To serve with a slice of cake, choose a standard-sized ice lolly if you’d like a full portion, or a mini one if the cake is still the main dessert. If you’re looking for a plant-based option, check the ingredients and allergens on the pack you choose. In all cases, finish baking the cake and let it cool before adding the ice lolly just before serving.
If you’re serving one slice of cake, a pre-portioned ice lolly saves you having to scoop from a tub. Compare standard and mini sizes depending on how much of a role you want the ice lolly to play in the dessert. Carrefour, for example, sells packs of four Magnum Classic ice creams, while Magnum France offers a mini assortment.
If the cake is ready in advance, you can add the ice lollies when you’re plating up. An assortment such as the MUCCI® mini ice lollies featured by ALDI France lets you offer a choice of flavours without having to prepare different ice creams.
If any of your guests need to avoid certain ingredients, check the label for each flavour. Carrefour’s product listings, for example, mention dairy ingredients in some products. The size or flavour name is no substitute for reading the pack.
First decide whether the ice lolly should be a full portion or simply an accompaniment to the cake. Then check the ingredients of the product you’ve chosen and how many ice lollies you’ll need to serve.
| Criterion | What to check | Who is it for? |
|---|---|---|
| Individual portion | Compare the volume or weight of each ice lolly, as well as the number in the pack. Carrefour lists four 100 mL Magnum Classic ice creams; Magnum France also offers an assortment of six 55 mL mini ice lollies. | If my slice of cake is already the main dessert, I’d rather have a small ice lolly on the side; around 33% of consumers prioritise portion size. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the ingredients and allergen information for the exact flavour on the packaging, even if it’s described as plant-based. | When I’m serving someone who needs to avoid certain ingredients, I want to be able to choose based on the label; for around 25% of consumers, ingredients come first. |
| Number of ice lollies | Check how many ice lollies are in the box and how many people you’ll be serving. Don’t assume you know the portion size just from the number in the pack. | To give every guest an ice lolly without buying too many, I choose a pack that suits the occasion; around 25% of consumers prioritise the number in the pack. |
| Flavours and serving | Check the flavours in the assortment and their ingredients. Keep the ice lollies frozen, then take them out when the cooled cake is ready to serve. | If guests would like different flavours, I prefer to offer them at the last minute; variety and ease of serving are priorities for around 17% of consumers. |
The number of ice lollies and the size of each one are two different things. Carrefour lists four 100 mL Magnum Classic ice creams, while the mini assortment featured by Magnum France contains six 55 mL ice lollies.
Decide what size you’d like to serve with the cake, then check the quantity per ice lolly and the number of guests.
A product described as plant-based may contain almonds: Magnum France, for example, describes its Vegan Amande x3 ice cream as containing almond pieces. Other ice lollies may contain dairy ingredients.
Check the ingredients list and allergens on every pack you plan to serve.
The ice lollies could melt before dessert is served. The French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (Anses) notes that keeping food at a low temperature helps preserve its quality and slow the growth of micro-organisms.
Keep them in the freezer until you’re ready to plate up, then serve them alongside the cooled cake or add them just before bringing the plates to the table.
In France, the brand offers standard-sized ice lollies, a mini assortment and a Vegan Amande x3 product.
This own-label brand offers, among other things, chocolate and vanilla-chocolate ice lollies.
ALDI France offers assorted mini ice lollies and double-coated ice lollies under this brand.
These individually portioned products can be served alongside cooled cake. Pack sizes and flavours vary, so check the portion size and the label to make sure they’re suitable for your guests.
Image unavailable
A box to consider if you’d like to hand out individual ice lollies after the cake.
The pack contains 12 ice lollies, weighing 444 g in total. Check the ingredients and allergens on the pack before serving.
Image unavailable
The five flavours could be a good choice if you’d like to give guests options at dessert time.
The box contains 12 ice lollies, weighing 1200 g in total. Check the pack for the amount per ice lolly and allergen information.
Image unavailable
These coconut-flavoured sorbet sticks can be served individually alongside the cake.
The pack contains four sticks, weighing 280 g in total. Check the ingredients and allergens on the packaging; the variant name alone isn’t enough to determine them.
Image unavailable
This pack lets you plan one individual ice cream for each of four guests, to serve once the cake has cooled.
Each stick is listed as 62 ml. Read the ingredients and allergen information on the pack before serving.
Image unavailable
A box of six ice cream sticks is worth considering if you’re serving several individual portions after the cake.
The stated total weight is 270 g. Check the portion size per stick and the allergens on the packaging.
For this dessert, save the ice lolly for serving rather than baking. Bake the cake, let it cool, then place the ice lolly alongside it or add it as you plate up.
Pick up frozen products towards the end of your shop, keep the journey home as short as possible and put them back in the freezer as soon as you can. The French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (Anses) notes that keeping food at a low temperature helps preserve it. Only take the ice lollies out when you’re ready to serve.
When comparing two products in France, check the product name, ingredients, allergens, net quantity and nutritional information. France’s Directorate-General for Competition Policy, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control (DGCCRF) notes that food labelling must be clear and accurate.
Not necessarily: plant-based ingredients don’t mean a product is allergen-free. Magnum France, for example, describes its Vegan Amande x3 product as containing almond pieces. Check the allergens listed on the pack you’re actually serving.