in summer when the weather is hot.
This Cocoa-only ice cream is perfect for celebrating the flavour of your favourite cocoa powder. Or for making you happy on those days when you crave chocolate ice cream but run out of chocolate, and there is cocoa powder in the cupboard.
3 more ways to make this Cocoa-only Ice Cream:
Do not reduce or replace anything; everything is there for a reason.
This is a quick overview of the recipe. If you are new to ice cream making, do read the recipe before proceeding.
In a large heatproof bowl whisk the corn starch with 3 tablespoons of the cold milk to create a slurry.
Bring to a boil the rest of the milk and sugar and pour over the corn starch slurry; stir to thicken.
Add the cocoa powder and whisk to dissolve.
Add the heavy cream and blend to ensure a smooth texture.
Pour in the thickened milk the chocolate mixture, stir and cool down over an ice bath.
Put the ice cream mixture in the refrigerator overnight, or until completely cold (a faster chilling method is also included in the recipe).
Churn in your ice cream maker until fluffed up and creamy.
Put it in the freezer for a few hours to set.
As soon as it sets, you can either serve it from the ice cream maker bowl or transfer it to a container and store it in the freezer.
When making ice cream, prefer to weigh all the ingredients, even the liquid ones. We also recommend – whenever possible – to weigh the liquid ingredients directly into the bowl/pan as you proceed with the recipe instead of transferring them from one bowl to another because this transfer causes a small -but unwanted- loss of quantity.
If you do not have a kitchen scale, follow these guidelines:
• 1 cup (US) = 237 ml | 1 tablespoon = 15 ml
• sugar: measuring sugar in tablespoons is more accurate than measuring it in cups. Use a 15 ml measuring tablespoon (not a regular one); this is 13 gr of sugar. To measure correctly, each time you scoop the sugar, level it with the flat side of a knife.
• cocoa powder: first, sift the cocoa powder into a bowl and then measure by the spoonful by gently taking a spoonful at a time; and levelling it with the flat side of a knife. Do measure the cocoa powder right after sifting it, as its volume lessens while it sits.
• milk and heavy cream: thoroughly scrape with a rubber spatula any residues left on the sides and bottom of the cup every time you measure something and empty it.
Note that the quantities in each measuring system (grams, ounces, and cups) in our recipes may not always be accurate conversions; any deviations in conversions you may notice do not affect the outcome.
This recipe makes a 1.2 litre/quart ice cream mixture (before churning), perfect for ice cream makers with a capacity of 1.5 and up to 2 litres/quarts (like Cuisinart ice cream makers).
If you need to scale the ice cream mixture up or down, use this ratio of the ingredients (in weight only):
milk 49.8% / heavy cream 26.3% / sugar 18 % / cocoa powder 3.8% / corn starch 2.1%
in desired total weight of ice cream mixture.
For example, if you want to make 1000 g (approx. 1 litre) of ice cream mixture, you need:
• 1000 g x 49.8% = 498 g milk
• 1000 g x 26.3% = 263 g heavy cream
• 1000 g x 18% = 180 g sugar
• 1000 g x 3.8% = 38 g cocoa powder
• 1000 g x 2.1% = 21g corn starch
You can combine double cream with whole milk to make heavy cream for this recipe.
To make 315 g (11.1 oz) heavy cream, you need:
To make the heavy cream, put the double cream in a large bowl, then pour in the milk a little at a time, stirring smoothly with a rubber spatula until smooth. Avoid whisking, as it may turn into whipped cream. The resulting heavy cream has 36% fat, perfect for this ice cream.
Proceed with the recipe just as if you had the 315 g (11.1 oz) heavy cream needed.
*This 95 g (3.3 oz) milk is extra to the 595 g milk (21 oz) asked in the recipe. So, if using double cream, you need in total 690 g of milk (24.3 oz), from which:
A flexible rubber spatula is good for:
-wiping the bottom of the saucepan when you cook dairy on the stovetop.
-scraping residues from bowls, saucepans etc.
If you do not have one, we strongly encourage you to buy one, preferably a flexible one.
The ice cream mixture needs to cool completely before churning, so prepare it in advance (approx. 8 hours before) to give it time to chill in the refrigerator. Alternatively, if you have plenty of ice cubes, you can have the ice cream mixture ready for churning in less than two hours; you will find detailed instructions under step 2.
If your ice cream maker has a removable freezer bowl, put it in the freezer for the whole time indicated by the manufacturer before churning, usually 24 hours.
Place a rubber spatula and a whisk on a plate next to the stovetop to have them ready to use interchangeably.
Sift the cocoa powder (45 g; 1.6 oz) through a fine-mesh sieve and into a small bowl if you haven’t already done so. Do not skip sifting, it is necessary.
Make the cornstarch slurry: in a large heatproof bowl, put the cornstarch (25 gr; 1 oz) and 3 tablespoons of the cold milk (45 g; 1.5 oz). Whisk until smooth. Set aside.
Warm the rest of the milk with the sugar: in a medium saucepan, put the rest of the milk (550 g; 19.5 oz) and all the sugar (215 g; 7.6 oz) and warm over medium heat, often stirring until the sugar dissolves. Do not let the milk boil before the sugar fully dissolves, or the milk may curdle; often stirring helps the sugar dissolve efficiently.
Bring to a simmer: Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer with fine bubbles just beginning to appear (about 85 °C / 185 °F). Remove from the heat.
Combine with the slurry: Pour the hot milk over the cornstarch slurry, whisking to combine. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula to release any remaining slurry, then whisk again until fully combined. Return the mixture to the saucepan and set it back over medium heat.
Cook to thicken: Cook, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula and scraping the bottom to prevent sticking, until the milk thickens (about 85 °C / 185 °F). Do not let it boil — overheating will break the thickening. Remove from the heat and proceed immediately with the next step.
Just a tad. The difference in the thickness will be from that of milk to the thickness of heavy cream. That may seem too little, but it is enough for now, as the ice cream mixture will continue to thicken as it cools.
Add the cocoa powder into the hot milk and whisk to dissolve (some lumps are ok, they will dissolve during blending).
Add the heavy cream (315 g; 11.1 oz) and stir until it is a uniform brown colour with no streaks, scraping with the rubber spatula the inside of the bowl.
Blend the ice cream mixture with an immersion/regular blender for 30 seconds to ensure a smooth texture.
Strain the ice cream mixture over a fine-mesh sieve and into a bowl.
Cool it down: prepare an ice bath by putting the bowl with the ice cream mixture into a larger bowl and filling the empty sides with ice cubes and cold water. How many ice cubes? A tray of ice cubes (200 g; 7 oz of ice) is enough to bring the ice cream mixture to room temperature. Let the ice cream mixture cool down for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Chill until completely cold: cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 8 hours and up to 3 days.
Check if the ice cream mixture is cold before churning it: 4ºC–12ºC / 39ºF-54ºF / it feels fridge-cold when you place your finger into it.
Prepare the ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Blend before churning: briefly blitz the ice cream mixture with an immersion blender, stopping once to scrape down the sides and bottom with a rubber spatula. This improves consistency and ensures a smooth, even texture.
Churn: with the machine running, pour the ice cream mixture through the canister and into the ice cream maker. Leave to churn until fluffed up and creamy; depending on your ice cream maker, this can take anywhere from 30-60 minutes.
This ice cream mixture expands and becomes airy as it churns. You’ll know it’s ready when it looks smooth, creamy, and slightly wavy—similar to soft-serve ice cream. Churning time varies depending on your machine and can take anywhere from 30 to 70 minutes.
To check the texture, lift a spoonful. It should be thick enough to stay on the spoon, but still soft. If it looks too thin or starts melting immediately, it needs more time.
If you’re unsure, let it churn for 10 more minutes. Keep in mind that it won’t look like store-bought ice cream at this point—it will still be soft. It only becomes firm and scoopable after a few hours in the freezer.
Stop the machine once the mixture is thick and creamy. If you continue churning beyond that point, the mixture can start losing the air it has built up and may seize, resulting in a dense, heavy texture.
One important note: some ice cream makers are programmed to stop automatically after a fixed time, but that doesn’t always mean the ice cream is ready. If your machine stops and the mixture still looks too soft, simply restart it and continue churning until the texture improves.
Put in the freezer to set: before serving the ice cream or moving it to a container for storing, you have to put it in the freezer to set. To do so, turn off the ice cream maker and:
· remove the removable freezer bowl (still filled with the ice cream) from the ice cream machine
· remove the paddle, scraping any ice cream attached to it back into the ice cream bowl
· place it in the freezer, uncovered
Setting time depends on many factors; see notes below for indicative times.
Serve or store: when it sets, you can serve it directly from the removable freezer bowl or transfer it to an airtight container for longer storage.
The setting time depends on the type of ice cream maker you’re using. Here are the general guidelines:
3–5 hours for machines with removable freezer bowls (these bowls must be pre-frozen before churning)
Under 1 hour for machines with built-in compressors and aluminum bowls
⚠️ Important: Ice cream in aluminum bowls sets quickly. Do not leave it for too long—once fully frozen, it can become extremely hard and difficult to remove without risking scratches to the bowl. Always monitor it closely.
To check if the ice cream is ready, aim for an internal temperature of –11°C (12°F). If you don’t have a thermometer, use this simple test:
Insert a round-tip knife all the way to the bottom of the ice cream:
✔ If it goes in smoothly but meets gentle resistance, it’s ready
✖ If it feels hard on top but soft underneath, it needs more time
✖ If it’s too firm to insert the knife, it’s over-frozen and likely too hard to scoop
If it’s over-frozen, don’t worry—head to the next section for how to bring it back to scoopable.
If the ice cream sits in the freezer in the removable freezer bowl for too long after it has set, it can become too hard to scoop or remove.
To make it scoopable again:
Place the bowl in the refrigerator and allow the ice cream to soften gradually.
Here’s how long that may take:
4–10 hours for removable freezer bowls (pre-freeze models)
1–2 hours for aluminum bowls (from compressor ice cream makers)
Note: These times are approximate and may vary depending on your fridge and the amount of ice cream. Check the texture occasionally as it softens.
Once the ice cream is soft enough to scoop—or its internal temperature reads approximately –11°C (12°F)—you can:
✔ Transfer it to another container and store it in the freezer
✔ Or serve it directly from the bowl
Just be sure to avoid digging into an over-frozen bowl with hard utensils, especially if using a nonstick-coated or aluminum bowl.
Straight after churning, the ice cream has a soft-serve consistency and melts almost instantly on contact. At this stage, it’s too soft to serve neatly or transfer easily—it’s simply too messy to handle.
Freezing the ice cream immediately after churning allows it to set properly. This step brings it to the right texture: scoopable, stable, and easy to portion or transfer into a storage container.
It’s the final step that turns churned ice cream into finished ice cream.
Storing: Transfer the finished ice cream to a lidded container and store it in the freezer for up to one month.
Cover it well to protect it from absorbing any unwanted freezer smells.
Scooping: Like all artisanal-style ice creams, this one freezes hard over time.
To make it scoopable again, place the container in the refrigerator for 45–60 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches about –11°C (12°F).
Once softened, it’ll scoop cleanly and serve beautifully.
