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.
I was really excited about making this recipe. It is July in Israel and perfect ice cream weather. Hot and sunny and humid everyday. I also recently learned how to make ice cream myself so I love opportunities to make more ice cream. When I saw the challenge I had in mind to make it earlier on in the month because we are flying today to America and I didn’t want it lying around the house while we are gone. Of course it came to the 15th and I realized that I completely forgot to make the cake – ahhhh!
I knew that this recipe would be a bit time-consuming and if I tried to make it bit by bit at nights, then I would need a few days to put it together. Then I had an idea. On August 20th, we had a fast day (Tisha B’Av – mourning the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem – about 3,500 years ago). I was taking off from work because the Little Rocker’s daycare was closed as well. Here, I would have an entire day that I could devote to making this recipe. Granted I would be fasting so I couldn’t try any of it, but I find that I fast better when I am busy and can’t think about eating. I also had to make a quiche for the Little Rocker’s graduation party at the end of the week, as well as food to break the fast on and a blintz souffle for my friend S. (or E., depending what you call her)’s bridal shower the next day. Rocker Dude was not happy. He fasts best in bed, asleep or watching TV and not thinking or smelling food. Oh well. Poor him.
I decided that I should make the ice creams first and then make the cake itself. The ice creams were different from what I was used to, no custard, and the vanilla ice cream I didn’t even heat at all. The chocolate ice cream used cornstarch as a thickener. I wasn’t sure how that was going to turn out, but it turned out okay. When Rocker Dude asked what kind of ice creams I would be making I said, “Vanilla and chocolate.” His response, “Oh, so finally you will be making something normal and plain and not burnt monkey ice cream with weird whatever swirl.” You can see how he likes my experimentation.
Because the vanilla ice cream did not have to be heated, it froze relatively quickly. Not so the chocolate which was heated. The cakes came out perfectly the first time and rolled nicely with no cracking – Yay!!! Of course the Little Rocker was awfully curious about what I was doing and while the two cakes were rolled in the towels to cool, she decided that she had to see what was inside and she started to unroll the cakes. I sort of freaked out, not proud about it, but what can you do? I told her that she couldn’t touch the cakes, they were mine. So her compromise was she would pat them softly and say, “Nice, nice” and then when I wasn’t looking she would try to open them again. Curiosity is a challenge. Actually this is her solution to everything these days. Every time I tell her not to touch something she just pats is softly and says, “Nice, nice”. Okay baby, the point is that you don’t touch (keep in mind she does this when I am drinking coffee, except then she adds, “Hot, nice nice.” Oy!
I wanted to be able to serve this for dessert after breaking the fast. I realize that this was rather ambitious considering that in the end I only had about two hours to get the whole thing set up. Either way, I sliced up the cake rolls and lined the bowl, then I put in the vanilla ice cream which had softened up just a bit, and put the whole thing back in the freezer.
I forgot to make the fudge sauce so when I did remember to make it, it didn’t have a chance to cool completely before putting it on the vanilla (okay, I get it, I should have been more patient and then it would have cooled, but in my defense, I was hungry!) The fudge sauce kind of mixed in with the vanilla – not too much, but a bit, but it also leaked between the cake rolls, so my cake was not as beautiful as it could have been. I froze that and added the chocolate layer as well.
As you can imagine, it was not really ready to be eaten that night. So I decided to take it to my friend’s shower. There would be plenty of girls there who would appreciate it.
I brought it over and when I took it out, there were many ooohhhs and ahhhhs. And then I got comments like, “Only give me half a piece, I need to fit into my wedding dress.” or “That things just looks too darn good to be low-calorie.” And yet, everyone who took half a piece, took another. And soon there was not much left! Success.
Oh yeah, and the best part – I didn’t take it back home so I didn’t eat the leftovers – so I could fit into the dress I have to wear at my brother’s wedding next week!!
Remember when Rocker Dude said that he was excited that I was finally making normal ice cream flavors – he never actually got to taste it – he won’t let me live that down.
P.S. I showed my Swiss friend M. the cake and she says that they just call the cakes roulades in Switzerland – not Swiss rolls. I guess that makes sense, I mean do the French call them French fries?
Recipe:
The Swiss rolls-
Ingredients-
6 medium sized eggs
1 C / 225 gms caster sugar /8 oz+ extra for rolling
6 tblsp / 45gms/ a pinch over 1.5 oz of all purpose (plain) flour + 5 tblsp/40gm /a pinch under 1.5 oz of natural unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted together
2 tblsp /30ml / 1 fl oz of boiling water
a little oil for brushing the pans
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
Method-
- Pre heat the oven at 200 deg C /400 deg F approximately. Brush the baking pans ( 11 inches by 9 inches ) with a little oil and line with greaseproof baking paper. If you have just one pan, bake one cake and then let the pan cool completely before using it for the next cake.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the eggs and sugar and beat till very thick; when the beaters are lifted, it should leave a trail on the surface for at least 10 seconds.
- Add the flour mixture, in three batches and fold in gently with a spatula. Fold in the water.
- Divide the mixture among the two baking pans and spread it out evenly, into the corners of the pans.
- Place a pan in the centre of the pre heated oven and bake for about 10-12 minutes or till the centre is springy to the touch.
- Spread a kitchen towel on the counter and sprinkle a little caster sugar over it.
- Turn the cake on to the towel and peel away the baking paper. Trim any crisp edges.
- Starting from one of the shorter sides, start to make a roll with the towel going inside. Cool the wrapped roll on a rack, seam side down.
- Repeat the same for the next cake as well.
- 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.
Filling:
- 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-
Ingredients-
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
Method-
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 Hot fudge sauce-
Ingredients-
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
Method-
- 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 .
The chocolate ice cream-
Ingredients-
2C/ 500 ml whipping cream
1 C/230gms/8 oz caster sugar
3 tblsp/ 24 gms/1.5 oz of natural unsweetened cocoa powder
Method-
- 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.
- 5. Remove from the freezer, beat till smooth and return to the freezer. Do this 3-4 times and then set completely.
Assembly-
1. Cut the Swiss rolls into 20 equal slices ( approximately 2 cms each ).
2. Cover the bottom and sides of the bowl in which you are going to set the dessert with cling film/plastic wrap.
3. 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).
4. Soften the vanilla 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)
5. Add the fudge sauce over the vanilla ice cream, cover and freeze till firm . ( at least an hour)
6. Soften the chocolate ice cream and spread it over the fudge sauce. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze for at least 4-5 hours till completely set .
7. 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.
The Unappreciated Baker 
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