Mocha Ice Cream Cake is homemade coffee ice cream sandwiched between layers of rich chocolate cake - all drenched in a chocolate ganache. The perfectly decadent sweet treat!
If you read my blog, you know that we LOVE ice cream in our house. I make homemade ice cream almost every week. It doesn't need to be summer for my family to crave ice cream. Once in a while, I like to elevate my ice cream game and make an ice cream cake. Two delicious desserts in one! Who's going to argue?
This mocha ice cream cake combines dark chocolate cake and coffee ice cream. And did I mention there is also ganache involved? Rich and decadent. Yes, please!
This cake is not difficult to make, but it does take time, so plan ahead. It's best to make the cake and ice cream one day and assemble the cake the next. Freezing the individual components ahead of time helps with assembly and ensures clean, distinct layers when finished.
If the cake is soft, it will absorb the ice cream and become soggy. Ice cream that is too soft will ooze everywhere, and the cake will not have thick, even layers of ice cream. When I take the time to make a layered dessert, I want to have pretty layers when I'm done.
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Tips for making an ice cream cake
- Prepare the sheet pan for the cake by spraying it with cooking spray and lining it with parchment paper. This makes it easy to turn the cake out onto a cutting board once cooled.
- Allow the chocolate cake to cool completely before the next steps.
- After cutting three layers of cake to fit the loaf pan, pre-freeze the cake layers. This prevents the cake from getting soggy from the ice cream when assembling. This also helps to keep the layers clean and distinct.
- After churning the ice cream, freeze for 1 - 2 hours until firm but still spreadable. When churned, the ice cream is soft-serve consistency, which is too soft for layering. Thicker and firmer ice cream will create more distinct layers.
- For best results, freeze for an hour or so in between layers of ice cream.
- For the chocolate ganache, before pouring it over the cake, let it cool for an hour or so, until it has thickened but is still pourable.
- Place the frozen cake on a sheet pan fitted with a rack. Coating the rack with cooking spray will prevent the frozen cake from sticking to it. Pour ganache over the entire cake, allowing it to run down and coat the sides. Place the sheet pan in the freezer and allow it to freeze completely before transferring it to a container or wrapping it for storage.
- Store-bought ice cream can also be used. Allow it to soften slightly before assembling the cake.
- Ganache is typically made with heavy cream, but half-and-half works just fine in this application.
Ice Cream cakes are perfect for celebrations and birthdays, but are fun on any occasion. The presentation is impressive, and everyone loves cake and ice cream! Slice up and enjoy!
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Mocha Ice Cream Cake
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EQUIPMENT
Ingredients
Dark Chocolate Cake
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- ½ cup oil
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup water
- 4 tablespoons cocoa powder (like Hersheys Special Dark)
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 2 large eggs
Coffee Ice Cream
- 2 cups half-and-half
- 2 cups heavy cream (divided)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons espresso powder
- ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Chocolate Ganache
- 10 ounces 60% bittersweet chocolate morsels
- 1 cup heavy cream (or half-and-half)
Instructions
Chocolate Cake
- Preheat oven to 400℉. Prepare the baking sheet. Coat a half-sheet pan with cooking spray and line with parchment. Set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, sift together flour and sugar. Set aside.
- In a small saucepan, add the oil, butter, water, and cocoa powder, stirring to incorporate. Bring to a gentle boil. Pour the chocolate mixture over the flour and sugar mixture and stir to combine. Add the buttermilk, baking soda, salt, and vanilla. Stir to combine. Add the eggs and mix well to incorporate.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 15-18 minutes until a cake tester or toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool.
Coffee Ice Cream
- In a medium saucepan placed over medium heat, combine the half-and-half and 1 ½ cups heavy cream. Add the sugar, espresso powder, and salt, and whisk until the sugar is dissolved.
- While the cream mixture heats, add the egg yolks to the remaining ½ cup heavy cream, whisking to combine. When the cream is hot, slowly ladle some of the hot cream mixture into the egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly. This tempers the eggs so they don't scramble when added to the hot cream.
- Slowly pour the egg yolk mixture into the hot cream mixture while whisking. Cook over medium-low heat until slightly thickened, being careful not to boil the cream mixture.
- Strain the mixture into a heat-proof bowl. Stir in the vanilla extract. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing the plastic wrap directly on top of the cream mixture. Refrigerate until completely chilled.
Assembling Ice Cream Cake
- Once the cake is cooled, flip the cake out onto a cutting board. Cut three pieces of cake, approx 4" x 8" to fit in a loaf pan. Transfer the cut cake pieces back to the sheet pan and place in the freezer until firm.
- Line a 4" x 8" loaf pan with plastic wrap. Place one piece of cake in the bottom of the pan. Cover with ice cream in a layer ¾ - 1 inch thick. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze until ice cream is firm, at least one hour.
- Remove pan from freezer and top with the second piece of cake and another layer of ice cream. Cover with plastic wrap and return to freezer until firm.
- For the ganache, add the chocolate morsels to a heat-proof bowl. In a saucepan, heat cream or half-and-half until hot but not boiling. Pour over chocolate and let sit for 60 seconds. Stir until chocolate is fully melted and the mixture is smooth. Let cool until thickened but still pourable. Approx one hour.
- Place a rack on a sheet pan and spray with cooking spray. Remove the third piece of cake and the loaf pan from the freezer. Place the last piece of cake on the rack. (This piece of cake will become the bottom of the cake.) Invert the loaf pan on top of the piece of cake and remove pan and plastic wrap. Pour the ganache evenly over the top of the cake, allowing it to run down the sides to coat. The ganache will start thickening quickly from the cold cake. Transfer the sheet pan to the freezer to allow the ganache to firm up. The ganache will not freeze rock-hard, so it is easy to slice the cake right out of the freezer.
- Slice and enjoy. Wrap leftover cake in plastic to store for a few days.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate and will vary depending on the exact amounts and specific ingredients used.
Paty says
Look delicious,
Abbey says
Thank you! I hope you try the recipe!