The Perfect Flavor of ice cream...cake!
Posted by Lynsie Watkins Thu, 01 Mar 2007 00:02:00 GMT
Yes, that's right. We're talking ice cream cake. Everyone's favorite-right? It's mine for sure. I remember walking into Baskin-Robbins when I was a little girl, drooling over their ice cream cakes in that little squatty freezer against the wall. I remember my Dairy Queen days in high school, always begging for my parents to return home on my birthday with an DQ ice cream cake in tow. Even Carvel cakes remind me of late-night college runs to the Wal*Mart. oh...do I ever remember those nights...I think I'm still carrying those reminders on my waistline!=)
But what makes these cakes so good? I wondered this myself, since considering the knowledge that I put to good use with my family AND Perfect Flavor, my question has always been: How do they DO it?? Surely that icing can't be buttercream, or seven-minute frosting, or classic white-BECAUSE when frozen, these icings actually harden, or as we professionals like to say, they freeze. And what about that decadent and delicious, yet somewhat questionable choco-interior? What is that stuff? Yes, one thing it is is delicious...but I surely can't think of any way to replicate that consistency other than to pour in globs of corn syrup and emulsifiers!
So with all of this in mind, (and also after reading the frightening Carvel Cake ingredient label to Colin's daughter, Kate, and getting an equally frightening response) I decided to set off on my own ice cream cake-making quest. And-surprise, surprise, sticking to my guns when it came to natural food and ingredients, not to mention natural cooking methods, I created a smash hit. The following is a recipe for "Once, Twice, Three Times A Chocolate Ice Cream Cake". I hope you enjoy this as much as my family did!
Ice Cream Cake Recipe
Ice Cream: Chocolate Mousse
- 4 organic egg yolks
- 3/4 cup granulated organic sugar
- 1/4 cup organic/local whole milk
- 6 ounces organic Dagoba chocolate chips
- 4 tablespoons strong FTC (Fair Trade Certified, such as Larry's Beans) brewed coffee
- 1 1/2 sticks organic, unsalted butter, cubed
- 4 organic egg whites
- pinch of sea salt
- 1 tablespoon organic sugar
1. Heat milk in medium saucepan til hot but not boiling
2. Beat egg yolks and sugar until pale yellow and fluffy
3. Brew coffee and pour over chocolate chips while still hot. Let sit in a bowl for at least 7 minutes, then whisk briskly until smooth and combined.
4. Place choco-coffee mixture in bowl over simmering water in a saucepan (a faux-double boiler trick...). Add cubed butter bit by bit into choco-coffee mix until smooth. Combine this mix with the egg yolk mix. Remove bowl from heat.
5. Beat egg whites and salt in an impeccably clean stainless steel or copper bowl until soft peaks form (under 2 minutes). Add sugar and beat until stiff peaks are formed.
6. Fold egg whites into choco-coffee mix 1/3rd at a time until combined. Remember that white streaks and lumps are just fine: they'll make your mousse ice cream even fluffier!
7. Place the mousse into a freezer-safe container and place in the fridge. Yes, that's right, the fridge.
Devil's Food Cake
- 4 ounces organic dark Dagoba chocolate
- 1 1/4 cups organic flour (King Arthur is great!)
- 1/4 cup organic Dagoba cacao powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder OR better yet, cream of tartar
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup homemade or organic whole milk yogurt OR sour cream
- 1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar
- 4 organic eggs, 1 organic egg yolk
- 1 tablespoon cognac
- 1 tablespoon organic pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 sticks organic, unsalted butter @ room temp
1. Combine all dry ingredients and set aside in an easy-pour bowl.
2. Combine yogurt, cognac, vanilla in another easy-pour bowl.
3. Beat eggs and sugar until fluffy. Add butter and beat some more!
4. Heat milk until hot and pour over chocolate chips. Follow same method as above for mousse.
5. Combine milk-choco mix to wet ingredient mix. Add 1 cup wet ingredients followed by 1 cup dry ingredients into egg mixture in mixing bowl, alternating wet/dry until each are gone and incorporated into your insta-cake mixture. Fold in milk-choco mix until blended.
6. Pour batter into two 9-inch cake pans, bake until firm in a 350 degree F oven. To test "doneness," insert a toothpick into the center of each cake. If the pick comes out dry but with a few castaways at the tip-it's DONE!
7. Allow cake to cool for 10 minutes, then pop it out onto a cooling rack or clean countertop until completely cool. If you prefer that your cake does NOT stick to your pan, make sure it's nonstick, buttered and floured prior to baking-one can never be too safe when it comes to cake! Also, if you want to hurry up your cake-cooling process, place the cake unwrapped in the fridge for about 30 minutes.
Ice Cream Cake Assembly TIME...
1. Take your cake and slice each cake layer in half with a serrated knife so that you're left with 4 layers where once there were two.
2. Place your first layer on a parchment/foil lined plate or serving dish. Place a dollop of mousse in the center and spread lightly out to the edges. Repeat until your cake is entirely assembled.
If you have leftover mousse, use to ice your finished product. Also, I suggest a nice chocolate ganache or even an easy chocolate buttercream frosting, with cognac incorporated, of course. Once your beauty is frosted, pop her in the freezer until stiff to the touch (about an hour).
Serve to your favorite people!
***A few notes...
~to add some flair (as if) to your cake, dust the top with cacao powder OR hot chocolate mix. You could even cut out a stencil of your loved one's name or favorite flower, place the paper stencil over top the cake, then dust! This will leave a beautiful artistic addition as well as a very personal touch to your work.
~remember, for the mousse you can substitute orange juice or cognac for coffee if preferred. (Each liquid has roughly the same effect.) This does not hold true for the cake, which needs the cognac to stay moist in the freezer. (Alcohol freezes at a lower temp than the average freezer goes.)