Sam's Chocolate Coffee Ice Cream Cake

My wonderful nephew Sam just graduated from high school and I couldn't resist creating a special cake for his celebration. Coffee flavored desserts are his favorite so I made him an ice cream cake with two layers of moist Guinness chocolate cake, a center of coffee ice cream and a topping of espresso flavored whipped cream. It was a big hit and I know it's something I will make again and again and always think of Sam when I do.

Here's the recipe:

Sam's Chocolate Coffee Ice Cream Cake
(a celebration cake created for and named after the best nephew in the world)

Cake:
1 cup Guinness
1 stick plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup cocoa powder
2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup sour cream ( or substitute plain yogurt)
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease and line two 8-inch cake pans with parchment paper.

A prepared cake pan. Line the bottom and the sides with greased parchment.

Pour the Guinness into a large saucepan, add the butter in slices and heat until the butter is melted. Turn off the heat and whisk in the cocoa and sugar. Beat the sour cream with the eggs and vanilla and pour into the beer mixture and finally whisk in the flour and baking soda.

Divide the cake batter among the two prepared cake pans and bake for 25 to 35 minutes or until done. Leave the cake to cool in the pans for 10 minutes before inverting them onto a cooling rack. Let the cakes cool completely before assembling.

The cakes after baking. Let them cool for 10 minutes before removing them from the pans.

To Assemble:
1 quart premium coffee ice cream, left at room temperature for 10 to 15  minutes to soften
2 pints whipping cream
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoons espresso powder
chocolate covered espresso beans

Line an 8-inch cake pan that is at least 4-inches deep with plastic wrap.

Drop in one of the Guinness chocolate cake layers.

Top the cake with the quart of softened coffee ice cream.

Use a spreader to evenly distribute the ice cream and press it down. You have to work fast because you don't want the ice cream to melt.

Add the second layer of cake.

Wrap the cake well with plastic wrap and put it in the freezer to set for at least 4 hours.

After the cake has set in the freezer, put the whipping cream, sugar and espresso in a mixing bowl and whip it until it holds a stiff peak.

Unwrap the frozen cake remove it from the cake pan. Place it on a serving platter that will be able to fit back into the freezer.

Spread the whipped cream around the sides of the cake.

Put the remaining whipped cream in a piping bag fitted with a star tip and pipe a border around the top of the cake.

Inside the border, pipe dollops around the cake and top each of them with a chocolate covered espresso bean.

Place the cake back into the freezer for at least 20 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Ice Cream Cake

This ice cream cake is so easy to make and tastes great.

My daughter Eleanor requested it for her 14th birthday party and I was happy to oblige because it's my go to cake when I want something that will please a crowd with minimal work.

The cake takes just 15 minutes to put together and then it needs to freeze for a minimum of four hours before serving.

All you need to make it is one angel food cake and two quarts of ice cream in your choice of flavors. To make things even easier, you can buy the angel food cake at the grocery store.

Also, have fun choosing complimentary ice cream flavors. Eleanor chose strawberry and dark chocolate.

Here's how to make it:

Ice Cream Cake

1 angel food cake
2 quarts ice cream, left at room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes so that the ice cream is easy to scoop and spread

Line a springform pan with plastic wrap.

Place 1/4 inch thick slices of the cake in the bottom of the pan.

Scoop and spread 1 quart of the ice cream on top.

Add another layer of cake slices.

Scoop and spread the second quart of ice cream.

Add a final layer of cake slices and cover with plastic wrap.

Place the cake on foil to catch drips and set a plate on top and press. Put everything in the freezer for at least four hours to firm up.

Remove the plastic wrap and flip the cake onto a platter. Slice and serve immediately.