birthday cake
There is a lot one can do for a birthday in lockdown, but a month before my father’s, he started whining about wanting a particular kind of ice cream cake he saw in an advert. Every morning he would wake up and say let’s go out to buy it and each time his idea would be rejected. While eating outside food should be fine and has been deemed safe by most authority boards with precautionary measures, my home is going the extra mile with caution for the sake of our little one.
So, when his birthday came around, my dad got very excited thinking, this was his chance. If you remember from last year, I baked him a gorgeous pistachio + saffron cake with over a kilo of expensive pistachios ground down, but he ignored it for a fluorescent hued cassata cake that even had a layer of synthetic bubblegum flavour ice cream!
This year, I chose to be wise and not spend extravagantly on pistachios or any other expensive nuts or saffron. I got my very dear friend and fabulous baker Sinful Bites by Anuja to make artisanal ice cream at home in vanilla bean, Belgian chocolate and coffee – my three fav flavours and then bake a chocolate cake and assemble it for him.
I made my vegan chocolate cake – which is literally a one-bowl chocolate cake if you plan well, and less than 5-minute batter if you plan even better. How does one do that? Put the coffee in the fridge first thing sometime in the morning or night before to cool completely. In a large bowl measure out the dry ingredients the same time you make the coffee and put away until ready to whisk. Then all you gotta do at the time of baking is first switch on the oven, prepare the tin and measure out the wet ingredients and start whisking.
Anyways, I made the chocolate cake in a loaf tin and baked it for 3 more minutes than required. Then allowed the cake to cool completely on a rack. Then wrap the whole cake with cling film and placed in the fridge for a good few hours.
Then when ready to assemble, take the same loaf tin and prepare with more cling film all around, and leave out enough hanging to cover the top with. Slice the cake into two, lengthwise and place lower portion into the tin. Then slice out your ice cream flavours, and arrange layers, smoothening out each layer before putting up the next. Cover the final layer of ice cream with the top part of the cake, gently push down to fasten and then wrap with the cling film.
While this is incredibly simple and easy-peasy, it is a slight bit messy, and very very cold! So start with a calm state of mind and hell of a lot of patience. And rest assured, that the results will be delicious!
The Recipe
Serves 8 inch loaf tin
Ingredients
- Vegan Chocolate Cake
- Vanilla ice cream
- Coffee ice cream
- Belgian chocolate ice cream
Instructions
- Cake:
- Bake the Vegan Chocolate Cake as instructed in a loaf tin (8 inch)
- Bake for 3 minutes longer
- Cool the cake completely on a rack
- Wrap the cake with cling film and refrigerate for 4 hours
- Assembly:
- Prepare the same loaf tin with cling film covering all the inside sides and leave enough hanging over to cover the top
- Slice the cake lengthwise into half and place the bottom portion back into the loaf tin
- Place a layer of one flavour of ice cream slices on top and smooth out with a spatula or back of a spoon
- Repeat two more times with two other flavours (you’ll have to work quickly here)
- Then fasten with the top part of the cake, pushing gently down
- Cover with cling film tightly and place in the freezer for another 2-4 hours before slicing
- To uncover, simply, unwrap the top of the loaf tin, and turn over onto the serving plate and gently unmould
- Options: pour melted chocolate on top and garnish with nuts and sprinkles
- Tip: Pre-slice ice cream and freeze to make assembly easier
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ROOTED IN WELLNESS
NON-FUSSY COOKING
ALWAYS TESTED RECIPES
EGGLESS FRIENDLY
STRAIGHT FROM THE HEART
BALANCE OVER PERFECTION