Brownie Ice Cream Cake

My husband offered to make my birthday cake for me this year, it was a nice offer but it's something I prefer to do myself. This is a super simple recipe and one of the things I like most about it is you store it in the freezer and you can cut off a slice to eat whenever you want some. Normally I don't make cakes for the reason that there's only 2 of us and I don't want half of it to go to waste. Not a problem with this cake though. Matt didn't care too much for the marshmallows on top but that was my favorite part!! The brownie gets a little hard from being frozen, but that's expected and it still tasted great. I had a hard time picking what ice cream to use but decided to keep it simple and go with chocolate chip. I'm already thinking of different ice cream combinations to use because there will be a next time! Oh, and don't forget the hot fudge!

Brownie Ice Cream Cake
recipe girl

*updated 7/7/12: I made this cake for my birthday again this year, this time using chocolate peanut butter cup ice cream. Definitely was better with something simple like chocolate chip! I really need to get some butane for my kitchen torch..the broiler always works faster than expected!

Ingredients:
BROWNIE LAYER:
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 ounce unsweetened chocolate
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. baking powder
2 large eggs
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. instant espresso powder (optional)
1/8 tsp. salt

ICE CREAM LAYER:

1 1/2 qts. ice cream, any flavor (I used chocolate chip)

MARSHMALLOW LAYER:

1 cup marshmallow cream
1 Tbsp. water
4 – 5 cups mini marshmallows

TOPPING:

hot fudge

Directions:

1. Prepare brownie layer- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan. In a microwave-safe bowl, heat chocolates and butter together in small bursts, just until melted. Stir until smooth. Sift together flour & baking powder. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs and sugar. Whisk in chocolate mixture. Add the dry ingredients, espresso powder and salt. Stir until combined. Spread brownie batter in the prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 15 minutes. Cool completely before continuing with the recipe.
2. Take ice cream out of the freezer and soften for a bit, just until it’s easy enough to mash around and spread. Spread the ice cream over the brownie layer.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together marshmallow cream and water. Stir in 3 cups of marshmallows. Spread the marshmallow mixture over the ice cream. Sprinkle 2 remaining cups of marshmallows on top. Freeze until the ice cream is hard, at least 6 hours- but best overnight.
4. Toasting the marshmallows- If you have a handheld blowtorch, run a knife around the inside edge of the springform pan. Release the latch and remove the ring. Use a very sharp, wide, thin knife to run under the brownie layer to release it from the pan and transfer it to a serving platter. Torch the marshmallows until they’re golden brown. If using the broiler, adjust the rack so the ice cream cake will be 2 – 3 inches from the heating element. Preheat the broiler. Leave the cake in the pan, put it on a baking pan, and place it under the heating element. Broil until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Run a knife around the inside edge of the pan and remove the pan.
5. Serve immediately with a good amount of hot fudge. Freeze leftovers and eat as you wish, for up to one week.
Serves: 10