Cindy "TheSweetNerd" Rodriguez Ready to serve up some adult fun? No, not that kind of fun, silly! I’m talking Salted Caramel + Chocolate + Beer. Really, this masterpiece is nothing short of perfection for adult entertaining. Saveur’s Best Food Blog Winner Bit By A Fox and The Sweet Nerd celebrated this delectable boozy occasion with some gal pals, salted caramel ice cream stout cake, and a playful Sapporo Blackcocktail (using a whole egg) that is served up. Don’t let this semi-homemade ice cream cake scare you – half of it is store bought!
I absolutely loved collaborating with Bit By A Fox’s, Prairie Rose! Who knew boozing it up with ice cream cake brain freeze had all the right makings for a Thursday Los Feliz soiree.
Praire and I put everyone to work! You know, that hard labor kind of work – where you have one cocktail in hand and the other is stirring chocolate bliss….okay, so I am exaggerating a bit as lord knows this soccer mom rarely gets to escape dinosaur nuggets and sud sponges, but today was just one of those perfect rare days. True friends, laughter, and hanging out in the kitchen. Pretty much the idea of perfection in my mind!
WHAT MAKES A PERFECT ICE CREAM CAKE?
- CAKE: Choose a cake base that is not overly sweet to counterbalance the ice cream. I chose a recipe from New York’s creative bakery, Ovenly. I fell in love with their black chocolate stout cake as it was the perfect balance for the caramel ice cream and butterscotch topping.
- FILLER: Buy it! There are so many amazing artisanal caramel sauces and cookies to help create a rich creamy filling. Save yourself some work. I bought Richardson’s Caramel Butterscotch and Tate’s Vanilla Cookies.
- ICE CREAM: Buy your fave! Easy peasy. I used our local Jeni’s Salted Caramel and Vanilla Bean Ice Cream.
- ASSEMBLY: Assemble the cake a day before serving so it has all night to firm up and help the cake retain its shape when you serve it.
BLACK SAPPORO BEER CAKE
This cake is a bit unconventional than your usual classic butter-based batter. For this cake, we’re making a chocolate base by following these steps:
- Start with butter & beer (stovetop) + then add in cocoa powder (chocolate base)
- Add to chocolate base: sour cream + eggs
- Dries: add into chocolate base
Start with this rich Saporro Black beer with caramel, chocolate, and coffee notes. It’s like music for your mouth!
When you combine beer and butter on the stovetop, you can only see and appreciate the smell of that yummy foamy malty goodness.
Next, add in your dries and give it a good swirl (or tell your gal pal to!). You’ll find that the texture is smooth and oh-so-tempting to lick! And that’s also a sign that the batter is ready to go.
ASSEMBLY
Layers: Prep with cake board and acetate (which acts as a cake collar sold online)
- Chocolate Stout Cake
- Ice Cream
- Caramel Sauce
- Cookies Crumbled (repeat steps 1-4, twice)
- Last layer = whipped cream goodness and freeze overnight
FINISHING TOUCHES
Create a chocolate ganache for the Gods! I mean…for the gals. Seriously, it is near heaven when you drip the ganache over the frozen cake and top with Maldon Salt.
I popped the cake back into the freezer for 20 minutes and got the table set. We were dying as 20 minutes seemed SOOOO long.
Tips for cake-cutting: select a large butcher knife and dip it in hot-hot water. Dry it and make a clean cut for your first slice. Clean the knife, dip in hot water, and repeat. Once you make the first slice, the rest is easy!
Now for the Malted Flip Cocktail. Drum roll please….introducing Prairie Rose!
Watching Prairie play with with the Malted Flip drink was so much fun. I wish she was on hand all the time. She can make all of our mom problems slip away with just a flick of her cocktail-making hand. This drink has bourbon, chocolate syrup, jagermeister, whole egg, and Sapporo Black. It’s a flip cocktail (using a whole egg) and is served ‘up.’
Get your table read and have yourself a Bit By A Fox and The Sweet Nerd party.
Click HERE to learn how to make this malted flip cocktail on Prairie’s blog!
Photos by: Maria Hedrick Photography
CHOCOLATE CAKE Softened unsalted butter and all purpose flour for preparing the pan 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces 1 1/2 cups dark Dutch-process cocoa powder 3 large eggs, at room temperature WHIPPING CREAM LAYER CHOCOLATE GANACHE TOPPING 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped 3 tablespoons granulated sugar FILLINGS CHOCOLATE CAKE 1Preheat the oven to 350 degree Fahrenheit. Grease two 9-inch pans with butter and dust with flour. In a large heavy saucepan over medium heat, bring the Sapporo and unsalted butter to a simmer. Remove the mixture from the heat, add the Dutch-process cocoa powder and whisk until the mixture is smooth. Let cool for 5 minutes. 2While the mixture cools, in a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. In a separate large bowl, whisk together the sour cream and eggs. 3Add the cooled mixture to the egg mixture and whisk to combine. Then add the flour mixture and combine with a rubber spatula until all ingredients are incorporated and the batter is smooth, with no lumps. Be sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl to incorporate any dry flour bits. 4Divide the batter equally between prepared cake pans. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of each layer comes out clean. WHIPPING CREAM LAYER 1In the bowl of a standing mixer, beat 1 ½ cups of the heavy cream with the powdered sugar until it holds soft peaks. Spread the whipped cream over the last layer. Freeze the cake overnight. CHOCOLATE GANACHE TOPPING 1Place the chocolate in a heatproof medium bowl. In a small saucepan, bring the remaining 1 cup heavy cream to a boil. 2Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let stand until melted about 5 minutes. Stir until smooth, then tap the bowl on the counter to pop any air bubbles. Let the ganache cool slightly (but still pourable). ASSEMBLY 1Cake Layer – Prep with acetate around the bottom layer of the cake. 2Layer with ice cream, caramel, and cookie crumbs. Place in freezer. Repeat once more. 3Layer in whipped cream. Freeze overnight. 4Finish with chocolate ganache layer. First, carefully peel the acetate off the cake. Transfer the cake to a rack over a rimmed baking sheet. Working quickly, pour the ganache onto the center of the cake in one fluid motion, allowing the excess to drip over the side. Freeze the cake until the ganache is firm about 30 minutes. 5Freeze the cake for 30 minutes before serving.
Ingredients
Directions
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I absolutely love the video of the ice cream cake! It makes me want to hop into the kitchen right now and get to work because it looks so yummy
Thanks Kendall. This was such a memorable cake. Delicious, boozey, rich and topped with Praire’s drink! Can’t go wrongl
Ok, so I was lucky enough to actually taste this deliciously rich and boozy combination of ice cream cake and malted cocktail – and I have to say (proudly) that I was the only one who didn’t share my slice (and drank more than my portion of cocktail). Thank you for inviting me Cindy! I’ll always stir for you.
Love how you stir Tessa! You make it look amazing.
Oh, What fun! I love a ladies luncheons! Dinners… whatever! Both of these look simply decadent! Yum to both!
Such a fun (and YUMMY!) day with you and the girls! Let’s do this again soon, please! Cheers!
This series of recipes is a feast for my eyes – I’m blown away by how delicious these drinks and cake sound!
It looks as though making these treats would be just as fun as eating them; booking marking this recipe as a MUST try.
Feast for your eyes! Love that. Now get ready for a feast for your tummy.
How fun! I love ice cream cake, especially with layers of homemade cake. This looks to die for!
Thanks so much Andrea. Me too! My first job was at Baskin Robbins, scooping and swirling away with ice cream clown cakes. So funny! Loved it then, and even more now.
Stout beer and cake! My 2 fav things. Looks awesome! I definitely want to try this.
Please do Amanda, and let me know what you think! I love it too.
I love the acetate trick to make the layers so even! Genius! As for the cake and ice cream and filling and ganache… OH-MA-GAWD! I’d like to be your best friend!
Let’s be besties Lisa! I am in. It is funny because my best friend from 5th grade is named Lisa. Love her like a charm. She is a keeper. Thanks for the love.
You had me at “Salted Caramel”!
Right? Best line ever. Thanks Jillian for making my day.
This is just the kind of stuff I like. I love baking and the step by step pics and instructions are great. And great pictures.
Thanks Roxana. Hope you make it and love it. Cheers!
That video is just completely mesmerizing and this ice cream cake is calling my name!!! I’ve baked with booze before, but never with beer. On my list to try! Also, this baking get-together looked so much fun that I wish I was there!
Awww, thanks Liv! Glad you liked the video. it was a fun shoot for sure. I guess this mom likes her beer and cake.
Thanks for the great how-to video … after watching it, I feel like I can actually make this gorgeous cake, hopefully somewhat as beautiful as yours! You continue to inspire me @thesweetnerd. So happy whipped cream tops this off too!
Thanks Rose. You absolutely can make this cake. You can do alotta damage in the kitchen (and I mean that in the best way possible). XOXOXO
Awesome video Cindy! Looks like y’all had such fun! And that cake…OMG! Decadent!!
Thanks Mary Ann. I hope your summer is moving along wonderfully. This day was special and for sure decadent.
I think I’m still living off of the sugar high from this decadently rich cake. Wow, who knew you could use beer to make a cake. It was so incredibly delicious and perfectly paired with a yummy drink to compliment it!
This cake looks so addictive!
What a gorgeous collaboration! and such a stunning cake!!