Ann's July Cake - Peanut Butter Ice Cream

Summer cake means ice cream cake! This was one of the first ideas I'd had for Year of Cake, and I'd been super looking forward to it all year. I researched ice cream cake for a long time, but only came up with molded ice creams. I definitely wanted something with a cake element - and felt like it was pretty essential to the recipe, this being the Year of CAKE, not the Year of Ice Cream Shaped to Look Like Cake. I wanted something similar to what I'd get if I bought an ice cream cake from the store, but the recipes I found weren't helping. Finally, I found a recipe on the Food Network website that looked fun.

First I made the cake, which ended up being one of the best chocolate cakes I've ever had - rich and dark and super moist (sorry, Maria). As I split the cake into layers, I kept sneaking cake pieces, so I may at some point consider making this recipe again just for the cake.


Next, I softened some chocolate ice cream and stirred it until it was spreadable. So pretty!

This was poured on top of the cake and then refrozen. I did this over the course of a couple of days - I think the cake was one night, and the rest of it a second night. I confess that I probably didn't freeze each layer as much as I should have, but I had people over for Enrichment to observe me make this cake so it had to get done.

Next I softened peanut butter and poured it over the chocolate ice cream, added the second layer of chocolate cake, and refroze it. Then, the same method with the vanilla ice cream.


Finally, it all went into the freezer for one last freeze. When it came out, I cut it in half lengthwise and stacked them on top of each other to create multiple layers, and I melted some chocolate to go on top as per the picture on the website:
Yeah... well... mine didn't quite turn out like that:

I don't think I let the chocolate melt enough, and in my defense, the cake was starting to melt and I really needed to get it served. On the other hand, I really should have made this when it had time to freeze properly. Oh well. Look how pretty it is sliced!


It would be interesting to see how this cake tasted if everything had been frozen correctly, but I did enjoy that the ice cream melted into the cake and it all kind of melded together. Chocolate and peanut butter combinations seem to always equal happy eaters, so everyone seemed to love this cake. Unfortunately for me, I started a diet the day after I made this, so I still have tons of it in my freezer if anyone wants some.


Ice Box Cafe Peanut Butter Ice Cream Cake
Adapted from a recipe courtesy the Ice Box Cafe, via www. foodnetwork.com

Chocolate cake:

1 cup oil
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup of milk
1 cup water
1 cup Dutch cocoa powder
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
Pinch salt

Ice cream cake:

1 pint chocolate ice cream
2 cups creamy peanut butter
1 pint vanilla ice cream
Chocolate cake

To make the chocolate cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Choose between a 10 by 3-inch round or a rectangular shaped baking pan and spray it with baking grease or butter and then line the bottom with parchment paper.

Combine the oil and the sugar in mixer until well blended. Add the eggs and the vanilla extract and continue to mix until well blended. Add the milk and the water.

Sift all of the dry ingredients and then add them to the wet ingredients in three batches allowing each batch to be thoroughly absorbed.

Pour the batter in prepared pans and bake for approximately 25 minutes or until a skewer is clean when removed. Allow to cool before unmolding. Once chocolate cake has cooled, unmold, and refrigerate overnight to allow it to cool thoroughly.

To make the ice cream cake: Cut the chocolate cake horizontally to make 2 layers out of the 1 layer and slide 1 of the layers onto a plate or cake board attempting not to break the layers.

Line the same pan used to bake the chocolate cake in plastic wrap (the plastic will help you remove the ice cream cake from the pan once it is set, so make sure to use a large enough piece and slide 1 of the half layers of chocolate cake into the pan). Make sure that it rests firmly in the bottom of the pan and if the plastic wrap has slipped in, adjust so that it spills over the sides of the pan.

Empty a pint of chocolate ice cream, or your favorite brand, into a mixer and soften until it is easily spread, do not let it become runny. Pour the ice cream into mold over chocolate layer and spread evenly with a spatula or the back of a spoon. Return to freezer until set, approximately 2 hours.

Soften 2 cups of creamy peanut butter in the microwave without letting it get runny, approximately 2 minutes. Then pour the peanut butter over the chocolate ice cream. Using a spatula or the back of a spoon, spread the peanut butter evenly over the chocolate ice cream. Place the second half of the chocolate cake layer over the peanut butter and pat down firmly. Return to freezer until set, approximately 2 hours.

Empty a pint of vanilla ice cream or your favorite brand, into a mixer and soften it until it can be easily spread. Pour into mold over chocolate layer and spread evenly with a spatula or the back of a spoon. Return to freezer and allow to set overnight.

To unmold, simply invert over cake board or plate, place a warm towel over the pan for a couple of minutes. The cake should slide out without any problems, grab a hold of the ends of the plastic wrap, and give it a tug if it is stubborn. Invert back so that vanilla ice cream is on top. Decorate with melted chocolate or whipped cream.

If you chose a rectangular shaped mold, cut lengthwise and stack on top of each other for a dramatic presentation. Drizzle with melted chocolate.