Ice cream cake is my husband’s favorite cake, especially for his birthday.  Every year we would buy a Carvel’s Ice Cream cake, but this year I decided to make one (for a fraction of the cost of Carvel’s cakes).  Making this cake was quite simple, since all the ingredients are ready made, and no baking is required.  All I had to do is to assemble, freeze, and serve.  The most laborious part of this project, was the unwrapping of the ice cream sandwiches.

Ingredients:

• 14 ice cream sandwiches
• 1 ½ Quarts Vanilla Ice Cream (his favorite)
• 1 Quart Vanilla with Black Cherries Ice Cream (my favorite)
• 1 cup Vanilla Wafers, crushed
• ¼ cup butter, melted

Directions:

1. Unwrap the ice cream sandwiches, one at a time, keeping the remaining ones in the freezer.]
2. Cut 12 ice cream sandwiches in half, vertically.  Leave two uncut for now.
3. Place in a container, and return to freezer, to keep them from melting.
4. Take the vanilla ice creams out of the freezer, to thaw slightly.
5. Mix the cookie crumbs with the melted butter, set aside.
6. Grease a 10 inch springform cake pan with butter.
7. Cut a rectangular strip of parchment paper, 34 inches long x 3 inches high, to fit inside the cake pan to line the sides.
8. Press the cookie/butter crumbs on the bottom of the pan.
9. Take out the cut up ice cream half from the freezer, and arrange vertically against the sides of the pan, forming chocolate and vanilla stripes.
10. Fill in gaps with additional vanilla ice cream.
11. Place the 1 ½ quart of vanilla ice cream into a bowl, and mush slightly with a spoon to even out its consistency.
12. Form a vanilla layer, by spooning the vanilla ice cream over the cookie crumbs.
13. Smooth it out.
14. Prepare the vanilla with black cherries ice cream as above.
15. Spoon over the vanilla layer, and smooth it out.
16. Remove the one unwrapped ice cream sandwich and cut vertically, into ½ inch thick slices.
17. Decorate the top of the cake with these slices, to create a design.
18. Cover the cake with a foil parchment paper, and foil wrap, and return it to the freezer.
19. Remove from the freezer 10 minutes before serving, for easier handling.
20. Before serving, unwrap the cake, open the spring form, and remove sides, peel off the parchment paper from the sides.

May serve with hot fudge drizzled over the ice cream slices, with whipped cream on top.

photo credit: Andrew D Smith

Chocolate lovers beware…..this chocolate cake will call to you for a second serving!!!
I made this cake for someone’s birthday, who loves chocolate and lots of frosting.  I used the Dark Chocolate HERSHEY’S Cocoa for the cake, and made a double batch of the Dark Chocolate frosting.  It was very rich, very dark, and no leftovers.

Cake Ingredients:

• 2 cups sugar
• 1 ¾ cups of all-purpose flour
• ¾ cup HERSHEY’S Cocoa
• 1 ½ tsp. baking powder
• 1 ½ tsp. baking soda
• ½ tsp. salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup whole milk
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract (or rum extract)
• 1 cup boiling water

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting:
(Single batch)

• 6 Tbs. butter, softened
• 2 2/3 cups powdered sugar
• ½ cup HERSHEY”S Cocoa
• 1/3 cup whole milk
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract (or rum extract)

Directions for Cake:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grease and flour two 9-inch, round baking pans.
3. In a large mixer bowl, stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
4. Add eggs, milk, oil, and extract.
5. Beat two minutes on medium speed of electric mixer.
6. Stir in boiling water.
7. (Batter will be thin)
8. Pour batter into prepared pans.
9. Bake 30-35 minutes, or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
10. Cool 10 minutes.
11. Remove from pans to wire racks.
12. Cool completely.
13. While the cake is cooling, prepare the frosting.
14. Slice each cake in half horizontally, using a cake leveler.
15. Sprinkle each layer with water mixed with a 1/8 tsp. of extract, or sugar, to moisten it.
16. Spread the first layer with frosting, cover with the second layer, spread the second layer with frosting, cover with third layer, spread the third layer with frosting, cover with the fourth layer.  Now frost the top and sides of the cake.
17. Refrigerate, for the frosting to set.

Directions for Frosting:

1. Beat butter in a small mixer bowl.
2. Add powdered sugar and cocoa alternatively with milk.
3. Beat to spreading consistency (add a little more milk if needed).
4. Blend in extract.
5. Set aside, until cake is ready for frosting.

This is a perfect treat for that someone special on Valentine’s Day, or at any time.