What is the purpose of the baking powder in this recipe? I've been making ice cream for many years and never seen it used before. Looks like a...

Thanks!

Mr, Vittles is correct in his answer. I have found adding the baking powder to the coffee ice cream helps create a lighter ice cream.

ChefJune - I entered the question directly off a recipe on food52.com and I thought there would have bene a link. Here it is, however - http://tiny.cc/nx9zm. Thanks!

I wish you'd posted the recipe so we could consider how it MIGHT work in with other ingredients. Sounds mighty strange to me, too, though. I've been making ice cream (including coffee ice cream) for more than 20 years now, and have never seen baking powder or baking soda in any recipe.

I could be wrong here, but the simple answer, I believe, is that it works are a stabilizer for the custard. And because it is a alkaline ingredient, and the recipe uses somewhat acidic coffee, it may react and cause the finished product to be lighter, due to the carbon dioxide formation.