South Dakota

Kuchen Ice Cream

From the Mount Rushmore State's German-Russian heritage comes this beloved dessert frozen! Rich custard ice cream is swirled with sweet prune filling and studded with buttery kuchen crust pieces - capturing South Dakota's official state dessert in every bite.

40 min churn time 8 servings Intermediate State Dessert
Jump to Ingredients

Equipment Needed

🍦
Ice Cream Maker
🥣
Large Mixing Bowl
🍳
Heavy Saucepan
🥄
Whisk
🧊
Freezer Container
🫕
Baking Pan

Ingredients

For the Base:

2 cups heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
3/4 cup sugar
6 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt

For Mix-ins:

1 cup prune filling or cooked prunes
1 cup kuchen crust, baked and crumbled
2 tablespoons butter

Instructions

1
Make kuchen crust: Mix 1 cup flour, 1/4 cup sugar, 1/4 cup butter until crumbly. Press into pan and bake at 350F until golden, about 20 minutes. Cool and crumble into pieces.
2
Prepare prune filling by cooking pitted prunes with a little water and sugar until soft. Mash slightly, keeping some texture.
3
In a heavy saucepan, combine cream, milk, half the sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Heat until steaming.
4
Whisk egg yolks with remaining sugar and salt until pale and thick (extra yolks for custard richness).
5
Slowly temper egg mixture with the hot cream mixture, whisking constantly.
6
Return to saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until custard reaches 170-175 degrees F.
7
Strain custard, stir in vanilla and butter until melted. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
8
Churn in ice cream maker, about 25-30 minutes. Add kuchen crust pieces in last 5 minutes.
9
Transfer to container in layers, swirling prune filling between each layer.
10
Freeze 4 hours. Let sit 5-10 minutes before serving with extra crust crumbles.

Tips for Perfect Kuchen Ice Cream

State Dessert

Kuchen became South Dakota's official state dessert in 2000, honoring the German-Russian heritage of many settlers.

Custard Style

Traditional kuchen has a rich custard topping - extra egg yolks in the ice cream base capture this.

Fruit Variations

While prune is traditional, kuchen also comes in apple, peach, and apricot - try different fillings!

German Heritage

Kuchen means "cake" in German - this dessert came with immigrants in the late 1800s.

Crust Texture

Bake the crust until deeply golden for maximum flavor and crunch in the ice cream.

Serving Idea

Serve alongside a warm slice of actual kuchen for the ultimate South Dakota experience!