Coffee Coconut Ice Cream Cake

As part of my R&R weekend, I make a Coffee Coconut Ice Cream Cake using the same issue of Gourmet as the roast pork recipe. Making ice cream cake is so much easier than any other cake. All you have to do is crush some cookies and soften the ice cream, and assemble it to be frozen overnight. and voila! You will be greeted with a good summer accompaniment, that will have make adults clamoring like children!

For this recipe, I used Ciao Bella's Coconut Sorbet and Haagen Daz's Light Coffee Ice cream. This is the first time we try this brand's sorbet, it was heavenly on its own. I can't wait to try the rest of their flavor and gelato!( of course I will have to wait till the sale). The Haagen Daz light ice cream becomes pale to comparison. I think next time I will use Starbucks ice cream which has more profound coffee taste. The original recipe called for a fudge topping, which I think will make the cake too sweet. As a result, I omitted the topping to save some calories.

The ice cream cake was really good! So good that it didn't last longer than 2 days. And I was so engrossed in devouring the cake that I forgot to take a picture of it! I hope I won't have to wait long to make another one soon.


Coffee Coconut Ice Cream Cake
(adapted from Gourmet Magazine)

For crust
3/4 cup chocolate wafer crumbs (from about 15 cookies such as Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafers)
1 teaspoon instant-espresso powder
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

For ice cream layer
1 pt premium coffee ice cream, softened slightly
1 pt premium coconut sorbet, softened slightly

For fudge sauce
3 tablespoons heavy cream
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1 tablespoon packed dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 oz fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), finely chopped
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla

Special equipment:
a 1 1/2-qt rectangular mold such as a 12- by 3 1/4- by 2 3/4-inch pâté mold; parchment paper; an offset metal spatula



Make crust:
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375°F.
Line mold with a double layer of parchment paper, allowinga few inches of overhang along each side.

Stir together crumbs, espresso powder, and butter and press over bottom of mold. Bake until crisp, about 10 minutes, then cool completely in mold on a rack, about 20 minutes.

Make ice cream layer:
Scoop and drop ice cream and sorbet alternately into mold in 1 layer until crust is covered, then smooth with offset spatula until flat. Make another layer in same manner. Freeze, covered with plastic wrap, until firm, at least 2 hours.

Make fudge sauce and finish cake:
Bring cream, corn syrup, brown sugar, cocoa, salt, and half of chocolate to a boil in a 1- to 1 1/2-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring until chocolate is melted. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes, then remove from heat.

Add butter, vanilla, and remaining chocolate and stir until smooth.

Cool fudge sauce to warm, at least 15 minutes.

Pour warm sauce over ice cream layer and freeze again, uncovered, until firm, about 15 minutes. Remove cake by grasping both ends of parchment, and transfer it to a platter. Using a spatula to stabilize end of cake, carefully slide parchment out from under cake.

Cooks' notes:
• Sauce can be made 1 week ahead and cooled completely, uncovered, then chilled in an airtight container or jar. Reheat before using.
• Cake keeps, wrapped well in plastic wrap and then in foil, 3 days.

Makes 10 servings.