Mocha Brownie Ice Cream Cake for the Soul

To say that these past two weeks have been a fog would be putting it mildly. I think something happened after Hurricane Sandy, and like the twister in Wizard of Oz I’ve been swept off into some strange alternate world. I’ve been scattered and stressed, received the worst grade on an exam than I have in the past 6 years, and have been eating, sleeping and breathing medical nutrition therapy guidelines to the point where even my dreams take place at the hospital where I’m interning. I wanted to update on Saturday. It was National Vanilla Cupcake Day and I thought it would be ironic to tell you about this amazingly decadent Chocolate Mocha Ice Cream cake that I made what seems like eons ago but was really just in September. But National Vanilla Cupcake Day came and went, and National Sundae Day, as well; and now it’s National Chicken Soup for the Soul Day and gosh be darned if I don’t write something now.

If there were any one food that were chicken soup for my soul, it might very well be this Chocolate Mocha Ice Cream Cake. I should preface this now by saying that I wrote this entire update before I reviewed my notes from the ordeal, and for all intents and purposes, I should not be telling you about this recipe now that I have looked it over. Although I remember fondly the deliciousness of it all, I subconsciously blocked out the disaster of making it – accidentally adding too much coffee to the brownies, overbeating the egg whites, using a pan that was too big and having the filling leak all over and make a mess, running out of ganache…but maybe that makes it all the more appropriate to share with you during this crazy, mixed up month of November. So forget that this is impractical, and fussy, and the pictures I took of it are downright embarrassing. It tastes good, and it makes you feel good, and sometimes that’s all that matters in the end.

Yes I forgot to cross my T's and dot my I's. Story of my life lately.

This cake is kahlua-laced ice cream (that doesn’t involve a Ben & Jerry’s carton or a fancy schmancy ice cream machine!) nestled firmly between two layers of the richest, densest, much fudgiest-of-all-fudge-brownie recipes you could find.  You’ve heard of my Holy Grail Sugar Cookie Recipe? You know how I’m on the search for my Holy Grail Chocolate Cake? Well, my friends, meet the Holy Grail of Brownies, and I just turned it into a giant ice cream brownie sandwich. You’re very, very welcome. Oh, and did I mention the entire cake is encased in a shell of thick chocolate ganache, and then piped with a light yet wonderful espresso whipped cream for decoration? Because it is.

So if you, too, are feeling the November blues – if your mind is elsewhere and your days are blurred – and if you, too, find that a healthy dose of chocolate with a little edge of spunky caffeine soothes your soul, then skip that bowl of boring chicken soup and take this bad boy for a spin. It’s not in the least bit practical and until someone finds a better approach to making it you may question your sanity in trying it…at least until you take that first bite.

One Year Ago: Applesauce Cinnamon Rolls

Two Years Ago: Apple Cider Muffins

Mocha Brownie Ice Cream Cake

This cake is more than just a cake – it’s two layers of decadent brownie smoothed out in the center with a thick swirl of kahlua-infused custard-based ice cream – and if you’re a brownie fan, you just have to try it.

Yield: 8-12 servings

Active Time (estimate): 2 hours

Inactive Time (estimate): 24+ hours. Yeah, I know.

(printable recipe)

The Ingredients

The Brownie

5 tablespoons salted butter,plus more for greasing pan
14 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped (approximately 2 ½ cups)
¾ cup sugar
¼ cup instant decaf coffee, divided
2 eggs, lightly beaten
⅔ cup plus 1 tablespoon flour
¼ teaspoon baking soda

The Filling

5 large egg yolks and 3 egg whites, separated

½ cup sugar, divided

⅓ cup kahlua

1 cup chilled heavy whipping cream

2 ½ teaspoons instant decaf coffee

½ cup finely chopped semisweet (or bittersweet) chocolate

The Glaze

1 cup heavy whipping cream

½ cup kahlua

2 tablespoons light corn syrup

12 ounces semisweet (or bittersweet) chocolate, chopped

The Method

Start with the brownies. Preheat the oven to 350˚ Fahrenheit and butter two 9 inch cake pans. Combine 2 tablespoons of the instead coffee with hot water double strength of what is indicated on the package; set aside. Melt half of the chocolate, approximately 1 ¼ cups, along with the butter, sugar, and both the “brewed” coffee and remaining 2 tablespoons of coffee powder in a double boiler. Stir sporadically to mix and then remove from the heat and set aside to cool completely. (The recipe emphasizes the necessity of this step to prevent hard brownies – yuck, right?) Once cool, stir in the eggs.

Stir together the flour and baking soda in a small bowl before incorporating into the cooled wet mixture, taking care not to overmix. Fold in the remaining chocolate and divide the batter evenly amongst the two pans. Bake in the oven 25-30 minutes, so that a toothpick or cake tester in the center comes out with crumbs still attached. Set aside to cool completely. Phew! One step down!

While the brownie layers cool, tackle the second beast, the filling. Whisk the 5 egg yolks, ¼ cup of the sugar, and all of the kahlua (for the filling) in either a metal (preferred) or glass (what I had) bowl, set over a saucepan of simmering water that cannot touch the bottom of the bowl. With an electric mixer, beat until the mixture has thickened and an instant-read thermometer registers 140˚ Fahrenheit for 3 minutes straight; this should take approximately 10 minutes altogether. Transfer the metal/glass bowl to either the counter or an ice water bath and continue beating until it has cooled, another 3 minutes or so.

Meanwhile, likely using a stand mixer because you have your hand mixer going already, beat the whipping cream and instant coffee until firm peaks form, being careful not to overbeat. Clean the mixer and beaters and beat the three egg whites until soft peaks form, which will happen very quickly. Add in the remaining ¼ cup sugar and continue beating until stiff and glossy. In two additions, fold the yolks and whites together, followed by the addition of the chopped chocolate.

Place one of the cooled brownie “cakes” into the bottom of the springform pan and pour the filling overtop. If you’re worried that the filling is too thin, freeze partway before topping with the second brownie “cake;” otherwise, add the second one on top at this point. Cover the top with plastic wrap and freeze the cake overnight. The recipe up until this point can be done up to 3 days in advance. Take a deep breath – you’re almost done.

Last but not least, we need to make the ganache glaze. Bring the whipping cream, kahlua and corn syrup together at a gentle simmer set over medium heat. Remove from the heat and add the chocolate; let sit for 30 seconds, then whisk until smooth.

Remove the cake from the freezer and take the base out of the springform pan sides. Place on a larger plate, platter, or cooling rack that is ok to get a little messy. Pour no more than ½ cup of the warm chocolate ganache over the cake and smooth over as best you can. Freeze for 20 minutes, keeping the ganache chilled in the meantime. When it’s ready, pour the remaining ganache over the cake. Return to the freezer until serving time (I stuck toothpicks all around mine and wrapped it in foil but if you have room for a cake carrier, that might be even better).

Sources, adapted: My Kitchen Addiction, Bon Appetit,  Epicurious, and some undisclosed magazine with a killer brownie recipe, clipped and originally baked by L’s mom

It seems as though I won’t be posting this on National Chicken Soup for the Soul Day – I don’t have my recipe notes with me and my internet is not cooperating, either – but I’m writing it in spirit for Soup for the Soul Day, posting it on what will actually be Tuesday, National Indian Pudding Day, just one more shred of evidence as to how dysfunctional my life has been. It really means a lot to me that you’re not giving up on me – I love this blog to death and wouldn’t quit it for the world. I just need to take these next 6 months or so to shift my focus from cooking and blogging to passing this crazy internship and becoming a Registered Dietitian. I’ll continue cooking when I can, and writing about it when I can. I hope your November has not been quite so crazy. Happy almost Thanksgiving!  (Here’s to hoping I actually can fit another post in before Turkey Day officially rolls around!)