Chef notes
At the end of a good meal everyone will say they're stuffed — until they see this ice cream cake. It is made from rich, buttery blondie; vanilla ice cream (filled with more blondie); and a soft, chewy, totally insane chocolate-caramel topping.
Ingredients
- 1 stick plus 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan
- 1¾ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1⅓ cup light brown sugar
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1⅓ cups semisweet chocolate chips
- 2 quarts vanilla ice cream, softened
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1½ ounces finely chopped semisweet chocolate (1/3 cup)
Preparation
1.Blondie: Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a 9- by 13-inch baking pan. Line with parchment, leaving a 2-inch overhang on the long sides; butter parchment.
2.Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl, beat butter with both sugars on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating to combine after each addition. Add flour mixture, stirring just until combined (do not overmix). Fold in chocolate chips to evenly incorporate. Scrape batter into prepared pan; smooth top with an offset spatula. Bake until a tester inserted in center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool completely in pan, and then lift out using parchment.
3.Using the base of an 8-inch springform pan as a guide, cut half the cake into a round. Cut the remaining half into 3/4-inch cubes. (Reserve scraps for snacking.) Place cake round in bottom of springform pan.
4.Stir 1½ cups cake cubes into softened ice cream, reserving remaining cubes. Spread ice cream over cake in pan. Wrap in plastic and freeze until very firm, at least 6 hours and up to overnight.
5.Sauce: In a small saucepan, stir together sugar and 3 tablespoons water. Place over low heat until sugar is dissolved. Cover and bring to a steady boil, then uncover and cook swirling occasionally, until deep amber, 6 to 8 minutes total.
6.Remove from heat; whisk in butter, salt and cream ( it will bubble up). Add chocolate, stirring until just combined. Transfer to a heatproof bowl and refrigerate, stirring occasionally, until mixture is cool and has consistency of thick hot fudge, 30 to 45 minutes.
7.Remove cake from freezer. Use a sharp knife, dipped in warm water and wiped dry, to loosen cake from the sides of the pan, then unlatch and remove.
8.Transfer cake to a serving plate. Pour cooled sauce over top, allowing it to drip down sides.
9.Freeze again, at least 1 hour. Garnish with remaining cake cubes. Slice with a sharp knife, dipped in warm water and wiped dry before each cut; serve.
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