Easy Ice Cream Cake with Raspberry Coulis

Nothing says summer like the iconic ice cream sandwich.  Fluffy vanilla ice cream sandwiched between two rectangular chocolate wafers, that slowly drips out and down your hand in the warm sun. 

There’s nothing fancy about this ice cream dessert.  The combination of flavors and textures marries perfectly.  As the velvety ice cream quickly melts upon entering your mouth, the chocolate wafer remains chewy and light.  One bite and I am transported back to childhood - racing to rip off the paper wrapper and sink my teeth into an all time favorite treat.

This past year I was looking to find a quick ice cream cake to make for my husband’s birthday.  Ice cream is his favorite dessert, but for this festivity I needed to take this frozen treat to the next level with little time to spare.  I was thrilled to find several ice cream cakes that used the sandwiches as their base.  I couldn’t believe I hadn’t thought of this myself.  Vanilla ice cream and chocolate layers – duh!!!.

You can truly put your own twist on stacking the sandwiches, using an array of flavors that suit your palate.  In this more summery cake, I use whipped cream as the “frosting” (whipped cream freezes vey well), raspberry coulis as the filling and fresh berries to garnish.  It truly takes about 30 minutes to assemble with an extra two hours to freeze.  It can be a part of any special occasion this summer or any time of year.

 Easy Ice Cream Cake with Raspberry Coulis 

serves 4-6

Ingredients:

1  cup heavy cream

2  tablespoons  confectioners' sugar

6  rectangular ice cream sandwiches

            Raspberry Coulis*adapted from Real Simple magazine

Directions:
1. Line an 81/2 by 4 ½ inch loaf pan with a piece of wax or parchment paper, allowing the paper to hang over on both sides.

2. In a large bowl, whip the cream until stiff peaks form. 
3. In the bottom of the pan, arrange 3 of the sandwiches in a single layer, cutting them to fit as necessary. 
4. Spread half of the whipped cream and drizzle with coulis to taste.  Repeat with the remaining sandwiches and whipped cream.

5. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze until firm, at least two hours.  Holding both sides of the paper overhang, lift the cake out of the pan and transfer to a platter.  Discard the paper and slice.  Garnish with fresh berries and more coulis.