Gluten-Free Brownie Bottom Ice Cream Cake

My son always requests an ice cream cake for his August birthday.  Not being afflicted...uh...I mean not living with Celiac Disease, I usually buy or make him a normal (read: non-GF) frozen confection.  Since we had a GF guest this time, bringing our total number of gluten-free cake eaters up to two, I decided to make a GF ice cream cake.  Using Moosetracks and Tater Stacks' amazing (non-GF) Ice Cream Cake Recipe as my base (mostly because her instructions and pictures were fantastic and looked really yummy!), I set out to...well,  de-glutenize her recipe.  (I just made that word up!)

Here's what you need:

• Springform pan (at least 8 1/2")
• Parchment or wax paper
• GF brownie mix (or homemade) I used Betty Crocker because it's easy and good.
• At least 1 flavor of GF ice cream (I used 2: Peanut Butter Ripple and Moose Tracks)
• 1/2 cup hot fudge (store-bought is fine, but have you tried my home-made version?  Click it!)
• About 1/2 cup GF cookies (I used Kinnikinnick Chocolate KinniKritter Animal Cookies, but Trader Joe's Joe Joes would be awesome, too.  Or anything chocolaty.)
• Cool Whip or whipped cream
• Candy bar, chopped

Prepare the springform pan according to the brownie mix directions.  You can line the pan with parchment paper now, but I knew I would be bringing it to the table with the paper still attached, and I didn't love the idea of presenting scorched parchment paper.  But that's just me.  If you want to put it in now, go right ahead.  If not, hang on; we'll get there.

Mix up the brownie mix (or make mine!)  Scrape into prepared pan and bake according to mix directions.  Watch carefully!  You do NOT want this to overcook/burn!  Undercooked is even okay.  Once it's baked, set it on a rack to cool for about 10 - 15 minutes.  Place a piece of waxed paper or plastic wrap on the top and press down, concentrating all the brownie goodness into a delicious crust.  Let it cool completely.  (Overnight is fine.)

 

If you haven't already placed your parchment lining in, now is the time.  (See photo at right.)  Cut some pieces of parchment so that they stand at least 4 inches above the top of your pan.  Open your springform (it's okay - as long as the brownie is totally cool), tuck the parchment paper into the sides so that it's standing up tall and proud, then close up the springform again.  

Take your ice cream (one flavor, if you're using two) out of the freezer to soften a bit.  Crush the cookies.  I used my handy dandy Magic Bullet, but you can just smash them in a Baggie with a rolling pin if that's how you roll.  (Get it?)

 Spoon all but 2 or 3 tablespoons of the hot fudge sauce into a microwavable bowl. Microwave on medium (or defrost) for 20-30 seconds; continue until it is warm and very smooth.  Add the cookie crumbs and stir.  (Don't tell anyone, but you have just made a GF version of the crunchy insides of an ice cream cake made by a certain ice cream company whose initials are DQ. Sshhhh!)

Cookie Crumbs + Fudge Sauce

With a heavy spoon or ice cream scoop, plop (yes, that's a cooking term) some ice cream on top of the brownie layer.  How much?  Hmmm...3 or 4 scoops?  It's a judgement call - you'll see.  Use an offset spatula or spoon to smooth the ice cream.  Now this is tricky:  Pour the hot fudge-cookie mixture on top of the ice cream, and smooth that around.  It will NOT smooth easily.  And it will look ugly.  Just do the best you can; no one will see it anyway.  Now quick, get that cake back in the freezer for at least 20 minutes.

See?  Not very pretty.

 After about 15 minutes, take your second flavor (or the only flavor, if you're using one) out of the freezer to soften, as well as the Cool Whip (if it's frozen.)  You can use this time to chop up the candy bar, if you haven't already.

Just like before, pile on the next layer of ice cream, smooshing it down.  (Wow, you are really learning some cool new cooking terms!) Back in the freezer it goes, for at least 15 minutes. 

NOT smooshed...

Now get ready, it's almost time to serve this baby. Spoon 2 or 3 tablespoons of fudge sauce into a microwavable bowl, and heat on medium (or defrost) for 20 seconds. Carefully pour into a zip top bag or Baggie, and cut a small hole in a corner of the bag.  Set aside.

Using an offset spatula or large spoon, spread the Cool Whip on top of the cake, making it at smooth as possible.  It will probably take 2 to 3 cups of Cool Whip.  Or more. Sprinkle the chopped candy on top of the Cool Whip. Using the bag of fudge sauce, quickly drizzle abstract chocolate lines all over the top of the cake.  Go crazy!  Let your inner Jackson Pollock come out! Now, undo the springform ring and remove the parchment paper.  Accept praise and kudos. You deserve it.

Gluten-Free Frozen Perfection!

One of the awesome things about this ice cream cake is that it is extremely easy to modify.  You can use caramel sauce instead of fudge or marshmallow cream instead of Cool Whip.
If you make this cool (get it?) cake with some changes, comment below and let me know. I'd love to know what you did!