Birthday Cake Ice Cream

Instructions

1. In a medium saucepan, combine the whole milk, heavy cream, granulated sugar, and the scraped seeds plus pod of 1 vanilla bean. Heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is just steaming and sugar is dissolved, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let steep for 15 minutes.
2. In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks until smooth. Gradually pour about half of the warm milk mixture into the yolks while whisking constantly to temper them.
3. Pour the yolk mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining milk mixture. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or heatproof spatula, until the custard thickens enough to coat the back of the spoon and reaches 170°F (77°C), about 5 minutes. Do not boil.
4. Strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl to remove the vanilla bean pod and any cooked egg bits.
5. Stir in 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract. Cover with plastic wrap pressed directly onto the surface of the custard to prevent a skin from forming.
6. Refrigerate the custard until thoroughly chilled, at least 4 hours or overnight.
7. Once chilled, pour the custard into an ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer's instructions until it reaches soft-serve consistency.
8. During the last 5 minutes of churning, add the crumbled birthday cake pieces and rainbow sprinkles to the ice cream so they evenly incorporate.
9. Transfer the ice cream to a freezer-safe container. Smooth the top, cover with a lid or plastic wrap, and freeze at least 4 hours until firm.
10. Before serving, let the ice cream soften at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes for easier scooping.