We just celebrated Kelsie's 9th birthday. She requested an ice cream cake and I sort of freaked out a little inside. With the 11 food allergies she has, it's just not as simple as calling up your local fast food ice cream chain and ordering an ice cream cake. I started looking online and found one from one of my favorite blogs, and adapted it from there. It turned out beautiful and delicious! It's something that I am sure will be requested often for celebrations, and can easily be adapted to suit favorite flavors of ice cream as well as the cookies.
Please do not let all the steps and ingredients scare you off, this is really a "semi-homemade" way of making it. If you wanted you could go all out and make it all from scratch, including the ice cream, but honestly I didn't have time for all that.
-Scroll down for a printable version-
What do you need?
::cookie crust:: {if your allergies aren't an issue you can certainly skip this step and make do with store bought chocolate cookies, I would buy 2 packages}
1 tablespoon ground flax mixed with 3 tablespoons water; mix and set aside
1 ¼ cups flour
½ cup cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1 ½ cups sugar
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons cold butter cut into pieces
::chocolate syrup:: {allergies not a problem, skip this step, buy your favorite hot fudge}
¾ cup brown sugar
¾ cup granulated sugar
1 cup cocoa powder
1 cup cold water
dash of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
::whipped cream:: {allergies not a problem, skip this step, buy your favorite}
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 ½ tablespoons powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
::ice cream::
2 containers of Breyers All Natural 1.5 quarts ice cream {we used chocolate and vanilla}
What do you do?
::cookies::
1. Make sure you mix up that flax "egg" first and set it aside. It needs time to gel up.
2. Mix together all of your dry ingredients in a large bowl.
3. Using a pastry cutter or your fingers mix the butter into the dry ingredients. Your looking for a wet sand texture. Careful to work quickly so the butter doesn't become too warm and melty.
4. Finally add the flax egg to the mix and mix until combined. Yes, it's a crumbly mixture.
5. On parchment paper lined cookie sheets, working quickly, make balls of dough a little over 1 tablespoon and flatten them out. Don't worry too much about spacing, your going to be grinding these cookies up anyways. They do not have to be perfect!
6. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes. Allow to cool completely before grinding them up for the crust!
::chocolate syrup::
1. Add all ingredients to a small sauce pot and stir together.
2. Cook over medium to high heat for 12 to 14 minutes {this is longer then my normal chocolate syrup recipe}, stirring constantly, removing from the heat to allow the mixture to stop boiling, return to heat boil, repeat.
3. Allow to cool completely before pouring on your ice cream cake!!
::ice cream cake cookie crust::
Your going to need a 9-inch spring-form pan
1. You will need 1 ⅓ cup cookie crumbs. Make from the cookie recipe above, or from store bought cookies.
2. 3 tablespoons melted butter.
3. Mix together the butter and crumbs. Use your hands, get in there and get messy!
4. Press the crust into the pan evenly.
5. Freeze for about 45 minutes to allow to set.
::first ice cream layer::
1. I sat my ice cream carton out for about 30 minutes before starting. Pour it all into a microwave bowl and mash down as much as possible. Place in the microwave for 20 second intervals, stirring after, until you get a creamy ice cream mixture, but not completely melted!
2. Place your spring-form pan onto plastic wrap, with enough around the sides to sorta wrap up the sides, you don't want ice cream in your freezer; in case it leaks. (not that I found out the hard way!)
3. Pour onto your crust and smooth out.
4. Freeze for about an hour before moving to the next step.
::cookie crumb layer::
1. You will need 1 ⅓ cups of cookie crumbs.
2. Spread evenly on your first ice cream layer, cover with plastic wrap and place back in the freezer for another hour.
::second ice cream layer::
1. Just like the first! See steps above.
::chocolate syrup::
1. Pour your chocolate syrup onto the top, making a nice thick layer.
2.Place the ice cream cake on the plate you plan on serving in, if it will fit back into your freezer, if not please make sure you have plenty of plastic wrap, parchment paper, foil or whatever under neath with enough extra to keep it from making a mess. - Again, not that I know from experience. 😉
3. After at least an hour, remove from the freezer, and remove the sides of your pan. Place back in the freezer to allow the syrup to reset. You will have some running off, but it's not a big deal!
::whipped cream::
While your ice cream cake is in the freezer after removing the sides, make your whipped cream.
1. Place all ingredients into a bowl, preferably metal. Whip using a mixer until soft peaks form.
2. Using a pastry bag with a star tip, place whipped cream along the sides and or center.
If you want to go further here you can add sprinkles, cherries, candies, or more cookie crumbs.
3. Back in the freezer it goes until ready to serve.
Again, please don't let that all scare you off, my 15 year old could make this and she has hardly any kitchen skills. It just seems like a very intricate thing, believe me it's not.
this recipe was adapted from smittenkitchen