Vanilla Strawberry Ice Cream Cake

As I mentioned in one of my previous posts, I recently bought a townhouse. To celebrate, I threw a housewarming party and decided to make an ice cream cake for dessert.

Dairy Queen ice cream cakes – yay or nay? I pretty much only like the cookie fudge middle. My plate is always left with sad looking vanilla and chocolate soft serve because I just eat the middle. But I think my problem with that cake is that it’s soft serve. If it was real ice cream, I think I’d love it.

So, my ice cream cake was going to be made with real ice cream. And not that stuff from the store that has a bunch of ingredients that I can’t pronounce, meaning they really shouldn’t be in my ice cream. I’m talking about the home make stuff – with egg yolks, and real vanilla, and only ingredients you’re familiar with! And you know what? It’s going to have cake too – because ice cream cake without the cake part, is just ice cream shaped like a cake if you ask me.

The great thing about this type of cake is that the options are endless! I went simple, but you can mix and match ice cream and cake flavours and add extras like cookies, crumbles, nuts, fruit, and sundae syrup between the layers. And multiple ice cream flavours!

Vanilla Strawberry Ice Cream Cake

Parts:

Vanilla cake

Vanilla ice cream

Strawberry jam

Whipped cream frosting

*Note, this cake takes 3 days to make

Vanilla Cake (Make on day 1)

Use your favorite vanilla cake recipe. I halved this one and baked it in a 6-inch pan. Feel free to use whatever size you like!

After baking and cooling the cake, cut into two layers. Wrap in plastic wrap and freeze overnight.

Alternatively, you can buy a pre-made pound cake.

Vanilla Ice Cream (Make on day 1 or 2)

You can use your favorite store bought ice cream. Or make it from scratch! I used this recipe by David Lebovitz. 

If making from scratch and refrigerating the base overnight, make on day 1. If not refrigerating base overnight, make on day 2 (same day as assembly).

Whipped Cream Frosting (Make on day 3)

Ingredients

2 cups whipping cream

1/3 cup icing sugar

½ teaspoon vanilla

Gel food colouring

Directions

1.  Chill metal bowl before whipping. Beat whipping cream until soft peaks.

2.  Sift icing sugar and add vanilla. Beat to stiff peaks.

3.  Add food colouring to your desired shade and beat to blend.

*I added a stabilizer (like Whip It http://www.amazon.com/Dr-Oetker-Stabilizer-Whipping-Packets/dp/B000NY8OLU), but since it’s going to be frozen, I don’t think it’s necessary in retrospect.

Assembly

Day 2:

1.  If using store bought ice cream, take out and soften for about 10-15 minutes before proceeding. If using scratch ice cream, it should be in soft-serve consistency (feel free to stick in the freezer until ready).

2.  Smear a little jam on the cake plate. Place frozen cake layer on top. Spread jam on top.

3.  Wrap stiff acetate tightly around the cake and tape to secure.

4.  Spread ice cream over the cake – up to you on how much and how tall you want the cake!

5.  Spread jam on the other cake layer. Carefully place it on top of the ice cream, jam side down.

6.  Freeze overnight.

Day 3:

7.  Make whipped cream frosting.

8.  Take acetate off cake. Frost cake with whipped cream and decorate to your preference. Freeze until ready to serve.

 

Acetate around the cake.

 

Verdict: This ice cream recipe was A-MAAAzing! So creamy, rich, and flavourful! I only used ¾ of it in the cake, so I had a bit left over. And good thing too because my friends requested it and devoured it! I’m dreaming up new flavour combos!

Strawberry Rice Crispy Pops

What is it about food on sticks that make them so fun? Is it that food doesn’t readily come on sticks on a regular basis (unless you’re from South East Asia – think satay)? Is it that we associate fun/not-so-good-for-us foods-but tasty foods with the stick delivery (e.g., lollipops, ice cream bars, popsicles, corn dogs)? I’m pretty sure I’d like certain things a lot more if it came in stick form.

Desserts on sticks are blowing up lately! Cake + stick = cake pops; Pie + stick = pie pops; get the pattern? I wanted to try the Rice Crispy Pop because compared to the cake/pie pops, they are sooo easy. And just by inserting a stick, makes them so cute and appetizing!

I found a bag of HUGE strawberry marshmallows (meant for campfires and s’mores). Invented: Strawberry Rice Crispy Pops. I made these for a one year old’s Hello Kitty themed party.

Check out the verdict at the end of the post!

Strawberry Rice Crispy Pops 

Ingredients

¼ cup salted butter

5 cups strawberry marshmallows (If using the large ones, cut them into quarters)

½ teaspoon vanilla

6 cups Rice Krispies Cereal

¾ cup white candy melts

Sprinkles

Lollipop sticks

Directions

1.  In a big pot, melt butter on medium low. Add marshmallows and melt (stirring occasionally).

2.  Take off heat and add vanilla and stir.

3.  Add Rice Krispies and working quickly, stir to combine. Pour and press into a pan (I used an 8 x 8 inch pan). When it cools slightly, use an offset spatula to press down so you get a flat surface. Cool completely.

4.  Place candy melts in a double boiler on low and melt, stirring occasionally. Set out parchment to place your dipped Rice Crispy Pops on to harden.

5.  Cut Rice Krispies into desired size. Use a ruler and take the entire thing out of the pan before cutting for uniform squares (I learned that through trial and error!).

6.  Spoon the candy melts over the squares, decorate with sprinkles, and set to dry before inserting sticks. Voila!

Verdict: I think these looked so cute! They were chewy and delicious as Rice Crispy Squares are. And not super artificially strawberry-y! Everyone kept asking how I got them pink! No need to added food colouring here!

Hello Kitty Cake

Sorry for the lack of posts lately. It’s because of something really exciting – we bought a townhouse! I’ve been busy moving and redecorating. We’re into a rustic industrial theme for the main part of the house and have been completely engrossed with finding the right pieces. It’s been fun (Right J???)!

Along with the townhouse came a gas convection oven. I’ve only used an electrical oven in the past and heard great things about convection, so I was really excited about trying it out. Um…frustrating!! I can’t get the hang it! Nothing is working! Previous recipes are completely failing! This can’t be happening! As though I don’t have enough confidence-shattering fails as it is!

Enter: My friend’s daughter’s first birthday – Hello Kitty themed. I decided/was asked to make a Hello Kitty cake and cupcakes. I started baking the night before, and of course I had to make each twice because the first ones failed miserably, and the second batch wasn’t quite like when I had baked them before, but were acceptable. 

Anyways, if you’re on good terms with your oven because you know how it works, or if you’ve just moved and want to test your oven-relationship, and want to make a Hello Kitty cake, here are some pieces that I used.

Check out this video for decorating the cake: http://youtu.be/_hvSWuLWkJ0

I used this recipe for the cake: http://bit.ly/1rxVGUS

*I used 2, 9-inch cake pans and made sure the stencil was large enough

I used this recipe for the Italian meringue frosting: http://bit.ly/1pygqJD

I used chocolate covered almonds for eyes, a stencil and pink sanding sugar for the bow, and strawberry Pocky for the whiskers.

I also made cupcakes and strawberry Rice Crispy Treats for the Hello Kitty birthday party. I halved the cake recipe to make 12 cupcakes and made the following frosting:

Strawberry Lemon Frosting

Ingredients

1 cup butter, softened

4 cups icing sugar

3 Tablespoons seedless strawberry jam

½ teaspoon lemon extract (I used LorAnne)

2-4 Tablespoon cream (depending on how soft you want it)

Directions 

Combine all ingredients and beat until fluffy. 

Pipe using a 2D or 1M tip, starting from the center of the cupcake. 

Verdict: Luckily, everyone enjoyed the cake and cupcakes! I personally really liked the flavour of the frosting – it reminded me of a Japanese candy that I had when I was a kid. We topped the cupcakes with Hello Kitty figurines. The Hello Kitty cake actually turned out! Loved the Pocky whiskers – an idea I got from friend who made a similar cake!

The birthday girl just went for it, but in a polite sort of way – she just grabbed at the edge of the ear. What a cutie!

Strawberry Rice Crispy Treats recipe to come soon.

Rainbow Cake

Remember this baby and this cake that I made for her?  Well, she's now 4 years old (!) and wanted a rainbow cake for her birthday. I decided to try out the petal technique, which looks pretty and seemed simple to do. And I envisioned an explosion of sprinkles on top - because what 4 year old girl (or grown woman) doesn't like rainbow sprinkles everywhere??

                                                 

Plus, check out this painting she made for me for my birthday this year!

Check out the verdict at the end of the post!

Vanilla Funfetti Cake

Adapted from here.

Ingredients

1 cup + 2 Tablespoon butter, room temperature

1 ½ cups sugar

4 + ½ large eggs, room temperature

3 teaspoons vanilla

2 cups pastry flour

1 ¾ cup all purpose flour

2 ¾ teaspoons baking powder

¾ teaspoon baking soda

1.5 cups buttermilk, room temperature

1/2 cup whipping cream

2 Tablespoons sprinkles

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Grease and flour 3, 8 inch rounds. Place parchment on the bottom.

3. In a bowl, sift flour, baking powder, and baking soda.  Set aside.

4. In the bowl of standmixer, beat butter and sugar until fluffy with the paddle attachment. 

5. Add eggs and vanilla and beat to incorporate.

6. Alternately mix in flour and milk, starting and ending with flour.

7. In a small bowl, whip whipping cream to a soft peak. Fold whipping cream into batter.

8. Add sprinkles and fold into the batter. 

9. Distribute between pans and bake for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

10. Cool in pans for 15 minutes before cooling completely on rack.

Rainbow Swiss Meringue Buttercream

1. Make full recipe from here for 10 cups.

2. Divide buttercream into 5, with one portion a little bit bigger for the crumb coat.

3. Colour each portion with a different colour of gel food colouring.

Assembly

1. Put a small dollop of buttercream on the cake plate. Place the first cake layer on the plate.

2. Add a layer of buttercream (any colour). Place a layer on top and add more buttercream. Top with the final layer.

3. Crumb coat the entire cake with the extra portion of buttercream. Place cake in freezer for 15 minutes.

4. Place each colour of buttercream in a piping bag with the same round tip or with the tip cut to the same size.

5. Follow these directions for the petal technique or check out this video.

I had leftover frosting so I made this 5-inch rainbow cake. Thought I'd give you an alternative way to decorate a rainbow cake.

Verdict: I didn't try this cake, but the guests at the party, and the birthday girl loved it! Apparently the moms at the party initially wanted smaller portions, but ended up going for seconds! And the birthday girl's brother, who normally doesn't like cake, asked to bring it to school the next day! I'd say that's a success!