Chocolate Peppermint Ice Cream Cake
Servings 12 slices
Ingredients
Crust
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 8 ounces bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
- 13.5 ounces chocolate wafer cookies by Nabisco
Glaze
- 8 ounces semi-sweet or dark chocolate, chopped
- 7 Tbsp unsalted butter
Filling
- 7 cups peppermint ice cream (or see note)
Decoration
10 mini candy canes
Instructions
Crust
- Grease the side of a springform pan.
- Melt butter with chocolate in a double-boiler or in a glass bowl over a pot with 2 inches of water simmering over medium-high heat.
- Finely grind wafers in a food processor.
- Add warm chocolate mixture; blend just until crumbs are moistened.
- Reserve one cup of the crumb mixture in a small bowl.
- Press the remaining crumb mixture onto the sides, then the bottom of a 9-inch diameter springform pan with 2 3/4 inch high sides (just below the top).
- Freeze while preparing other ingredients.
Glaze
- Melt chocolate and butter together over a double-boiler or in a heat-proof bowl over a pot filled with 2 inches of water simmering on med-high. The water should not touch the bottom of the bowl.
- Let stand until cool but still pourable. It should be smooth and glossy. If the chocolate solidifies too much, you can reheat using the double-boiler method. You do not want it hot while pouring.
Filling
- If using peppermint ice cream, allow it to soften a bit so it is spreadable.
- If making peppermint ice cream, work quickly. Mix slightly softened ice cream, 1 1/4 cups crushed candies, and peppermint extract in a large bowl just until blended. You will want the texture spreadable.
Assembly
- Remove the chocolate crust from the freezer. Spread half of the ice cream on the bottom of your crust.
- Sprinkle the remaining cookie crumbs evenly over the top of the ice cream.
- Pour about half of the chocolate glaze over the ice cream and cookie layer.
- Freeze for one hour.
- Top with the remaining ice cream, spreading evenly.
- Freeze until firm, about four hours.
- Stir the remaining glaze over low heat, stirring. Cool until still pourable but not too warm.
- Pour half of the remaining glaze over top to just cover. Freeze for 10 minutes.
- Pour the final glaze over top evenly to get a smooth final coat.
- Run a sharp knife between the crust and pan to loosen the cake. Release the pan sides and run the knife under the cake to release it from the bottom.
- Transfer the cake to a platter. Garnish with candy canes. I made a candy cane snowflake in the center with crushed candy canes around the edges.
- Heat a knife under hot water to cut the cake, and serve.
Notes
Note: If you cannot find peppermint ice cream you can make your own by combining 7 cups of vanilla ice cream (softened) with 1.25 cups crushed candy canes, and 2 tsp peppermint extract.