Archive for: ice cream cake
When I make ice cream cakes at home, I layer baked and cooled cake with slightly softened ice cream in the pan that I used to bake the cakes. Assembling the cake inside of a pan with straight sides gives my cake a good shape and stability, although I typically have to line the pan with plastic wrap to help me remove it from the baking dish. Williams Sonoma has a new summertime pan that promises to streamline the ice cream cake process a little more: the Silicone Springform Ice Cream Cake Pan. The unusual pan has removable silicone sides that peel away from the sides of a cake – no force needed, and no need to invert the cake to try to pop it out of the pan – after removing a pin that holds them together. The base of the pan is ceramic and doubles as a serving dish once the sides of the pan are removed. The pan measures 5 3/4″ x 10 1/2″ x 3″ high and is both freezer and oven safe, so you can use it to bake your cake layers, and once they have cooled, you can use it to assemble and freeze your cake easily. It definitely speeds up the ice cream cake process, and makes for a neat visual on top of that!
Now, you may not prepare too many ice cream cakes at home (although this pan certainly makes it easy), so it is worth noting that this pan can be used for a variety of other things. It can be used as regular bakeware and is sturdy enough – thanks to that ceramic base – to support cakes, quick breads and other baked goods. It can also be used as a mold for other types of cakes and desserts. Mousses, or mousse cakes, can be assembled in this pan, as can cheescakes, tortes and molded semifreddos.
Who doesn’t like a creamsicle on a hot summer day? The ice cream-filled orange popsicle is a favorite summertime treat for many people – and this is that classic popsicle in cupcake form. These Creamsicle Ice Cream Cupcakes are orange cupcakes that are filled with vanilla bean ice cream and topped with a zesty orange glaze. Like their popsicle namesakes, these are stored in the freezer and ready to serve as a cool treat on a hot day or any other time that a creamsicle craving hits!
The cupcakes are easy to make and turn out to be moist and tender. I used both butter and vegetable oil in the cake, as cakes made with vegetable oil tend to stay a little bit moister after being frozen. Freshly squeezed orange juice is going to give you the best flavor in these cupcakes, and by freshly squeezing the oranges you’ll also have plenty of zest to further boost the flavor. If you don’t have oranges at hand, you can use bottled orange juice. Again, try to go with fresh, not-from-concentrate juice for the best flavor even when using bottled juice. The cupcakes will still turn out well, but the orange flavor might be slightly subdued. To punch it up even further, add a bit of orange extract or a few drops of orange oil to the batter.
The finished cakes have a great combination of orange and vanilla flavors. When I hollowed out the cupcakes to fill them with ice cream, I tried to make as much room for the filling as possible. I also used a good quality vanilla bean ice cream, slightly softened, to fill them up. The glaze added some extra sweetness and brightness to the cakes, and really reminded me of the orange “shell” that makes up the outer layer of a creamsicle.
These cupcakes should be stored in the freezer and taken out shortly before serving. Once they are glazed, allow them to set up in the freezer for at least an hour. At that point, you can cover them with plastic wrap and they’ll keep for a week at the very least (probably quite a bit longer if you have a lot of self control!). The orange glaze gives you a nice burst of orange when you take a bite, and it sets up very nicely in the freezer without getting too hard. If you are in a hurry to dig in, just stuff the cupcakes with ice cream, top with a spoonful of glaze and serve right away!
+Continue Reading
Ice cream cakes are a delicious dessert and can be even better when they come in a smaller, cuter cupcake size. This is party because you can actually be more creative with cupcakes than you can with full sized cakes, as my own Root Beer Float Cupcakes demonstrate because they work perfectly in a cupcake package. So, I was honored to be asked to judge Cupcake Project and Scoopalicious‘s 2011 Ice Cream Cupcake Contest, where I had to sort through 60 entries of over-the-top ice cream cupcakes to pick out my favorites.
All of the entries were fantastic, and I have to encourage you to check them all out (or at least most of them!) when you have a few spare moments or are looking for some inspiration for a summertime treat. As a judge, I had to pick out my top three cupcakes and they’re presented here in no particular order. My picks were based on the combination of flavors and the overall concept of the cake. Thanks to everyone who participated and thanks to Cupcake Project and Scoopalicious for asking me to judge, along with Jessie Oleson from CakeSpy, and Naomi Robinson from Bakers Royale. I only wish I could have made everyone a winner! Since I’m only one of three judges, the grand prize winner will be chosen out of the narrowed field of favorites by the end of the month.
My first pick is the S’mores Cupcake Ice Cream Sandwiches, pictured at the top of this post, made by by Stephanie of 52 Kitchen Adventures. I’m a big s’mores fan and thought that this combination was a very imventive way to combine s’mores and cupcakes. No traditional frosting here, but definitely a lot of flavor in a very easy-to-eat package.
Cake Flavor: Chocolate
Ice Cream Flavor: Marshmallow
Frosting Flavor: N/A
Toppings: Graham cracker crust
+Continue Reading
Ice cream cake is a great summertime dessert. They’re no-fuss treats that can be prepared well in advance (as long as you have some extra room in your freezer!) and are very impressive when you bring them out to serve, as most people think of ice cream cakes as something you can only get at a store. If you don’t want to make a whole cake, you can also make ice cream cupcakes, by filling a regular cupcake with a scoop of ice cream and chilling it before serving. Nordicware has a summertime pan that puts a new twist on an ice cream cupcake. The Ice Cream Cone Cupcake Pan bakes a half-dozen small cakes in the shape of ice cream cones, complete with a waffle-print texture on the sides. I’ve seen people bake cakes directly in cake ice cream cones before, but these are bigger and a bit more impressive to look at.
The “cones” should slide easily out of the nonstick, cast aluminum pan (although lightly greasing and flouring the cones will not only ensure they come out, but add some extra definition to the design on the cakes) and they have a base that is wide enough to support the weight of the cake, so they can stand up just like real ice cream cones. You can top these with frosting, but a scoop of real ice cream and a few sprinkles is all you really need to serve these, and you can be as creative as you like with the flavor of cake you use, too. Mint chocolate chip on top of a mint chocolate chip cake cone, anyone?
I have been itching to make some root beer cupcakes with my bottle of Sonoma Syrup Co’s Root Beer Syrup because the syrup is so flavorful and seemed like it would pass on a great root beer flavor into baked goods. The syrup has concentrated the root beer flavor and it comes through much more strongly (and more naturally) than using root beer-flavored extract might. Once I had cupcakes, I decided to keep on going and turn them into Root Beer Float Cupcakes by topping them off with vanilla ice cream
The cupcakes are moist and have a nice, tight crumb that seems to pass on more flavor in each bite. You can really taste the root beer, and the hint of vanilla – which many root beers also include – rounds out the flavor. They can be eaten plain, but they’re at their best when served with ice cream and a drizzle of root beer syrup. To get the ice cream in there, I carved a small hole out of the top of each cupcake, just as I do when I’m going to make filled cupcakes, and placed a small scoop of ice cream on top. I drizzled the cupcakes with a little bit of root beer glaze to give them a little extra flavor and a root beer float look. You can store the ice cream-topped cupcakes in the freezer for a few hours before serving, if desired.
If you don’t have the root beer syrup, and don’t want to buy it, you have two options to make these cupcakes. The first option is to simply use milk in place of the root beer syrup in the recipe and add in about 1 tsp root beer flavored extract. The second option (and a better option, in my opinion) is to buy some good, non-diet root beer (12-oz), pour it into a sauce pan and reduce it until you have about 1/3 cup. This will take about 15-20 minutes over medium-high heat and will concentrate the root beer flavor, imitating the syrup that I used.
+Continue Reading
