Cherry, Grand Marnier, Chocolate Swiss Swirl Ice Cream Cake (July Daring Bakers Challenge)

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.

When I first read this challenge, I thought, what a beautiful, challenging, fun project to try. And it has been all of those things. I love ice cream (particularly in the summer – even in the cold San Francisco summer), love cake and adore the two together. And it was super fun to come up with some different flavor combinations. I chose cherry, Grand Marnier and chocolate as my flavors … cherry ice cream, Grand Marnier ice cream and filling with chocolate cake and fudge sauce. Divine!The requirements for this dish were to make two Swiss Roll cakes, two ice creams and a fudge sauce from scratch. Then the Swiss roll cake must line the inside of a bowl, followed by the first ice cream, the fudge sauce and finally the second ice cream in order to create a bombe type of dessert.

All of the components are fantastic on their own and together … well, they are a knock out. And so pretty!

Most of the individual components are pretty easy and quick to prepare, but the freezing and assembly time requires a lot of planning. For the whole thing, I’d schedule three days to do it.

Day One: Make both ice creams
Day Two: Make cakes, whipped cream filling, hot fudge sauce and assemble
Day Three: Serve and make your mouth really, really happy

Ingredients:
Of course, feel free to substitute other flavors of homemade ice cream, or even store bought ice cream in a pinch.

• 3 cups Cherry ice cream
• 3 cups Grand Marnier ice cream
• 1 recipe Swiss Cake Roll with Orange Filling
• 1 recipe Hot Fudge Sauce

Directions:
Cut the Swiss Rolls into 20 equal slices.

Cover the bottom and sides of a large bowl with plastic wrap.

Arrange the cake slices along the bottom and up the sides of the plastic lined bowl. Make sure that the seams are facing up so that they will be on the bottom when you turn the finished cake out. Cover the cake with plastic wrap and freeze for at least 30 minutes.

Soften the cherry ice cream until it is spreadable. Take the cake out of the freezer and remove the plastic wrap. Pour the softened ice cream over the cake slices. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap again and freeze until firm, at least an hour.

Remove the cake from the freezer and take off the plastic wrap. Pour a layer of fudge sauce over the cherry ice cream. Cover and freeze until firm, at least an hour.

Soften Grand Marnier ice cream. Remove the cake from the freezer and take off the plastic wrap. Spread the ice cream over the fudge layer. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze for at least 4 – 5 hours until completely set.

Remove the plastic wrap from the top of the cake and place the serving dish on top of the bowl. Turn the bowl upside down and remove the bowl and the plastic lining. If the bowl doesn’t readily come off, wipe the outsides of the bowl with a kitchen towel dampened with warm water.