Cherries and chocolate? Yes, please! Black Forest Ice Cream Cake is delicious and beautiful and will really wow your dinner guests!
It's no secret we love to make ice cream around here. When you have dairy cows, and you've already made butter, stocked the larder with cheese, and are incubating yogurt... what's left but a sweet treat?
Ice cream cakes are fun because you stash them away in the freezer away from little fingers taking icing swipes. You can keep them a surprise, too, and everyone is thrilled with the ice cream already being on their cake - no need to scoop it after cutting cake.
You do need an ice cream maker here - but really, we love ours and use it a few times a week! I bet you can find one at the thrift store if you go hunting because oftentimes people give ice cream a try and it's not for them. But maybe it's for you!!
Key Ingredients
Milk - I like half whole milk and half heavy cream because it gives you a creamy base, not icy, but isn't so fatty it turns to butter.
Chocolate - Melt up a good quality dark chocolate here - you know, the ones you have stashed away for mom only??
Eggs - The nutrition of fresh eggs can't be beat and they also add a rich flavour.
Brownies - We are making brownies from scratch! I promise it's hardly more work than a box mix.
Cherries - I prefer to use pitted cherries, but not pie filling. You can often find a can or jar at the store or maybe you've put some up yourself.
How to Make Black Forest Ice Cream Cake
***See recipe card below for precise measurements and instructions.***
Step 1: Whisk eggs and vanilla, then add in the dry ingredients for your brownies.
Step 2: Stir to combine, then add in nuts if you'd like.
Step 3: Bake in a greased pan and then chill.
Step 4: Whisk eggs well until lightened in colour, then whisk in the milk and cream.
Step 5: Melt the chocolate, then let it cool so it's still pourable but not hot.
Step 6: Stir the chocolate into the ice cream base. It will seem a little grainy but the finished ice cream is just fine!
Step 7: Churn according to your machine's directions.
Step 8: Spread half the ice cream on the brownies, then the drained cherries.
Step 9: Top with remaining ice cream and freeze for at least an hour before serving.
Tips and Tricks
- Use a good quality chocolate you like to eat straight. Dark is fine because the ice cream has plenty of sugar.
- I don't like to stir the cherries into the ice cream (when you usually add chocolate chips, etc.) because they get broken up so much. I like them whole - but you can add them to the ice cream if you prefer.
- Drain the cherries well. If they are in a juice, that will freeze icy hard and not be pleasant. If they are in more of a syrup I just find it gets too sweet overall.
- Add whipped cream and chocolate sauce to each slice, and fresh mint leaves also give you a pretty presentation. You can also have cherries to add!
FAQs
This cake from the Black Forest region of Germany has a classic chocolate sponge cake, with cherry filling and whipped cream frosting. We emulate that with brownies and ice cream, but you can definitely add whipped cream to your slice!
Yes, no problem there. Let it soften enough to spread out in the pan. You'll need about 1 ½ quarts total. You can feel free to use half chocolate half vanilla, whatever floats your boat.
You can also line your brownie pan with parchment if you like, so you can lift the entire ice cream cake out to slice easily on a cutting board. Otherwise just make sure your knife is sharp, and you can also dip in a glass of warm water, then dry on a towel before each slice.
Another variation my family enjoys is Mint Chip Ice Cream Cake. In that one we crumble and press brownies to make a crust! Just slightly different but still great. That is good if you want a thinner, sturdier base rather than a tall brownie. You can always make up your own ice cream cake on the fly, with whatever pan size you have and any flavors of ice cream. Just make sure not to make the cake too tall or it will be tough to cut.
No ice cream machine, no problem. You can easily make no churn vanilla ice cream. While you need a mould, we love stocking the freezer with popsicles in the summer. We either pour in leftover smoothies or make Berry Cream Popsicles or Easy Pina Colada Pops. Store them in a bag so you can use the mould again!
Photos by Dante from Shire by the Sea
More Frozen Treats
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Black Forest Ice Cream Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
Brownie Base
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ⅔ cup all-purpose flour
- ⅔ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup melted butter
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup chopped walnuts chocolate chips, pecans
Chocolate Ice Cream
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 500 ml whole milk
- 500 ml whipping cream
- 120 grams dark chocolate
- 1 jar/can pitted cherries
- 500 ml whipped cream for serving
Instructions
Brownie Base:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8x8-inch baking dish. Melt butter in a small saucepan and set aside.
- In a bowl, whisk eggs with vanilla.
- Add dry ingredients over eggs. Then use a Danish dough whisk, or a fork or a wooden spoon, and start mixing as you stream in the melted butter. Mix the batter together until well combined. Add in your mix-ins at this point, mixing together.
- Spread into prepared pan.
- Bake for about 35-40 minutes, or until a butter knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool and then chill until ready for ice cream and toppings
Chocolate Ice Cream:
- Melt chocolate in double boiler and set aside, keeping it warm/spreadable but not hot.
- In a large mixing bowl, crack eggs and whisk well for 1 minute until lighter in colour; stir in vanilla.
- Slowly add the sugar while whisking.
- Now add the cream slowly while continuing to whisk gently.
- Stir in melted chocolate and mix until combined.
- Cool the ice cream mix if it is too warm from the chocolate; once cooled add to your ice cream machine.
- After your ice cream is done, pull chilled brownie out of fridge and spread half of ice cream evenly over the top. Add drained cherries over ice cream. Carefully spread on remaining ice cream.
- Place flat in freezer immediately for at least an hour before serving.
- When you are ready to serve, whip your cream if you will be topping with whip, then use a good knife to cut nice slices.
Notes
- Always chill your brownie base first before adding ice cream. You don't want it just room temp, you want to make sure it is super cold as it helps the entire cake freeze faster.
Helen @ VFD
Love making my own ice cream in this cake!