before the whipped cream is added
after the bourbon whipped cream slathered on top
So, when I heard that it was our good friends Tim and Phyllis’s 20th wedding anniversary the day before they were coming here for dinner along with our other dear friends Jim and Margo, I decided a special dessert was in order. I mean really, an anniversary or celebration of any kind requires cake. And I know, some of you are not cake lovers. To that I say “hurray”, more for me!
Because in my estimation, a truly great cake is a taste treat that few actually experience. And yes, there are bakeries out there that turn out fabulous cakes. But you pay through your teeth for the privilege. That’s why I have always preached -BAKE CAKES AT HOME AND SPARE NO EXPENSE. Use quality ingredients and the cake will still cost you a fourth the price of one that comes from a bakery! And it will make your whole kitchen smell wonderful as it bakes. (OK, I am now stepping down from my high horse!)
Among the purchased cakes that are ridiculously expensive, ice cream cakes come in right at the top. And why I previously never thought to make an ice cream cake is right up there with why I wore a girdle in college when I weighed 128 pounds? (What was that all about?) Apparently, some things take longer than others to garner attention in the critical thinking area of my brain. Or at least that’s how I interpret my “aha moments”. But once a good idea resonates, it’s usually full steam ahead for me. (I did figure out a former politician the first time he appeared in my consciousness. So, I must give myself a pat on the back for intuiting that odious person correctly!) But, back to this recipe.
In all honesty, the ice cream cake I made the other evening was really tasty, but the brownie part was hard as a rock. I had tried a new brownie recipe (that sounded marvelous), but the reality was somewhere between tasty shoe leather and chocolate flavored drywall. (Not that I know anything about how shoe leather or drywall taste. But I have an excellent imagination.) So, I repurposed one of my cake-like brownie recipes to make this ice cream cake 100% fabulous.
So, the next time you need a special dessert, may I recommend this recipe. It does require a few steps, but the result is well worth the effort. And it must be prepared ahead, which is always great, especially when you are entertaining guests.
And you know what – even if you start with a brownie mix and store-bought caramel sauce, the ice cream cake will still be tastier and less expensive than if you bought one from an ice cream shop. Just please consider not using a ready-made whipped topping. One of the most widely used whipped topping is made of water, hydrogenated vegetable oil (including coconut and palm kernel oils), high fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, skimmed milk, light cream (less than 2%), sodium caseinate, natural and artificial flavor, xanthan and guar gums, polysorbate 60, sorbitan monostearate, sodium polyphosphate, and beta carotene (as a coloring). (Yikes. Now, if that doesn’t scare you, I don’t know what would?)
So, I’ll leave you now to think about the difference between fresh from a cow heavy cream and a product that only resembles real whipped cream in that it is almost the same color.
On that sobering note, peace and love to all. (And I hope you enjoy this recipe.)
BOURBON CHOCOLATE BROWNIES
1¼ c. granulated sugar
¾ c. (1½ sticks) unsalted butter
½ c. cocoa powder
¼ c. bourbon
2 lg. eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1½ c. unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. fine sea salt
1/8 tsp. espresso powder, opt.
¾ c. whole milk
Grease and line a 9×13-inch baking pan with cooking spray and enough parchment paper left on both ends of the pan to lift the baked brownie out of the pan.
In a large glass mixing bowl, heat the sugar, butter, and cocoa powder in your microwave just until the butter melts.
Remove from microwave and whisk in the bourbon, eggs, and vanilla extract.
Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and espresso powder together. Add a small amount of the flour mixture to the butter mixture, stir to combine, then add a small amount of the milk. Repeat until all the ingredients are well incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan.
Bake in a pre-heated 350-degree oven for 25-35 minutes or just until a wooden pick comes out clean in the center. Do not overbake.
Remove from the oven and cool for 20 minutes before lifting the brownie out of the pan to a wire rack. (don’t wash the pan.) Let the one big brownie cool completely before slicing it in half lengthwise. (Not easy but if it comes apart, no problem. You can “glue” it back together with ice cream.)
BOURBON CARAMEL SAUCE
1 c. packed brown sugar
½ c. (1 stick) unsalted butter
pinch sea salt
½ c. heavy cream
¼ c. bourbon
Whisk butter, brown sugar, and salt together over medium heat in a small heavy saucepan until brown sugar has dissolved completely. (This happens after the mixture comes to a boil and is allowed to burble for a couple of minutes or until it turns kind of shiny. Continue whisking the whole time the mixture is on the heat.) Remove from heat and gently whisk in the heavy cream and bourbon. Allow it to cool completely and store covered in your fridge.
Can be made ahead and refrigerated.
BOURBAN WHIPPED CREAM
1 c. heavy cream
1/3rd of the Bourbon Caramel Sauce
Beat cream until stiff peaks form. Add the BCS and whip until well blended. Cover. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
PUT THE ICE CREAM CAKE TOGETHER
2-3 pints ice cream (I used Häagen-Dazs Bourbon Vanilla Bean Truffle ice cream)
Place one of the brownie halves back in the pan.
Remove the ice cream from the freezer and let sit for a few minutes to soften a bit. Then spread as much or as little of the ice cream over the brownie in the pan as desired. Then spread evenly with 2/3rds of the cold Bourbon Caramel Sauce. Then top with the other brownie. Push down gently to “seat” the brownie.
Cover the pan and place in your freezer.
TO SERVE THE ICE CREAM CAKE
Remove the ice cream cake from the freezer. Slather on the Bourbon Whipped Cream and cut into reasonable sized pieces. (This ice cream cake is very rich. Cut accordingly.)