Cookies and Cream Ice Cream Cake

Alright, here it is! The last piece of the puzzle, the post I know you've ALL been waiting for!

The Boyfriend's (in)famous Cookies and Cream Ice Cream Birthday Cake!!!

When I asked the boyfriend what kind of cake he wanted for his birthday, he said ice cream cake, and then went on to chose this specific kind of ice cream cake. Well, when I flew back home after the christmas holidays, I only had about 24 hours to whip up a cake and this recipe happens to take 2 days to make (according to the recipe).

Being the loving and dedicated girlfriend and magician that I am, I slaved away for the entire day including beginning the process as soon as I got home from an entire day of traveling!

I'm telling you, I spoil the guy...

Anyway, this recipe can be as easy or complicated as you want it to be, but as you can tell, I never do things halfway. So, instead of making things easier on myself, I decided to make a batch of homemade cookies 'n cream ice cream, homemade chocolate cake, a homemade hot fudge sauce, and assemble it all into this crazy cake! I don't know why I do this to myself..

So here is the finished product for your enjoyment! It was delicious, the boyfriend loved it, and it was worth it in the end.

Enjoy!

Cookies and Cream Ice Cream Cake
Prep Time: 2 days (or 1 day if you're crazy like me)
Yields: 12-16 servings

Ingredients:
THE ICE CREAM
A double batch of Cookies and Cream Ice Cream, or 2 quarts of store bought ice cream

THE CHOCOLATE CAKE
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup flour
3/4 cup cake flour
1/2 cup cocoa
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 1/2 cup boiling water
2 eggs
1/2 cup canola oil

THE WHIPPED CREAM
1 cup heavy cream
2 Tbsps granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla

THE FINISHING TOUCHES
Hot Fudge Sauce
Oreos

Directions:
1) Two Days Before the Event: Make a double batch of ice cream. If you are using store-bought ice cream, you can skip this step.
2) One Day Before the Event: MAKE THE CAKE: Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease an 8-inch round cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
3) In a large mixing bowl, whisk the dry ingredients together. Adding 1/2 a cup at a time, whisk in the water until the batter is completely combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, then add the oil.
4) Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 50-55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cake cool in the pan for 30 minutes. Invert cake onto a wire rack and let cool completely.
5) Grease an 8-inch springform pan and line the bottom and sides with separate pieces of parchment paper. Take the ice cream out of the freezer for 15-20 minutes before you assemble the cake so that it can soften.
6) Once your cake has cooled, level the top off if it has become domed. Place the cake on the bottom of the prepared pan as the bottom layer of the ice cream cake. Spread your softened ice cream on top of the cake layer and even it out with a spatula. Be sure to fill in any gaps or holes between the cake layer and the sides of the pan. Rap the pan on the counter a few times to help remove any bubbles. Put the assembled cake in the freezer as soon as it is done and allow to chill overnight.
7) The Morning of the Event: At least an hour before serving the cake, remove it from the pan and transfer it to a serving dish or cake stand. Return it to the freezer for 10 minutes after being removed from pan.
8) Prepare the whipped cream by combining all the ingredients in a medium bowl, and whisking on high speed until stiff peaks form. Spread the whipped cream evenly over the top and sides of the cake, being sure to work quickly so the cake doesn't melt. Return the cake to the freezer if it gets too soft. You can pipe some hot fudge sauce onto the borders, and pipe extra whipped cream on top along with Oreos.
9) Remove the cake from the freezer 5 minutes before you want to serve it. Rinse your knife in hot water before cutting through the ice cream, and drizzle with hot fudge sauce.


(Recipe adapted from Brown Eyed Baker)