DARING BAKERS CHALLENGE JULY, 2010-Swiss swirl ice cream cake!

     This month's daring bakers challenge was one I could really sink my teeth into!  Perfectly suited for our summer weather here in the United States.  I was especially excited about this dessert because my oldest son was coming to visit us and I wanted to make something special for him... this certainly fit the criteria!

     The July 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Sunita of Sunita’s world – life and food. Sunita challenged everyone to make an ice-cream filled Swiss roll that’s then used to make a bombe with hot fudge. Her recipe is based on an ice cream cake recipe from Taste of Home.

     While we were required to make a Swiss roll (i.e jelly roll), filling, two ice creams and a fudge sauce, we were able to play around with our own recipes and flavors.  I don't have an ice cream maker and Sunita had made her two recipes (vanilla and chocolate) without the use of a machine so I stuck with her ice cream recipes. I also stayed with her recipe for the filling and the fudge sauce.  Really, the only thing I changed was that I used a Chocolate Swiss Roll recipe from Betty Crocker.

Chocolate Swiss Roll Cake

3 eggs

1 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup water

1 teaspoon coffee-flavored liqueur   I used vanilla paste in place of the liqueur

3/4 cup Gold Medal® all-purpose flour

1/4 cup unsweetened baking cocoa

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

Unsweetened baking cocoa

2 tablespoons coffee-flavored liqueur **omitted this ingredient

     Heat oven to 375°F. Line 15x10x1-inch pan with foil; generously grease. In large bowl, beat eggs with electric mixer on high speed about 5 minutes until thick and lemon colored. Gradually beat in granulated sugar. Beat in water and 1 teaspoon liqueur on low speed. Gradually add flour, 1/4 cup cocoa, the baking powder and salt, beating just until batter is smooth. Pour into pan.

     Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Run knife around edge of pan to loosen cake; turn upside down onto towel sprinkled generously with cocoa. Carefully remove foil. Trim off stiff edges of cake if necessary.

While hot, carefully roll cake and towel from narrow end. Cool on cooling rack at least 30 minutes.

3. Unroll cake carefully and remove towel

For the filling-

2C / 500 mls/ 16 fl oz of whipping cream

1 vanilla pod, cut into small pieces of about ½ cm (or 1 tsp vanilla extract)
5 tblsp / 70gms/2.5oz of caster sugar

      Grind together the vanilla pieces and sugar in a food processer till nicely mixed together. If you are using vanilla extract, just grind the sugar on its own and then add the sugar and extract to the cream.
     In a large bowl, add the cream and vanilla-sugar mixture and beat till very thick.
     Divide the cream mixture between the completely cooled cakes.
     Open the rolls and spread the cream mixture, making sure it does not go right to the edges (a border of ½ an inch should be fine).

Roll the cakes up again, this time without the towel. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge till needed, seam side down.





The vanilla ice cream-

2 and ½ C / 625 ml / 20 fl oz of whipping cream

1 vanilla bean, minced or 1 tsp/ 5 ml/ .15 fl oz vanilla extract

½ C / 115gms/ 4 oz of granulated sugar

     Grind together the sugar and vanilla in a food processor. In a mixing bowl, add the cream and vanilla –sugar mixture and whisk lightly till everything is mixed together. If you are using the vanilla extract, grind the sugar on its own and then and the sugar along with the vanilla extract to the cream.

      Pour into a freezer friendly container and freeze till firm around the edges. Remove from the freezer, beat till smooth and return to the freezer. Do this 3-4 times and then set completely.

The chocolate ice cream-

2C/ 500 ml whipping cream

1 C/230gms/8 oz caster sugar

3 tblsp/ 24 gms/1.5 oz of natural unsweetened cocoa powder

     Grind together the sugar and the cocoa powder in a food processor .

     In a saucepan, add all the ingredients and whisk lightly.

     Place the pan over heat and keep stirring till it begins to bubble around the edges.

     Remove from heat and cool completely before transferring to a freezer friendly container till firm around the edges. If you are using an ice cream maker, churn the ice cream according to the manufacturer’s instruction, after the mixture has cooled completely. If not using a machine; remove from the freezer, beat till smooth and return to the freezer. Do this 3-4 times and then set completely.

The Hot fudge sauce

1 C / 230gms/ 8 oz of caster sugar

3 tblsp / 24gms/1.5 oz of natural unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tblsp /15gms/ 1 oz of cornflour/cornstarch

1 and ½ C /355ml /12 fl oz of water

1 tblsp /14gms/ 1 oz butter

1 tsp/5 ml / .15 fl oz vanilla extract

     In a small saucepan, whisk together the sugar, cocoa powder, cornflour and water.

     Place the pan over heat, and stir constantly, till it begins to thicken and is smooth (for about 2 minutes).

     Remove from heat and mix in the butter and vanilla. Keep aside to cool .

Assembling your ice cream cake
 Cut the Swiss rolls into 20 equal slices ( approximately 2 cms each ).

Cover the bottom and sides of the bowl in which you are going to set the dessert with cling

film/plastic wrap.

 Arrange two slices at the bottom of the pan, with their seam sides facing each other. Arrange the Swiss roll slices up the bowl, with the seam sides facing away from the bottom,

 to cover the sides of the bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and freeze till the slices are firm (at least 30 minutes).

 Soften the chocolate ice cream. Take the bowl out of the freezer, remove the cling film cover and add the ice cream on top of the cake slices. Spread it out to cover the bottom and sides of the bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and freeze till firm                    ( at least 1 hour)

Add the fudge sauce over the vanilla ice cream, cover and freeze till firm . ( at least an hour)

 Soften the Vanilla ice cream and spread it over the fudge sauce. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze for at least 4-5 hours till completely set .

 Remove the plastic cover, and place the serving plate on top of the bowl. Turn it upside down and remove the bowl and the plastic lining. If the bowl does not come away easily, wipe the outsides of the bowl with a kitchen towel dampened with hot water. The bowl will come away easily.