Birthdays are for ice-cream cakes
- Jeanine B
- Aug 4, 2018
- 3 min read
Updated: Sep 9, 2018
My husband hates birthdays. Me… well, let’s just say I plan birthday parties for our cats. Last year, I decided that turning 30 was a big enough reason to violate my husband’s no-birthday-party rule, and to organize all the wonderful birthday things that I love. Including an amazing fancy chocolate cake from a local bakery.
Did he like the cake? Yes. Did he love it? No. Because what he actually wanted was an ice-cream cake (but it seems that for 30 years this winter baby was denied his greatest wish). So, this year, I attempted to satisfy his only birthday wish: a chocolate brownie ice-cream cake. Did he love it? YES! Did he love love love it? YES! Has it become a birthday tradition? YES!
It’s not a difficult recipe, but with all the freezing, it does need some time and freezer space. It keeps well and can be made about a week in advance. I wouldn’t recommend it though, because I can’t guarantee that there will be any left for the occasion it was intended for!
The brownie recipe is an old favourite from Nigella Lawson’s How to be a Domestic Goddess. They are also amazing baked in a square tin and sprinkled with choc chips or nuts.
You will need:
- Brownie base
375g soft unsalted butter
375g good quality dark chocolate
6 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
500g caster sugar
225g plain flour
1 tsp salt
- Frozen chocolate mousse layer
1/4 cup butter
250g good quality dark or milk chocolate
3 large eggs, separated
3 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp vanilla
1 cup whipping cream
- Cream cheese layer
230g plain full-fat cream cheese
125ml dairy free dessert topping (Orley Whip)
½ cup sugar
5ml vanilla essence
- Chocolate ganache
125ml cream
125g dark chocolate
Method:
- Brownie
Grease two 18cm cake tins.
Preheat oven to 180C.
Melt the butter and chocolate together in a heavy-based pot.
When the chocolate and butter has melted take off the heat and let cool slightly.
Beat the eggs and sugar in the mixer or by hand.
Once your chocolate mixture has cooled, pour it into the beaten eggs, sugar and vanilla extract mix. Beat again until well combined.
Sift in the flour and salt and beat until combined.
Divide equally between the prepared cake tins and bake for about 30-40 minutes. When cooked, the top should have a dry, pale crust, but the middle should still be nice and soft, but not too gooey, as the brownie will form the base of the cake .
Allow the brownies to cool in the pan before removing them, otherwise they will crack. Remove the brownies once cool enough, line the pans with clingwrap (it should hang over the edges of the tin) and place the brownies in the clingwrapped cake tins.
- Mousse
Melt the butter and chocolate in the microwave, being careful not to overheat as the chocolate will become grainy. Whisk until smooth.
Whisk egg yolks, sugar and vanilla together.
Whisk yolk mixture into hot chocolate mixture carefully.
Using a mixer, beat the egg whites to stiff peaks. Fold the egg whites into the chocolate.
In the mixer, beat the cream to soft peaks and fold it into the mousse.
Divide the mousse in half and spread over the two cold brownies, replaced into the clingwrapped cake tins, and freeze until firm.
Cream cheese layer:
Beat cream cheese until smooth.
Beat dessert topping until thick. Add sugar and vanilla essence and fold into softened cream cheese. Spread cream cheese mixture over one of the frozen brownie and mouse layers and freeze until firm.
- Ganache
Heat cream but do not boil. Add chopped chocolate to hot cream. Stand for 2-3 minutes and mix until chocolate is melted.
To assemble:
Use a warm knife to release the frozen layers from the cake tins. Place one layer on a serving platter or cake board, brownie side down. Place the other layer on top, brownie side up (if the layers look a bit unsteady, sandwich them together with a dollop of ganache). Spread cooled ganache over the top of the cake, and top with chocolates, biscuits or other decorations as desired. Leave the cake to soften for about 10 minutes before serving and slice with a warmed knife.
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