The ice cream sundae recipe
for your table
Place the sundae glass in the freezer half an hour before serving. Then put something on the bottom that can absorb any leakage: a spoonful of fruit in syrup, a handful of fresh berries, or a layer of sauce. This layer catches the first meltwater, so you won’t end up with a puddle beneath the scoops.
Scoop three balls into the glass and press them lightly against each other so they don’t sit loose against the sides. Work from the edge toward the center. Take the ice cream out of the freezer only when everything else is ready, because a scoop that has been sitting on the counter for a few minutes will sink later.
Whip the cream until soft peaks form and leave out the sugar, because the ice cream and sauce already provide enough sweetness. Add it to the ice cream with two spoons or a piping bag, not beside it: the cream seals the scoops and keeps the warm sauce away from the ice cream for a little while.
Pour the sauce over it at the table and sprinkle the crunchy topping on last. Nuts, crumble, or a crumbled wafer soften within a minute once they’re under the sauce or touching the ice cream, so that’s the only part that really needs to be added at the last moment.
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The story
In the Netherlands and Belgium, ijscoupe has become the general term for ice cream served in a glass at the table instead of in a bowl. There are about six varieties on the menu that everyone knows, and they actually differ only in their finishing touches: the same scoops, a different sauce, different sprinkles, a different name. The glass is not packaging but part of the dish, because the entire composition is visible from the side. That is also why a coupe at an ice cream shop looks different from one served at home in a bowl: it is not the ingredients that differ, but the form in which they are arranged.
The right glass
With an ice cream coupe, the glass is literally part of the dish: you can see the bottom layer, the scoops and the whipped cream from the side, and the shape determines how these three relate to one another. Broadly speaking, there are two families. A stemmed coupe keeps the bowl tall and narrow, so the layers stack on top of one another and you see them as stripes through the glass; the stem also keeps your hand away from the bowl, so your hand warmth does not reach the ice cream. A wide bowl without a stem places everything side by side: you see more surface area and less layering, the sauce remains in a pool instead of sliding down the side, and there is more room for garnishes around it. Below is an example from each family. According to the description, the 28 cl coupe is 8.6 cm high with a diameter of 10.9 cm and has a sturdy stem that keeps it stable even when filled; the 33 cl bowl is the wide version and, according to the description, is just as suitable for a serving of ice cream as for yogurt with granola. More shapes can be found among the dessert glasses.
Onis Primavera Ice Cream Coupe 28 cl (6 pieces)
La Rochère Ouessant Bowl 33 cl (6 pieces)
Both sets together € 63,90.
The right tool
For an ice cream coupe, in addition to the glass, use a long bar spoon that reaches the bottom of the goblet and a zester for shaving chocolate or nuts over the whipped cream. These are the bar tools we use ourselves; you can find everything in our bar tools & cocktail sets.
Glass set (our choice 01) + 2 bar tools together € 54,85.
What will you serve alongside it?
An ice cream coupe is alcohol-free by itself. If you would like something alongside or poured over it, a liqueur is the most common choice: coffee liqueur, almond liqueur and anise liqueur all pair well with cold ice cream. If you prefer something dry alongside it, try cognac or a glass of prosecco. Each drink page tells you the alcohol percentage, what it tastes like, which cocktails it works well in and which glass you need.
Variations & twists
The names on the menu differ only in the finishing touches. Vanilla ice cream with warm chocolate sauce and whipped cream is a dame blanche; the same coupe with caramelized almond or hazelnut pieces is called a coupe brésilienne; with a banana halved lengthwise beneath the scoops, it is called a banana split, also written as bananensplit in Dutch. Coupe Denemarken is the French name for vanilla ice cream with warm chocolate sauce, and spaghetti ice cream is vanilla ice cream pressed into strands, with strawberry sauce as the tomato sauce and white chocolate as the cheese. Looking for more inspiration? Browse more than 100 cocktail recipes.
Serving tip
Place the glasses in the freezer half an hour in advance and do not put them on a warm plate. When serving several people, first fill all the coupes with ice cream, return them to the freezer and only take them out once the sauce and whipped cream are ready. Place a long-handled spoon alongside them, because you cannot reach the bottom of a tall goblet with a dessert spoon.
Good to know
The famous coupes at a glance
Dame blanche is vanilla ice cream with hot chocolate sauce and whipped cream. Coupe brésilienne is the same coupe, but with caramelised almond or hazelnut pieces instead of sauce. Banana split, also called bananensplit in Dutch, has a banana cut in half lengthwise beneath the scoops. Coupe Denemarken is the French name for vanilla ice cream with hot chocolate sauce. Spaghetti ice cream is vanilla ice cream pressed into strands, topped with strawberry sauce and white chocolate curls. All these names refer to the same base of three scoops and a swirl of cream.
How many scoops fit in a coupe?
A scoop from an ordinary ice cream scoop is about fifty millilitres, and in the glass it quickly takes up twice as much space because of the gaps between them. Three scoops therefore require roughly twenty to twenty-five centilitres, and that is before adding any cream or sauce. So allow for a glass of at least twenty-five centilitres for three scoops with toppings, and a glass of thirty centilitres or more if you also want fruit at the bottom. A coupe filled to the rim will overflow as soon as the sauce is added.
Footed glass or a wide bowl?
A footed coupe is deeper than it is wide, so the layers stack up and you see them as stripes through the glass. This is the shape in which sauce trickles down along the sides. A wide bowl spreads everything out side by side: you see more ice cream, but less layering, and the sauce remains in a puddle. For a layered coupe, choose the footed glass; for a serving with plenty of garnish around it, choose the wide bowl. With the same number of centilitres, the tall shape looks fuller.
Why you pre-chill the glass
A glass at room temperature is around twenty degrees, while the ice cream placed in it is around eighteen degrees below zero. During the first half-minute, the glass transfers its heat into the ice cream, precisely along the side where you can see it. Half an hour in the freezer brings the glass close to the temperature of the ice cream, helping the scoops keep their shape. A glass from the refrigerator is already better than one from the cupboard, but the freezer works best.
The long spoon
In a footed coupe, the last of the sauce settles at the bottom, beneath the scoops, and you cannot reach it with an ordinary dessert spoon without putting your fingers into the glass. A spoon with a handle of around thirty centimetres can reach the bottom. This is the same spoon used behind the bar for stirring, and it is also the most convenient way to build up layers in a tall glass without dirtying the sides.
Why the crunchy topping goes on last
Nuts, crumble, and waffle pieces absorb moisture. If they lie under the sauce or against the ice cream, they turn soft within a minute and lose all their flavor. So sprinkle them on only once the glass is otherwise finished, and keep them dry in a sealed container until then. If you still want something crunchy at the bottom, choose a layer specifically meant to soften, such as a base of crumbled biscuits with butter.
Frequently asked questions
What is an ice cream sundae?
An ice cream sundae is a serving of ice cream built in a glass or glass dish instead of a bowl: a layer of fruit or sauce at the bottom, three scoops of ice cream in the middle, whipped cream on top, and something crunchy added last. The familiar variations such as dame blanche, coupe brésilienne, and banana split differ only in their finishing touches.
How many scoops of ice cream go in an ice cream sundae?
Three scoops are the standard serving. A scoop from a regular ice cream scoop is about fifty milliliters and takes up twice that much in the glass because of the space between them. So allow at least a twenty-five-centiliter glass for three scoops with whipped cream and sauce, and thirty centiliters or more if fruit is also added at the bottom.
In what order do you build an ice cream sundae?
Start with the fruit or a layer of sauce at the bottom, so it catches the first meltwater. Then place the scoops of ice cream in the middle, pressed lightly against each other. Add the billowy whipped cream on top to seal the scoops. Add the crunchy topping last, right at the table, because nuts and crumble turn soft under the sauce within a minute.
Which glass do you use for an ice cream sundae?
A coupe glass holding twenty-five to thirty centiliters or more. On a stem, the layers stack up and you can see them as stripes through the glass, while you hold the glass by the stem rather than the bowl. In a wide, stemless dish, everything lies side by side: more surface area for garnishing, less visible layering. Put the glass in the freezer for half an hour beforehand.
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