Ice Cream Cake

Homemade Ice Cream Cake

Yesterday was an awesome day. My youngest son turned 3 and my over 3 month bathroom renovation is now complete. To celebrate the birth of my wild child, I decided to make him an ice cream cake. Whenever we go grocery shopping he ogles the Carvel cakes in the freezer section. At first I thought I would just purchase pints of ice cream and then make cake or cookie crumbs to layer between. But then I thought what a pain it would be to soften the ice cream to get it into the cake pan. So instead I made my own ice cream (yes, I know my reasoning is dizzying).

I made chocolate wafer cookies then crumbled them for the base of the cake. Next came the chocolate ice cream from David Lebovitz's The Perfect Scoop. I never was a fan of chocolate ice cream as a child, but living with the 3 chocoholics in this house has changed me into a chocolate lover. This chocolate ice cream is probably the BEST I've ever had. I am NOT exaggerating. Make it with Valrhona cocoa powder. The top layer was vanilla ice cream (French-style, made with eggs), recipe also from The Perfect Scoop. The birthday boy enjoyed his cake, but I'm sure he would have been just as happy with the store-bought version. I didn't take any pictures on my camera of the cake out of the pan. If I can get one from my sister I will post an update. Happy Birthday to my little man.

Chocolate Wafer

Chocolate Wafer Crumbs

Chocolate Wafers recipe as posted on Smitten Kitchen.

Chocolate Ice Cream
from The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz

2 cups heavy cream
3 tbsp unsweetened Dutch-proces cocoa powder
5 oz bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
1 cup whole milk
3/4 cup sugar
pinch of salt
5 large egg yolks
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Warm 1 cup of cream with cocoa powder in medium saucepan, whisking to thoroughly blend the cocoa. Bring to boil then reduce heat and gently simmer for 30 seconds, whisking constantly. Remove from heat and stir in chocolate until smooth. Stir in remaining cup of cream. Pour mixture into a large bowl, scraping the saucepan as much as possible. Set mesh strainer atop the bowl. Warm milk, sugar, and salt in the same saucepan.

In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks. Slowly pour the warm milk into the egg yolks, whisking constantly, then scrape the warmed yolks back into the saucepan. Stir mixture constantly over medium heat making sure the scrape the bottom and corners, until the mixture thickens and reaches nappe consistency. Pour custard through strainer and stir it into the chocolate until smooth, then stir in the vanilla. Continue to stir over ice bath until cool. Refrigerate the mixture to cool thoroughly and then freeze it in your ice cream machine per the manufacturer’s instructions. Yields 1 quart.

Vanilla Ice Cream recipe

Add on Chocolate Ice Cream and Vanilla Ice Cream