Vanilla Ice Cream Cake with Brownies and Strawberries
Serves 8
An easy and summery frozen dessert makes delicious use of fresh strawberries, which are mashed and swirled into vanilla ice cream. The berry-flecked ice cream is layered in a loaf pan with bakery brownies (it's too hot to bake; buy them!). Freeze the cake for at least half a day. To guarantee that you'll get the cake out of the pan with ease, line it first with foil, then with parchment paper, so there's a generous overhang to use as slings later. This frozen treat is the same concept as an icebox cake, but made with ice cream instead of whipped cream. Spoon strawberry sauce on the cake slices before serving.
3½cups fresh strawberries, hulled
(about 1 quart)
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice 1½quarts (6 cups) vanilla ice
cream
6 large brownies, or more if needed, halved horizontally to make 12 thinner pieces
1. Line a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with a large sheet of foil, allowing about 4 inches to overhang the 2 long sides. Press the foil into the corners of the pan. Cut 2 sheets of parchment paper to make a second liner for the pan, setting the sheets perpendicular to each other so they cover the bottom with about 4 inches of overhang on the 2 long sides. Press the parchment into the corners.
2. In a bowl, combine the strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice. Using a fork or a potato masher, mash the fruit until it becomes a thick juice with small clumps of berries. Refrigerate until using.
3. Let the ice cream sit at room temperature to soften for 5 to 10 minutes, or just until you can stir it but it's not liquid-y. Place the ice cream in a large bowl. Add 1 cup of the strawberry sauce and fold it in lightly, just to swirl the sauce through the ice cream in streaks. Cover and refrigerate the remaining sauce.
4. Spoon about 2 cups of ice cream into the loaf pan (when unmolded later, this will become the top of the cake). With a rubber spatula, spread it into a smooth layer. Cover with a layer of brownies, cutting pieces to make a single layer that completely covers the ice cream.
5. Repeat the layers 2 more times, using about 2 cups of ice cream each time and smoothing it in the pan, covering it with a layer of brownies to fill the pan (when unmolded later, this will be the bottom of the cake).
6. Fold first the parchment, then the foil, over the top of the pan, pressing down gently to compact the layers. Freeze for at least 8 hours or for up to 3 days, or until firm.
7. Before serving, remove the cake from the freezer. Use the foil and parchment to lift the cake from the pan. Unfold the foil and parchment and invert the cake onto a rectangular or oval serving platter. Peel off the remaining foil and parchment.
8. Using a sharp knife, slice the cake into 1-inch-wide slices and transfer to dessert plates. Spoon a little strawberry sauce on top and serve with the remaining sauce.