VANILLA CAKE BATTER ICE CREAM

Steps:

• In a large saucepot, over medium heat place in vanilla bean pod, whipping cream, dash salt, sugar, and egg yolks,and cook until a custard has formed and ribbons with the finger on the back of a spoon. This should be done on medium to low heat and slowly, as not to curdle or scorch.
• Remove from heat, and strain into a large bowl or measuring cup.
• Remove the vanilla pod and scrape out the seeds into the mixture. Rinse off the empty pod, and wipe dry. Place empty pod into your sugar bowl to flavour your coffee sugar or other uses.
• Into the large bowl of cooked milk and eggs add the half and half cream and stir well.
• Place covered into the fridge overnight to get cold. This is done so that when the mixture hits your ice cream maker bowl, a warm mixture will not liquidize the cold gel, and helps with the freezing process.
• Pour the measured amount of dry cake mix into a small bowl, and whisk out or sieve out any lumps. The amount here in this recipe is 2/3 of a cup dry mix. Some people like a little less some like more, this is the amount our family enjoys.
• Pour the cold custard into the already running ice cream maker.
• Sprinkle on the dry cake mix a few spoons at a time through the feed tube. Continue until dry mix is incorporated in custard. This gives you smooth texture. Let your maker continue as manufacturers directions, takes usually 20 minutes or more. If you like some cake batter lumps in the ice cream then put in as unwhisked dry mix later half way or ten minutes before the freezing is complete.
• Also at the very end of the freezing when you are ready to remove, and before pouring into your freezer storage container you may add -- another 2 tablespoons dry mix and swirl through with a spatula, if you like lumps of dry mix -- also fold in quartered strawberries and fold through -- or even swirl in your favourite fudge sauce.
• Pour into a covered storage container and place in your upright home freezer to freeze solid.
• A tip that I do is to taste mixture half way through to see if I have enough flavour, if you like more then you can add another tablespoon or two dry mix. Also for every quart of ice cream you should have 1/2 cup dry mix for flavour incorporated.
• When I make this with Lemon Supreme Cake Mix I always fold in the Strawberries, and some toasted coconut at the very end. Makes a nice Lemon Strawberry almost cheesecaky ice cream.