Coffee Almond Ice-Cream Cake with Dark Chocolate Sauce
Submitted by billiken9
Frozen coffee ice cream cake layered on a chocolate wafer crust with amaretti whipped cream, toasted almonds, and a rich Amaretto dark chocolate sauce. Make-ahead elegance for any celebration.
YIELD
1 CakePREP
30 minCOOK
10 minREADY
5 hrsHere’s the dinner party dessert that does all its work while you sleep. Coffee ice cream on a buttery chocolate cookie crust, blanketed in whipped cream loaded with crushed amaretti, then frozen overnight into something that looks and tastes like it came from a pastry shop.
The dark chocolate sauce takes this over the top. Bittersweet and unsweetened chocolate melted into cream and brown sugar, finished with a splash of Amaretto. You can make it a full week ahead and reheat it gently before serving.
Every slice is layers of crunch, creaminess, and deep coffee-chocolate richness.
Kitchen Tips
- Soften ice cream just enough to spread. You want it pliable, not melted. Five minutes on the counter is usually enough.
- The sauce keeps for a week in the fridge. Reheat it over very low heat, stirring constantly. It seizes if you rush it on high.
- Dip your knife in hot water between cuts. This gives you clean, restaurant-quality slices instead of a crumbly mess.
Ingredients
Directions
In a bowl with a fork stir together the crumbs and the butter until the mixture is combined well, pat the mixture onto the bottom and 1 inch up the side of a lightly oiled 8-inch springform pan, 2½ inches deep, and freeze the crust for 30 minutes, or until it is firm. Spread the ice cream, softened, evenly on the crust and return the pan to the freezer for 30 minutes, or until the ice cream is firm. In a bowl with an electric mixer beat the cream with the vanilla until it holds stiff peaks, fold in the amaretti thoroughly, and spread the mixture over the ice cream. Smooth the top of the cake, sprinkle it with the almonds, and freeze the cake for 30 to 45 minutes, or until the top is firm. Freeze the cake, covered with plastic wrap and foil, for at least 4 hours or overnight.
For the sauce: In a small heavy saucepan combine the cream and the brown sugar, bring the mixture to a boil over moderately high heat, whisking occasionally, and whisk it until the brown sugar is dissolved. Remove the pan from the heat, add the bittersweet chocolate and the unsweetened chocolate, and whisk the mixture until the chocolate is melted. Whisk in the butter and the Amaretto until the sauce is smooth and let the sauce cool slightly. The chocolate sauce may be made 1 week in advance and kept covered and chilled. Reheat the chocolate sauce over very low heat, stirring occasionally, until it is warmed.
Just before serving wrap a warm dampened kitchen towel around the side of the pan, remove the side, and transfer the cake to a serving plate. Cut the cake into wedges with a knife dipped in hot water and serve it with the chocolate sauce.
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