Decadent Ice Cream Cake

Your favorite ice cream sandwiched between layers of luscious chocolate mocha cake, drenched in a decadent chocolate ganache and decorated with chocolate mocha frosting for a delightful frozen dessert; perfect to make as a birthday cake for someone special or as a show stopper at any party!

Step 1: INGREDIENTS:

FOR CHOCOLATE MOCHA CAKE:

1 ½ cups whole wheat flour

3 tablespoons cocoa powder

1 teaspoon instant coffee powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup brown sugar

½ teaspoon salt

5 tablespoons oil

1 teaspoon vanilla essence/extract

1 tablespoon vinegar

1 cup cold water

FOR THE ICE CREAM LAYERS:

1 to 1 ½ liters black currant ice cream (or your favorite flavor)

1 to 1 ½ liters tutti frutti ice cream (or any other than goes with the above flavor); You can use any flavors you like

FOR CHOCOLATE GANACHE:

1 cup fresh cream

1 ½ cups dark chocolate, chopped

FOR CHOCOLATE MOCHA ICING:

½ cup softened unsalted butter

2 cups icing sugar

1 to 2 tablespoons cocoa powder

1 teaspoon instant coffee powder

Pinch salt

½ teaspoon vanilla essence/extract

Few teaspoons milk

Step 2: TO MAKE THE CHOCOLATE CAKE:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Centigrade or 180 degrees Fahrenheit.

Grease and flour an 8-inch spring form pan.

I have lined the bottom with foil and then greased and floured it to make removing the cake easier. Keep aside.

Step 3:

In a small bowl, mix the dry ingredients; whole wheat flour, brown sugar, cocoa powder, instant coffee powder and salt well with a wire whisk.

To this mixture, add oil, vanilla essence, 1 tablespoon vinegar and 1 cup water.

Mix well with a spoon or fork until thoroughly blended.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 30 to 35 minutes until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Step 4:

Remove from oven and cool in pan on rack for about 10 minutes.

After 10 minutes, remove from pan and foil; cool completely on cooling rack.

Step 5:

After the cake has completely cooled, using a large sharp knife cut the cake into half horizontally to form two thin layers of cake.

Step 6:

Return one layer to the spring form pan and close the latch.

Place the pan in a deep freezer for about 1 to 2 hours to chill the cake thoroughly; I do not want ice cream to start melting once it touches the cake.

Meanwhile, remove one flavor of ice cream (I have used black currant ice cream) and let it soften at room temperature.

Ice cream should be soft enough to be spread easily on the chilled cake, not melting.

Once the ice cream is soft enough to spread, remove the pan with the first layer of cake from freezer.

Spread softened ice cream on top of that layer and smoothen with an offset spatula. I have used about 1 liter of ice cream for the first layer of ice cream.

Place the second layer of cake over this and return the pan to freezer to let the ice cream to set completely; about 2 to 3 hours.

Remove the second flavor of ice cream from freezer and let soften at room temperature until soft and spreadable.

Remove the pan from freezer and spread second layer of ice cream over the frozen cake evenly and smoothen the top to level as much as possible.

Return pan to freezer for about 3 to 4 hours to freeze completely. It is best to keep it overnight in the freezer.

The next day, prepare chocolate ganache and chocolate mocha icing.

Step 7: FOR CHOCOLATE GANACHE:

Chop chocolate into small pieces and place in a bowl.

Step 8:

In a small saucepan, heat cream until it starts to boil and is hot. Do not boil.

Pour the hot cream over the chocolate pieces and keep aside for a minute or two

Step 9:

Whisk until smooth and shiny; let cool.

Step 10:

As soon as the ganache is cool but still in liquid form, remove ice cream cake from freezer and remove sides of spring form pan, leaving the ice cream cake on the base of the pan.

Gently pour ganache over the cake to cover the top fully and let the glaze drip over the sides of the cake.

This process should be done quickly, taking care not to allow the ice cream to melt.Immediately, return cake to freezer to freeze completely; another 1 to 2 hours.

Step 11: MEANWHILE, PREPARE THE CHOCOLATE MOCHA ICING:

In a small bowl, sift icing sugar, coffee powder and salt; mix well. Keep aside.

Step 12:

In a large mixing bowl, beat ½ cup of softened butter until soft and creamy.

Stir in vanilla essence and beat again.

Step 13:

To this, add icing sugar mixture in batches on low speed until it is well combined with the butter-vanilla mixture; scraping down the sides as required.

Add milk a teaspoon at a time until you get the consistency you want. I used about 2 teaspoons of milk to get a frosting soft enough to flow through the cake decorating nozzle, but stiff enough to form chocolate kisses on top of cake using the star tip.

Step 14:

Once the cake is fully frozen again, remove from freezer and using a piping bag and star decorating tip, pipe borders on top and bottom of cake.

Decorate with cherries and return to freezer to freeze again until serving time.

You can decorate the cake with maraschino cherries, fresh strawberries, raspberries, oreo cookies etc.

Step 15:

Although the whole process is time consuming, the end result is worth it!

Remove cake from freezer about 10 minutes before serving time. Slice and serve!

Enjoy decadent, luscious and divine ice cream cake anytime in the comforts of your home any time now!!

Step 16:

You can modify this recipe to form any number of layers and use any flavor of ice cream you like.

Soften the ice cream by stirring to make layering much easier.

Decorating of cake with ganache and frosting is totally optional.

If you do not like chocolate cake, you can use yellow cake too or even carrot cake.