Cold. Brownies. Chocolate. Crunchy. Sweet. Ice Cream. The perfect cake on a HOT Summer’s Day! This also is the PERFECT Birthday cake for kids and the kid at heart!
Happy Birthday to ME! After a stressful year and a half (since Connor showed up 22 months after Hunter), I am happy to say I made it! lol This seems odd to say but after over a year of sleep deprivation and keep up with 2 busy boys and now potty training, I am happy for another year because I seriously didn’t think I would make it a few months ago! I am proud to be one year older and one year wiser. 🙂
To celebrate, I need cake! I already have 12 Cake recipes on my blog that are PERFECT for Birthdays! Check out the recipes:
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http://bit.ly/King-Cake
Since I am sweltering in the heat here in Louisiana, I decided that a new recipe was in order, an Ice Cream Cake! With just a few simple steps, you can be eating a slice of Brownie Ice Cream Cake for your next family gathering or for YOUR birthday!
Photography and Friends though Facebook
I am very thankful for all of the connections I have made though my blog. I have connected with people as far as Australia, Singapore and Germany but I still love that I can connect with people in Baton Rouge and the US that I have never met too! My wonderful friend Brenda has been a God-send. She has been helping me edit my current posts because most of you know, I am not the spelling bee queen! 🙂 Rachel is another great person that I now call my friend who I actually got a chance to meet 2 years ago when I went home to Georgia. Also, my friend Lori has been giving me some great pointers on my photography skills! She actually chatted with me via Facebook and phone yesterday for about 2 hours to help me figure out some setting on my camera and how to set up my “stage” to take these pictures! I am so grateful that God sends people into our lives to share their God-given talent, I am truly grateful!
So after a few hours on the computer, on the phone and in 100 degree temperature and humidity, here are the beautiful pictures of this gorgeous cake! I can taste it now!
5th Printing of Satisfying Eats
I am also excited to announce that today, on my birthday, I received my 5th printing of my first cookbook, Satisfying Eats! This updated version has spiral binding as well as the recipe names and page numbers at the front of each category along with an index in the back! I hope these changes make my cookbook easier to navigate. Be sure to check out the list of recipes in both of my books here: Satisfying Eats Recipe Index & Recipe Index for Comforting Eats.
Modifications
This cake is composed of 4 separate components and each component can be adapted to your tastes and dietary needs.
Dairy Free: Use coconut milk or almond milk in the place of the cream and milk in the gelato. Also use ghee or coconut oil in the place of butter in the Brownies, Fudge Sauce and Chocolate Crunchies.
Nut-Free: Use ground sunflower or pumpkin seeds in place of almond flour in the Brownie Recipe. You can also use sunflower seeds instead of nuts in the Chocolate Crunchies or just omit this layer all together and add more fruit.
Individual Servings: Consider making the brownies in a cupcake pan with liners. Bake the brownies for 5-8 minutes, it won’t take long. Then add your scoop of soft ice cream and drizzle with fudge sauce and Chocolate Crunchies. Perfect for portion control!
Spice it up: Want the fruit to have a little extra kick? Consider soaking your fruit, such as halved cherries, blueberries or strawberries, with some liqueur or sweet wine like Marsala or Port. Add just 1-2 tbsp. to the fruit before adding the fruit to the ice cream.
I also think next time I will add either peanut butter or hazelnut butter to my gelato for a really special treat!
I hope you enjoy this grain-free and low-carb treat! 🙂
Serves 12
1/2 batch of Real Deal Vanilla Gelato or 1-1/2 quarts of your Ice Cream of choice
Copy Cat Little Debbie Brownies
Fresh fruit of choice (about 1 cup)
Chocolate Crunchies
- 1 tbsp. salted butter
- 3/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts*
- 1-1/2 tbsp. raw cacao or unsweetened cacao powder
- 1/8 tsp. Organic Trader Joe's Stevia or sweetener of choice, to taste
- 1 tsp. honey (optional)
- Pinch of salt (optional)
Vanilla Gelato: Prepare 1/2 of the recipe according to the directions given. ALWAYS taste for sweetness and adjust if needed. After removing gelato from ice cream maker, stir in 1 cup of your favorite fruit, I used fresh chopped cherries.
Line the bottom of a 9" round cake pan (you can also use an 8" round or square pan) with plastic wrap then pour the gelato into the prepared pan. Spread out the gelato out evenly. Place in the freezer for at least 4 hours or overnight.
Copy Cat Little Debbie Brownies: Prepare recipe according to the directions given. (I opted to not add the nuts on top.) ALWAYS taste the batter for sweetness and adjust if needed. Also be sure to line the bottom of your pan with parchment paper to insure easy removal of the brownies. Use the same size pan as you used for the gelato mold. Once baked, allow to completely cool.
Fudge Sauce: Prepare fudge recipe according to the directions given. Taste for sweetness and adjust if necessary.
Chocolate Crunchies
In a medium sauce pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Once butter is melted, add the nuts, stir and cook for 1-2 minutes. Turn off heat and stir in the cacao powder and sweetener. Stir well, taste for sweetness and adjust if needed. Sprinkle with salt. Transfer nuts to parchment paper and allow to cool.
Assemble Cake:
Carefully remove the brownie from the pan and place on serving dish. Next, remove the frozen gelato disc from the freezer and invert it on to the brownie layer while removing the plastic wrap. Drizzle the fudge sauce over the cake with a spoon (or whisk). (If the fudge sauce beings to firm, simply turn the heat to low and allow it to melt again.) Then top with Chocolate Crunchies and extra fruit if desired. Serve immediately or freeze.
If freezing, be sure to let cake thaw for about 30-60 minutes before serving or until the ice cream has slightly softened.
- Nutrition: 208 Calories, 18 grams Fat, 9 Total Carbs, 1 gram Fiber, 8 grams Net Carbs, 4.5 grams Protein
- Nutrition is based on using cow's milk in the gelato and all optional ingredients.
