A couple months ago I got to visit Maidreamin, a popular maid cafe chain in Japan. I was so excited to try one of their iconic animal ice cream parfaits. It was not only super cute but also really delicious. When I got back from my trip, I was determined to recreate a maid ice cream parfait at home.
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| me trying a maid cafe parfait for the first time in Tokyo |
I thought it would be so cute to be able to casually make them for friends when they came over or when I wanted a sweet treat. I switched it up a bit and decided to make a Rilakkuma version, but then an even better idea popped into my mind. I wanted to tweak the recipe a bit so that I could turn this idea into something for the blog. That is when I got the idea to make some inspired by some of my favorite Mexican sweet treats. The final result was Gansito, Paleta de Payaso, and Sponch ice cream parfaits inspired by the ones you see at maid cafes.
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| My first attempt at making one of these |
The first step was finding the glasses. I wanted to find the classic vintage ice cream parfait glasses that would perfectly display the ice cream and all its toppings. After lots of searching I found the vintage perfect set of four on Mercari. There were also lots of options on Ebay and also various restaurant supply stores. Your best bet is checking out these sites and searching and using keywords such as "Retro Vintage Ice Cream Sundae Parfait Glasses."
I made the diagram above which breaks down everything you'll want to pick up before you get started. Castella cake is what is traditionally used for these but angel food cake or even pound cake is an accessible substitute. But if you are going to be making a Mexican snack version, this is where you are going to use the snack cake or cookie you've chosen. Some options are Gansito, Sponch, Paleta de Payaso, or Bubu Lubu. You can find these at your local Mexican grocery store and they'll have even more options than the ones I've listed. You'll use those same treats as toppings as well, along with sprinkles, marshmallows, pocky sticks and anything else your heart desires. I used wafer rolls and Sanrio chocolate I found at Mitsuwa, which is one of the Japanese grocery stores that is closest to me. If you visit your local Asian grocery store you'll be able to find an array of candy that will be perfect to use as toppings. .✦ ݁˖
After making a few of these I've nailed down a few tips that will help you make the dessert of your dreams. For the ice cream (I used Neapolitan for all of these btw) scoop your ice cream and freeze it on some parchment paper ahead of assembly. Having a prepared frozen scoop will make assembly easier and slow down melting so that you have more time to take cute pictures of you creation! Also the assembly is just layering the ingredients one at a time and it's best to go slow to keep the whole thing looking neat. I can't wait to see the parfaits you end of making and be sure to tag @kawaiiylatina in any pictures of your parfaits. (˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶) ₊˚⊹ ᰔ
