Born and raised in Gqeberha, Noxolo Mde turned her childhood love of baking into a career.
After studying Home Economics and Culinary Arts, she joined Boardwalk Hotel and Casino in 2017 and is now a Pastry Chef with Sun International. She shares one of her favourite recipes, a rich and creamy chocolate ice cream.
Chocolate ice cream recipe
Ingredients
- 2 litres cream
- 1 litre milk
- 800g sugar
- 24 egg yolks
Chocolate Ganache
- 500g dark chocolate
- 100ml cream
Method
- Prepare the ganache:
Using a double boiler, gently heat 100ml cream and 500g dark chocolate until smooth and fully combined. Set aside to cool slightly. - Heat the base:
In a pot, heat the cream and milk together until hot but not boiling. - Prepare the custard base:
In a separate bowl, whisk together sugar and egg yolks until well combined. - Temper the mixture:
Slowly add a portion of the hot cream mixture into the egg yolks while whisking continuously to avoid curdling. Then return the egg mixture back into the pot. - Combine:
Add the chocolate ganache into the custard base and whisk until smooth and fully incorporated. - Cool and churn:
Allow the mixture to cool completely before transferring it into an ice cream machine.
Tips
- Take your time with the base: If the base is rushed or overheated, the texture will never be smooth. I always focus on gentle heat and steady control.
- Quality chocolate makes the difference: The flavour is only as good as your ingredients. A good dark chocolate gives depth, richness, and that clean finish I look for in my desserts.
- Taste with intention: Even at the base stage, I always taste and adjust. Balancing sweetness early helps build a more refined final product.




