A frozen, no-bake s'mores ice cream cake with a graham cracker crust on the top and bottom, chocolate ganache, and vanilla custard ice cream under a torched Italian meringue. Make the ice cream up to a week ahead and add the meringue the day you serve.
0 Make the Ice Cream: Combine the milk, heavy cream, a pinch of salt and sweetened condensed milk in a saucepan. Heat over medium until hot but not steaming. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the sugar and vanilla. Whisking constantly, slowly add about 1 cup hot milk to the yolks, then return everything to the saucepan. Cook over medium-low, stirring constantly, until thickened and 175-180°F (80-82°C). Strain into a bowl and chill over an ice bath. Refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight, then churn in an ice cream maker to soft-serve consistency.
2 Make the Crust: Pulse the graham crackers, melted butter, and sugar in a food processor until evenly combined. Add parchment paper to the bottom of your pan. Press 2/3rds of the mixture firmly into the bottom of a 7-inch springform pan. Reserve the other 1/3 for the top.
4 Make the Ganache: Heat the heavy cream until steaming. Pour over the chopped chocolate. Cover and let stand 5 minutes. Stir until smooth.
6 Assemble: Reserve about 1/4 cup of the ganache and keep covered. Pour the rest on top of the crust, spreading it out into an even layer. Freeze about 25 minutes, until fully set. Add the reserved 1/4 cup of the ganache to the ice cream and mix it in a little. Spread that evenly over the set ganache and return to the freezer for about 30 minutes, or until the ice cream is set. Sprinkle the reserved crust mixture over the ice cream and press gently until pressed flat. Cover and freeze at least 8 hours or overnight.
14 Make the Italian Meringue: Add the egg whites, a pinch of salt, cream of tartar, and lemon juice to a clean stand mixer bowl. Combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Once it begins to simmer, stop stirring. When the syrup reaches 230°F (110°C), turn the mixer on high and whip the whites to stiff peaks. When the syrup reaches 240°F (116°C), remove from the heat and let rest 2 minutes. With the mixer running, slowly pour the syrup into the whites. Continue whipping 3 to 4 minutes, until stiff.
15 Tip: Wipe the bowl and whisk with vinegar before starting. Any fat residue at all and the meringue won't lift, the whites stay liquid and won't whip up.
8 Finish: Release the springform and set the cake on a serving plate. With a #200 or similar piping top, pipe the meringue in a wave pattern around the ice cream cake. Toast with a kitchen torch until golden. Top with edible flowers. Let stand 5 minutes before slicing.
13 No Ice Cream Maker: Pour the chilled base into a shallow metal pan and freeze, stirring vigorously with a hand mixer every 30 minutes for about 3 hours, until thick and smooth. Use in place of the churned ice cream.Make Ahead: The ice cream can be churned up to a week ahead and frozen in an airtight container. Soften it on the counter until spreadable before assembling. Once built, freeze the cake up to a week, wrapped tightly in plastic and foil. Add the meringue the day you serve.
