Mango Vacherin with Mint & Basil

Serves 8–10

Sitting gracefully somewhere between an ice cream cake and a pavlova, the vacherin is an effortlessly chic French showstopper of a summery dessert. It is made with layers of ice cream and sorbet, sandwiched between crisp meringue disks. Wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, it can be made ahead and kept in the freezer for up to four weeks.

When you are ready to serve it, simply decorate it with whipped cream, plain or infused, and fresh fruit, herbs, or flowers. If you are feeling extra decadent, you can pour chocolate sauce, hot fudge, or caramel sauce over slices of the cake table-side.

My recipe uses homemade mango sorbet and mint and basil ice cream, but I have also made vacherins with store-bought ice cream, when I wanted to make something delicious but didn’t have access to an ice cream maker.

INGREDIENTS:

Mango Sorbet

More Than Sweet: Desserts with Flavor Marie Frank

1 cup / 240 ml water

1 cup / 200 g sugar

3 tablespoons / 65 g Invert Sugar Syrup

1 teaspoon locust bean gum or fruit pectin (optional)

1½ pounds / 570 g prepped fresh mango made into Fruit Purée

3 tablespoons lemon juice

Sea salt

Mint & Basil Ice Cream

2 cups / 480 g whole milk

1¼ cups / 300 g heavy cream

2½ tablespoons / 50 g Invert Sugar Syrup (page 77)

½ cup / 100 g sugar

4 egg yolks

Sea salt

1 ounce / 30 g fresh basil leaves

½ ounce / 15 g fresh mint leaves

Lime Meringue

3 egg whites

2 teaspoons lime juice

1 cup / 200 g sugar

2 teaspoons cornstarch

Zest of 1 lime

Whipped Cream

2 cups / 480 ml heavy cream

¼ cup / 50 g sugar

Fresh fruit, herbs, and/or edible flowers, for decorating

PREPARATION:

Make the sorbet

1. Fill a large bowl halfway with ice water and place it in the sink.

2. Add the water, sugar, invert sugar, and LBG to a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan and cook over medium-high heat until the mixture reaches 185°F / 85°C on an instant read thermometer.

3. Immediately pour the sorbet syrup into a medium metal bowl and nestle it in the ice bath.

4. Stir the mixture occasionally until it reaches 50°F / 10°C on the thermometer.

5. Add the mango and lemon juice to the cold syrup and blend with an immersion blender. Season to taste with a pinch of salt before adding to an ice cream maker and churning according to the manufacturer’s instructions. The sorbet is ready when the texture is smooth and creamy and a scoop of sorbet holds its shape, 20–30 minutes.

6. Transfer the sorbet to an airtight container and freeze for at least 3–4 hours before using.

Make the ice cream

1. Fill a large bowl halfway with ice water and place it in the sink.

2. Combine the milk, cream, and invert sugar in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan and cook over medium heat until hot and steaming but not boiling.

3. Whisk together the sugar and egg yolks in a medium heatproof bowl until combined. Temper the egg yolks by slowly pouring the hot mixture over the yolks while whisking continuously to prevent them from curdling.

4. Return the mixture to the pan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula, until the custard reaches 180°F / 82°C on an instant-read thermometer. Add the basil and mint leaves, cover with a lid, and leave to infuse for 20 minutes. Pour the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium metal bowl and nestle it in the ice bath.

5. Stir the custard occasionally until it reaches 50°F / 10°C on the thermometer. Pour the custard into an airtight container and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight.

6. Emulsify the cold custard with an immersion blender and season with salt before adding to an ice cream maker and churning according to the manufacturer’s instructions. The ice cream is ready when the texture is like soft serve and a scoop of ice cream holds its shape, 20–30 minutes.

7. Transfer the ice cream to an airtight container and freeze for at least 3–4 hours before using.

Make the meringue

1. Preheat the oven to 225°F / 110°C with the fan on (convection). Line two sheet pans with parchment paper.

2. Beat the egg whites and lime juice in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment at medium speed until they reach soft peaks.

3. Gradually add the sugar, whisking well between each addition, and keep beating until glossy stiff peaks of meringue form, 10–15 minutes. Whisk the cornstarch and lime zest into the meringue for 30 seconds to fully incorporate.

4. Pipe two 8-inch / 20 cm meringue disks onto the prepared pans. (You can trace guides on the back of the parchment if that’s helpful.)

5. Bake for 2 hours. The meringues are done when they are crisp to the touch and easily pull away from the parchment paper. Turn off the oven and allow the meringues to cool inside the warm oven (do not open the oven door) for at least 1 hour.

Layer the meringue and ice cream

1. Line an 8-inch / 20 cm cake pan with plastic wrap.

2. Place a meringue disk in the bottom of the prepared pan and freeze for 15 minutes. Spoon the mango sorbet onto the meringue in the cake pan and smooth to an even layer with an offset spatula. Freeze for at least 45 minutes.

3. Spoon the mint and basil ice cream on top of the sorbet and smooth to an even layer with an offset spatula. Top with the remaining meringue disk, cover with plastic wrap, and freeze for at least 2 hours.

Whip the cream

1. Combine the cream and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment, and whisk on low speed until the cream just begins to thicken. Increase the speed to medium and whisk until it reaches the soft-peak stage.

Assemble the vacherin

1. Turn the vacherin onto a serving platter and remove the cake pan and plastic wrap. Cover the top and sides of the vacherin with a layer of whipped cream or pipe squiggles, ribbons, or any desired decorations and keep frozen until ready to serve.

2. To serve, thaw the vacherin for 10–15 minutes in the refrigerator, then decorate with fresh fruit, herbs, and/or edible flowers immediately before serving.

Note

If using a Ninja CREAMi or similar machine, freeze the custard for at least 24 hours. Churn in the Ninja, then freeze for at least 3–4 hours before serving.

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INVERT SUGAR SYRUP Makes about 6 cups / 1.5 L

Invert sugar is a dense sugar syrup often used in ice creams and confections. It is made by boiling a simple syrup with an acid to break the bonds between the glucose and fructose that make up sucrose, otherwise known as table sugar. The syrup inhibits the formation of ice crystals and gives a creamy texture to ice creams and sorbets.

INGREDIENTS:

• 5 cups / 1 kg sugar

• 1¼ cups / 300 ml water

• ¼ teaspoon citric acid or cream of tartar

Combine the sugar, water, and cream of tartar in a large pot and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar.

Cook without stirring, to keep the sugar from crystalizing, until the mixture reaches 236°F / 114°C on an instant-read thermometer. Remove the pot from the heat and let cool to room temperature. Scrape into a clean airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 6 months.

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Excerpted with permission from More Than Sweet: Desserts with Flavor by Marie Frank, published by ‎Hardie Grant North America, April 2026, RRP $40.00 Hardcover. Photograph credit: Line Klein

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