Summer is on full swing here and we are sinking in the hot tub deeper day by day. I can’t recall anything but ice filled jar of tea. They just do the perfect magic to my thirst and dehydration but my stomach needs something more. Then again I refuse to go to the firing hot kitchen now; even the thought of it is making me sick. So I’m depending on cold/frozen food with scoops of ice creams. Right now my freezer has more flavors of ice cream than protein or nutrition. To enhance the beauty of summer flavor I had prepared this Ice cream Cake with Chocolate Mousse & Malt Balls sometimes back which was just perfect for the family and the weather.
Sometimes a good cooking is simply not enough to impress others especially in hot summer when people are least interested in food. You have to push something special with the spike of glamorous look. It not only helps to increase the appetite but also gives you a pleasure to bring it up on the dinner table (and to click & share too). So I chose whipping cream and chocolate mousse with ice cream-malt balls mixture to create three different layers on the base chocolate sponge cake. I also used some chocolate sauce and excess malt balls to decorate this drool worthy cake (I can’t stop licking my lips as I’m writing this post).
Here is my elaborate step by step Ice cream Cake with Chocolate Mousse & Malt Balls recipe for you all.
Preparation Time: 10 mins
Cooking/Active Time: 30 mins
Resting/Inactive time: 240 mins
Total Time: 280 mins
Yield: 10-12 servings
Ingredients:
For the chocolate sponge cakes:
All-purpose flour: 225g or 1½ cup + 1 tbsp (for dusting)
Baking powder: 1½ tsp
Baking soda: 1½ tsp
Brown sugar: 300g or 1½ cup, powdered
Cocoa powder: 50g or ½ cup
Butter: 100g or ½ cup + 1 tbsp (for greasing)
Buttermilk: 4-5 tbsp
Egg: 2, large
For the filling#1 or Mousse layer:
Skinny Vegan Chocolate Mousse which will need the following ingredients
Dark chocolate: 285g
Whipping cream: ½ cup
For filling#2 or Ice-cream layer:
Ice cream: 1 ltr tub butterscotch flavored (use any flavor of your choice)
Chocolate malt balls: 1/2 cup
For Frosting & Ganache:
Whipping cream: ½ cup
Caster sugar: 1 tsp
Dark chocolate: 85g
Garnishing:
Chocolate malt balls: ½ cup
Equipment:
Sieve
Whisk
Spatulas
Electric beater
Large mixing bowl
Small mixing bowl
8” round spring form pan
Small saucepan
Preparation:
Before starting the prep work, one should keep one thing in mind that this is a delicious cake with very lengthy process. So one has to be patient and organized; otherwise entire hard work will end up in a big fat mess. And make sure all ingredients are at room temperature (unless mentioned) and also measured correctly in appropriate measuring instruments.
Let’s start with the chocolate sponge cake. In a large bowl sieve and sift all dry ingredients (flour, cocoa powder, baking powder & baking soda) together. Repeat the process one more time. Keep aside until needed.
Cream butter (reserve 1 tbsp) and sugar together with electric beater until it become fluffy and pale in color. Add eggs one by one (one at time) and continue beating. Take care not to overbeat. (See Tips)
Add 1/3 portion of the flour mixture into the batter and mix gently with a rubber spatula. When there will be no visibility of flour pour ½ of the buttermilk into the batter and continue mixing in the same manner. (See Tips)
Repeat the process until entire flour and buttermilk are mixed with the batter. Make sure there is no lump at all. Now the base cake batter is ready to bake.
Grease the pan with softened butter and dust the same with flour. Tap off the excess flour. Pour the cake batter into the pan and tap the pan few times on the kitchen counter to get rid of air bubbles, if any presents. Make sure to fill the 2/3 of the pan so that the cake can rise properly while baking. (See Tips)
Bake the cake in preheated (1800C) oven for 30-40 mins at 1800C, depending on your oven. (See Tips)
Remove the cake from oven and set on wire rack to cool down; once it is easy to handle, loose the side of the spring form pan (do not remove it) and allow to rest on wire rack until cool completely. Once cake comes to room temperature, cut the top off and level the same. (See Tips)
Prepare the Filling#1 or Mousse Layer while cake is cooling on wire rack. For the filling I used my Skinny Vegan Chocolate Mousse.
Now pour the mousse on the top of the cake and level it with a spatula and refrigerate for 2-4 hrs or until the mousse is set/firm.
For Filling#2 or Ice-cream Layerthaw the ice-cream on kitchen counter (take care of the leakage on the packet, if any presents) and bring it at room temperature. Mix the mentioned amount malt balls and pour the mixture on the top of the set mousse layer on cake. Set it in the freezer for 2-4 hrs or until set. (See Tips)
For the Frosting whip the cream with 1 tsp of icing sugar for 5 mins or until cream is ready with hard peaks. Reserve 2/3 of the cream in a clean bowl and add rest 1/3 of the cream in a saucepan for Ganache. Heat on low flame until cream is warm, add chopped chocolate and fold gently until chocolate melts & blends completely. (See Tips)
Dump the frosting on the top of ice-cream layer. (See Tips)
And pour the ganache on the top and let it flow down. Your cake is good to go like this only. But if you want to decorate it more go ahead like I did with excess malt balls. (See Tips)
Ice cream Cake with Chocolate Mousse & Malt Balls is ready to gulp down. Make sure to dip the knife in warm water just before slicing the cake and serve immediately. Thus chocolate layer will be intact with the slices. This cake is huge and perfectly capable to satisfy 10-12 persons. Excess cake can be refrigerated in airtight container. Taste will be good upto 3-4 days.
Tips:
1. Don’t overbeat the butter & sugar. This will yield grainy texture and cake won’t be as fluffy as expected.
2. Don’t pour the flour and buttermilk together it will be hard to mix and also mixture will turn into a lumpy form. It is preferable to maintain the ratio for a smoother result.
3. Greasing and dusting the baking pan will make sure that cake won’t stick to it while baking.
4. Tapping the baking pan with mixture will help to release air bubbles from inside the batter, if any forms. And the batter will be spread evenly in the pan.
5. Keep checking after initial time specified. It may take 10-15 mins more depending on your oven.
6. Sometimes top of the cake gets the perfect brown color but inside still remains jiggy. Don’t worry about it. Cover the top with a heavy duty foil and continue baking for 10-15 mins more. This will prevent the top from over baking or burning while inside of the cake will continue to bake.
7. Don’t touch or try to cut the cake while it is hot. It is damn fragile now. Allow it to cool. Once it is cooled it will be firm.
8. Keep the mousse, ganache, filling in separate clean glass bowls and cover it with cling film until needed. Remember, less air contact means better taste.
12. While spreading the filling between layers, remember to leave ½” on the sides. When the layers will be done, filling will be spread automatically by the pressure.
13. If you are not in hurry it is advisable to refrigerate the cake for 1 hr. to overnight. It will help to set the entire cake.
14. First allow to set the ganache then go with more garnishing.
Live happily with a cool (er) Body & Soul!!
Recipe is adapted from http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/chocolate-malt-ice-cream-cake/a21ba883-acdb-4ce5-be00-55d80cc6a281
Oh Rimli, I want ! I want ! 🙂 This is what I need now, and thanks for the tips.
BTW my new springform pan leaks, while in the oven , does that happen to yours too?
Yes same problem here also 🙁 I cover the bottom (and sometimes side to, depending on the thickness of the batter) with baking paper to seal the leakage. And lay another sheet of baking paper beneath the pan in the oven. Hope this will help you 🙂
Thanks for the tips, I'll try it out 🙂