Something about the warmer weather just makes us want to sit in a drive-thru line at Dairy Queen for over an hour just to have them tell you they’re out of your favorite ice cream dessert. And if you have a summer birthday like me, you’re used to treating yourself to delicious ice cream cake on your special day.
This summer may make it even more difficult to get those ice cream treats you love. So, how about making your own? And where better to start than this chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream cake from Sweetest Menu.
The process may seem lengthy but each step doesn’t take too much time. If you team up with your family, you can get more done quickly and ensure you’re enjoying a tasty dessert to enjoy after dinner tonight. And who doesn’t love cookie dough? That’s right, no one.
Ingredients
Cookie dough
- 230 grams (1 cup or 2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 180 grams (1 cup) brown sugar
- 100 grams (1/2 cup) caster sugar
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 280 grams (2 cups) plain flour
- 4 tablespoons milk
- 150 grams (1 cup) chocolate chips, plus extra for decorating
Vanilla ice cream
- 2 cups (480ml) thickened or heavy cream
- 1 cup (320 grams) condensed milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (or 2 tsp vanilla extract)
Chocolate ganache
- 1 cup (240ml) thickened cream
- 1 cup (150 grams) good quality dark chocolate
Chocolate cream
- 1 cup (240ml) thickened cream
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoons icing or powdered sugar
Instructions
- Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
In a large mixing bowl, cream your butter and sugars using an electric mixer until the mixture is pale and creamy. Add vanilla and beat again. Then sift in the flour and beat until combined. Add milk, one tablespoon at a time, until a soft dough forms. Then stir in chocolate chips. Divide your cookie dough into four even balls. Place one ball of cookie dough into the fridge – this will be used later to decorate. - For the remaining three balls, you need to roll each piece of dough out to form a flat rectangle. I found it easiest to do this by placing a sheet of baking paper onto the bench. Form your dough into a rectangular blob using your hands and place it on top of the paper. Then place another piece of baking paper on top of the dough. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough out until it forms a rectangular shape (no need to be perfect at this stage). Once the dough is about half an inch thick, place on a tray and pop into the fridge. We will let it harden slightly before cutting it into the right shape for your baking tin. Repeat for all three balls of cookie dough and place in the fridge.
- Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
In a large mixing bowl, beat cream with an electric mixer until it forms soft peaks. In a separate bowl, add your condensed milk and vanilla and then gently fold in whipped cream. Once combined and smooth, place the bowl into the fridge. - Dark Chocolate Ganache
To make the ganache, finely chop the dark chocolate and place it into a bowl. In a small saucepan, warm cream on a medium-low until it is slightly bubbling but before it is boiling. Pour the cream over the chocolate, cover with a plate, and leave it for 3-4 minutes. Gently whisk the mixture until it becomes smooth. - Assembly
To assemble the ice cream cake, you will need to line a small rectangular tin (I used a 24 cm x 15 cm or 9-inch x 5 inches) tin with plastic wrap, ensuring at least two sides overhang. Get your first piece of flattened cookie dough out of the fridge, now it is a bit firm, you should be able to cut out a rectangle shape using a sharp knife. Then pop your first piece of cookie dough into your tin. Next, add half of your ice cream mixture (1 and 1/2 cups) on top and spread out evenly. Then drizzle over a thin layer of chocolate ganache. - You will want to repeat this process, cutting out your second piece of cookie dough, then layering with the rest of the ice cream, more chocolate ganache, and finishing with a final layer of cookie dough. Wrap the plastic wrap over the cookie dough. Wrap the entire tin with more plastic wrap to ensure it is completely covered. Pop in the freezer overnight to set. Pop the rest of the chocolate ganache in the fridge to use later.
- Decorate
Grab your last cookie dough ball from the fridge and set aside. To decorate the ice cream cake, you will first need to whip your cream until it forms stiff peaks and then fold it in the cocoa powder and icing sugar. Next, grab ice cream cake from the freezer and place it on a serving platter. It should be easy to remove from the tin and just peel off your plastic wrap. - Grab your leftover chocolate ganache from the fridge and microwave for 15 seconds at a time, until it becomes nice and loose. Pour it over the top of your cake. Pop the cake into the freezer for five minutes to set. Then spoon your chocolate cream into a piping bag and gently pipe circles over the top of the cake. Once your cookie dough has softened a little, roll small balls with your hands and gently place a piece on top of each dollop of cream. If you wish, add a few extra chocolate chips to the sides of your cake and you are done! You can officially DIG IN!
