Strawberries & Cream Semifreddo

Have you ever found yourself craving ice cream, but you either don’t have an ice cream machine or, ugh, forgot to put the insert into the freezer ahead of time (been there!)? You could just make a no-churn ice cream, like our Dunkaroos no-churn ice cream or our cookie butter no-churn ice cream, but if you want something a little more showstopping, let me introduce you to my favorite frozen treat: semifreddo! This no-bake, frozen stunner is like the creamiest ice cream you’ve ever had, in a unique decorate-able, sliceable package that’s perfect for sharing. Think ice cream cake, without all that assembly, or icebox cake, but elevated.

It’s also super-customizable! This strawberries & cream version is one of my go-tos because it’s light, sweet, refreshing, and incredible for summer, but the fun doesn’t stop there—make this as is, or add in other toppings, mix-ins, or decorations. No matter what, it’s sure to impress.

What Is Semifreddo?

Semifreddo—meaning “half frozen”—is a classic Italian summer dessert. Made up of eggs, sugar, and cream, it’s got a lot of similarities to ice cream, though it’s much softer and more mousse-like in texture. Imagine gelato or ice cream in the shape of a loaf cake, picture it somewhere between mousse and a frozen soufflé, and you’ve got semifreddo.

Instead of churning your ingredients, you’ll fold them together. This results in a fluffier, creamier texture, which is particularly noticeable as time goes on (it softens rather than immediately melts). It does take a bit of time to make, but most of it is hands-off, particularly if you have a stand mixer. The eggs and sugar need several minutes of whipping to grow in volume and cool down before you can fold in the whipped cream, and once it’s all combined, it needs to chill in the freezer for 6+ hours. Trust me when I say that for so few ingredients and effort, this dessert is exceptional and definitely worth the wait.

This strawberries & cream version features an easy strawberry sauce that gets swirled through and poured on top for serving. I kept things simple, but feel free to jazz it up however you like, whether that be with sliced fresh strawberries, a chocolate sauce drizzle (chocolate-covered strawberry vibes?), sprinkles for color, or toasty nuts for some crunch.

How To Make Semifreddo

INGREDIENTS

Strawberry Sauce
If you’ve never made a fruit sauce before, you’re in for a treat. This recipe is one of my forever favorites for how simple and versatile it is. Only have frozen strawberries? Let 'em thaw, drain any extra liquid, then follow the directions as is. Want to swap for a different berry? Go for it! What I don’t recommend is to skip the lemon juice—it adds just enough tartness to cut through the sweet fruit and sugar.

Semifreddo
A semifreddo is all about the technique, rather than complicated ingredients (lucky us!). If you can only find something labeled heavy whipping cream, you can use it—the two products are interchangeable. Some semifreddo recipes only call for using egg whites, but I found that using the whole egg will give you a slightly airier texture. Bonus: not having to find uses for all those egg whites later!

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

Strawberry Sauce
Like I said before, this sauce is super easy. All you’ve got to do is put everything in a pot and let it cook. As they heat, the strawberries will become easy to smash, and you can decide how big of pieces you’d like in your final sauce by breaking them more or less with your spoon. Want them super-smooth? Let them cool and pulse with an immersion or blend in a regular blender until completely broken down.

Semifreddo
There are a good amount of steps here, but they’re not complicated. To simplify things, you’re effectively making a whipped cream, then a custard, then gently folding them all together and freezing them. Let’s get into it:

Start by making your whipped cream. At medium speed, stiff peaks will probably take about 5 minutes to form, but could be a little less or more. Here’s how to check if yours are good to go: Hold your whisk up, and if the cream stands tall and proud, you’re done. If it droops or barely holds its shape, keep going. Once it's sturdy, transfer it to a separate bowl that’s big enough for mixing in (you're going to use your stand mixer bowl again in the next step) and stick it in the refrigerator.

Then you’ll make your custard. Make a DIY double boiler placing a heatproof (glass or metal) bowl over a pot of water, making sure the water and the bottom of the bowl don’t touch. Bring the water to a simmer while you combine the eggs and sugar in the bowl. Once the water is simmering, place the bowl over the water and begin whisking. You’ll want to whisk constantly until your custard is cooked, about 5 minutes.

Transfer it to the (cleaned) bowl of your stand mixer, and beat it until it lightens in color and the sides of the bowl are no longer warm to the touch. Set it aside for a moment.

Pull out your chilled whipped cream and strawberry sauce from your fridge. Save ~1/4 cup of strawberry sauce to use as topping, then fold the remainder into the whipped cream. Never folded before? Don’t be intimidated, it’s easy. Place the two ingredients in the bowl, and gently turn them over each other using a spatula (sort of like one is the blanket you’re using to tuck the other one into bed). Continue tenderly flipping the bottom of the mixture over the top until everything is incorporated. See, easy!

Next, add about one-quarter of the strawberry/whipped cream mixture to the egg mixture and gently fold to combine. Fold in the remaining whipped cream until just combined. It's important to do this in stages so nothing gets too broken up.

Line your loaf pan with plastic wrap, making sure to leave lots of overhang on all four sides since you're covering the semifreddo as it freezes. Pour your mixture in and smooth the top as best you can (this will be the bottom so don’t stress too much if it’s not perfect), then place the overhang over top to protect it. Place it in your freezer for at least 6 hours, or until frozen solid.

When ready to serve, uncover the top of your semifreddo, then flip it onto a serving dish. Pull off the loaf pan and plastic wrap, then top with your remaining strawberry sauce, and slice to serve. Enjoy!

Full list of ingredients and directions can be found in the recipe below.

Recipe Tips

• Keep your cool, literally and figuratively. One of my greatest tips for success when baking is to keep your area clean and your tools ready to go, and that goes double here. There are a good amount of steps in this recipe, so set yourself up for success by keeping all your ingredients and tools as chilled as possible (literally put them in the fridge or freezer when you’re not using them), and keep your working area tidy. Nothing worse than sticky strawberries getting into your custard or whipped cream before you’re ready!
• Be patient. If 6+ hours already seems like a lot, don’t hate for this: Semifreddo is honestly best when left undisturbed in your freezer overnight. Go into this recipe thinking of this as make-ahead, and you won’t find yourself tempted to pull it early.
• Slice it up! Unlike regular ice cream, you'll slice semifreddo rather than scoop it. Because semifreddo never hardens quite as much as ice cream, it should be easy to do once you lift it out of its loaf pan. Not serving a crowd or have leftovers? Feel free to just slice yourself a tiny piece straight from the pan too.

Storage

The strawberry sauce can be made up to 3 days ahead and kept refrigerated. The semifreddo can be made and kept frozen for up to 2 weeks. Like with ice cream, once it’s fully defrosted, you can’t really freeze it again without it turning icy, so plan ahead and just cut off slices as needed.