I’m not sure there is anything dreamier than a homemade daimiskake “Daim ice cream cake”. The base is a macaron bottom that’s sweet and soft with a chewy texture of almonds. The ice cream is a heavenly concoction of heavy cream, sugar, and egg yolks with a subtle hint of coffee and vanilla all encasing pieces of crunchy Daim candy bars. To top it all off, even more of that delightful chocolate toffee is sprinkled on top. Each bite has a burst of textures and perfectly balanced flavors.

The star of this dessert is Daim, a milk chocolate-covered almond toffee that’s perfectly crunchy. Daim was created by the Marabou company, based in Sweden, as a version of the American Heath Bar. It was launched under the name of “Dajm” in 1953 in Norway and Sweden, quickly becoming a national favorite. It was then launched the following year in Finland, and in 1971 it arrived in Denmark before making its way to the UK, France, and Germany. In 1990, it was renamed as Daim in most of the countries it was in and by 2005, the UK and Ireland also made the change.

While Daim has its inception at the Marabou factory in Sweden, its roots go back to the Norwegian chocolate manufacturer Freia. Freia was founded by Olaf Larsen and Fredrik Wilhelm Hjorth Christensen in 1889. Ten years later, Johan Throne Holst took over the management of the company from Larsen and led it to a commercial success, with Freia being the leading Norwegian brand in sweets.

In 1916, based on the success in Norway, the Throne-Holst family founded a chocolate factor in Sweden. Due to a trademark conflict, the name Freia/Freja could not be used, so Marabou was chosen as a representation of the marabou stork featured as part of Freia’s logo at the time.

Today, Daim is enjoyed on its own and in desserts, like this classic Daimiskake. As we celebrate Norway’s Constitution Day on the 17^th May and join in on other festivities in the month, this ice cream cake is sure to make an appearance. Make it in the morning so its ready for the evening, or prepare it in advance. If you can’t access Daim bars, substitute with Heath bars or another chocolate toffee bar.

Daimiskake (Chocolate Toffee & Macaron Ice Cream Cake)

Serves 8 to 10

For the macaron bottom:

• 1 3⁄4 cups (210 g) almonds
• 5 large egg whites, at room temperature
• 1 ½ cups (180 g) confectioners’ sugar

For the ice cream:

• 2 cups (480 ml) heavy cream
• 5 large egg yolks
• 1 ½ cups (180 g) confectioners’ sugar
• 2 tablespoons cold strong coffee
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 8 ounces (224 g) Daim, Heath, or another similar chocolate toffee bar (feel free to add more or less to your liking)

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Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Cut a round piece of parchment paper so it fits perfectly in the bottom of a 9 inch (23 cm) springform pan. Butter the pan, then add the parchment and butter it.

In a food processor, pulse the almonds until coarsely ground.

For the macaron bottom, in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the egg whites on medium until foamy. Gradually add the confectioners’ sugar, a little at a time, and whip until stiff and glossy peaks form. Add the ground almonds and use a spatula to gently fold until just combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool completely in the pan.

Whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form.

Coarsely chop the Daim bars into small pieces.

For the ice cream, in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the egg yolks, confectioners’ sugar, coffee, and vanilla extract for about 5 minutes, or until light in color and fluffy. Add the whipped cream and 2/3 of the chopped Daim, and fold until combined. Pour the ice cream mixture into a freezer-safe bowl and place in the freezer for 20 minutes to firm up slightly.

While the ice cream is chilling, place baking paper or a plastic cake collar inside the springform pan and wrap around the macaron bottom to help the ice cream cake keep its shape.

After the ice cream mixture has been in the freezer for 20 minutes, pour the mixture into the prepared pan on top of the macaron bottom. Use a spatula to even out the top. Sprinkle the remaining 1/3 Daim evenly on top. Cover with plastic and place back in the freezer for at least 4 hours. Remove the ice cream cake from the freezer about 20 minutes before serving to soften.

For more 17 May dessert inspiration, head here.