Redgate Kitchen

candy, cake, and ice cream… in one dessert!

My youngest is turning seven and has been dreaming of her next birthday cake since her sixth birthday. So many decisions: should it be ice cream or cake? What flavor should it be?What kind of frosting? Is there some way to incorporate candy? We were getting closer to the big day and she declared “imagine a cake with as many delicious treats as possible? That’s what I would love.” Having your birthday during a pandemic gives you the right to ask for a cake with as many treats in it as possible. So I obliged. My friend Sarah (who had a business making baked treats) sent me some ideas and I looked through Pinterest for examples. The result, this triple layer chocolate cookies and cream ice cream cake was as much fun to craft as it was to eat! Full disclosure–nothing’s from scratch here (hey even Ina Garten says it is ok to do that sometimes). Knowing what matters to a seven year-old, I put my energy into design and construction and loved serving it to huge smiles.

ingredients

• chocolate cake mix (or your favorite chocolate cake recipe)
• 2 16 oz store-bought milk chocolate frosting (or your own even better from scratch frosting)
• 1.5 QT of your favorite ice cream (I used cookies and cream) (or your own homemade ice cream)
• 11 oz bag of KitKats (snack size for this cake)
• 11 oz M&Ms, plus a box of M&M’s for the cake topper

supplies

• 1 skewer, some tape
• 2 9 inch cake pans
• 9 inch springform pan or one of the cake pans

steps

ice cream layer prep

1. Remove the ice cream from the freezer and let it come to room temperature for about 20-30 minutes so it is easy to spoon out and spread.
2. Place plastic wrap on the bottom and up over the edges of a 9 inch springform pan or cake pan.
3. Spoon out the tub of ice cream and spread it out evenly, filling the pan completely. Smooth the top with a knife.
4. Cover it with the plastic wrap and place it back in the freezer overnight. The goal is to have an easy and perfect layer of ice cream for the middle of the cake.

cake layer prep

1. Prepare your cake batter or use the cheater method like I did and use a mix. Divide the batter into 2 oiled and floured cake pans (9 inch) and bake as directed.

2. Let the cake layers cool on a wire rack.
3. You can either let your cakes cool COMPLETELY and proceed with the cake assembly with the ice cream layer or plastic wrap each cake and store in freezer until ready to assemble which is what I do.

assembly time

1. When you are ready to assemble the cake, place one of the chocolate cake layers on a cake plate or serving dish.
2. Remove your ice cream by lifting it out of the pan (or removing the sides of the springform) and then unwrapping the top of the plastic wrap, placing it plastic-free side down on the chocolate layer. Remove remaining plastic layer.
3. Top with the second chocolate cake layer.
4. Place the cake back in the freezer for at least 2 hours or overnight.

frosting and decorating time

1. Frost the entire cake- top and sides.
2. Pour the M&M’s gently into the center of the cake, gently pressing down to help them adhere to the frosting.
3. Line the outside of the cake with KitKat bars.
4. Tape a skewer to the inside of the M&M box. Remember to do this at an angle so when the skewer goes into the cake the M&M box appears to be pouring out its contents all over the top of the cake.
5. Place it back int he freezer for a couple for at least a couple of hours.
6. Take it out 10 minutes before ready to serve.

As always, enjoy! The kids will LOVE this super fun and delicious. Let’s be totally honest here, the adults will too.