Still no news on the job front. As you may guess, I am starting to get worried. I am hoping that something comes up soon. On a positive note, I have come to realize that I am happy with my life. I have close family, great friends that I love to hang out with, and a home I love. I think this year has given me time to focus on the good things in my life and I am grateful for this new perspective. Now if only I can find a permanent job...
One thing I like to do during the summer is make ice cream cakes. My friends and family like them and they are very easy to make. Years ago I worked at an ice cream shop and I used to make cakes and pies. However, I had to figure out how to make a cake at home without the equipment we had at the shop. I found that it was very easy to do and I've been making them ever since.
Earlier this month I was getting ready to make a cake and I thought that it might be fun to share how I make them. Here's how I do it.
To start, pick out the flavor combination you would like. For this cake I chose a chocolate cake with mint chip ice cream. The next step is to make the cake. I made this cake in an 8" round cake pan. Let the cake cool completely before moving to the next step.
The next step is to line the cooled cake pan with plastic wrap. Make sure the plastic wrap hangs over the sides. At this point, get the ice cream out to soften.
Once the ice cream is softened, put it into the pan. Typically, I don't let my ice cream get this soft, but even if you do, it's not a problem. You want to make sure that you push the ice cream into all of the crevices. For this cake, I used a half gallon of ice cream.
The next step is to place the cake on top of the ice cream. If the ice cream is soft, you don't have to worry about the cake being perfectly flat, which is a bonus. (Since this ice cream was really soft, I didn't want to stop to take a picture.)
The next step is to lightly push the cake into the ice cream making sure it is level, then wrap it up with the excess plastic wrap and put it into the freezer. I like to freeze my cakes overnight or for a day, but if you don't have that much time, I suggest at least a few hours.
I use ice cream to frost the cake. This is how I was taught and I think it works great. Typically, I use vanilla ice cream, but any kind will work as long as there is nothing added to the ice cream (e.g. chips, cookies, etc.). For this cake, I used vanilla and tinted it green to match the mint chip ice cream. I let the ice cream sit out until it is very soft. You want it to be the consistency of soft buttercream. If it gets too runny, don't worry; just stick it back into the freezer for a few minutes and it will harden up.
Note: If you are tinting the frosting, I recommend you use plenty of ice cream. For this 8" round cake, I used about 2/3 of a half gallon. If there is any left over, you can always eat it.
When the frosting is almost ready to use, you should take the cake out of the freezer. You may need to rub your hands (or a warm washcloth) around the sides of the cake pan to loosen the ice cream. Once it has released, loosen the plastic wrap from the cake and place a plate or cake board on it. (To get the cake to stick to the plate or board, I put a small amount of ice cream on the cake.) Next, flip over the ice cream cake and remove the plastic wrap. Don't worry if the plastic wrap has left marks on the ice cream. This will be covered by the frosting.
I always do two coats of frosting. I am a strong believer in the crumb coat. Frost the cake the same way you would any other cake. The good news is that it will freeze to the cake. Once you have the first coat on, put it back in the freezer until the ice cream is frozen. (Make sure to put your excess frosting into the freezer.)
Here's how the cake looked after the second coat. I let it freeze a little before I touched up the some of the edges. Make sure to leave it in the freezer until it is well frozen before moving to the final stages.
I use this non-dairy whipped topping on my cakes. I buy it at a restaurant supply store. It comes with the tip already in the bag, so all I have to do is thaw it and tear the end off. Simple!
To finish the cake I added dipping chocolate, whipped topping. and chopped up mint chip candy.
And here's the finished product. To serve the cake, I let it sit out for about 10 minutes. It should cut easily with a sharp knife. To keep the cuts clean, I wipe the knife off between cuts.
This cake was a gift, so I don't have any pictures of the inside. I did hear from my friends that it was very yummy!
Tonight I'm starting another cake. This one will be white cake with blackberry ice cream!
