LAYERED BROWNIE ICE CREAM CAKE WITH SUGARED PEANUTS

So, it’s big daddy’s birthday last Friday and he loves ice cream. He likes it even better with a cake 😉
I thought how hard is it to bake right ?!? I just follow the measurement and I’ll have a beautiful cake like I often imagine in my dream (yes, I do dream of baking sometimes). I’ve tried baking some cakes several times and they were far from what I imagined…FAR !!! I seriously love love the idea of baking, but I suck at it. Really suck! I can’t say that I’m so good at cooking either, but the turn out is much better than when I bake. I still haven’t given up yet though. I’ll keep trying.

Okay, back to big daddy’s birthday, I thought I would do an ice cream cake combination and saw the recipe from Martha Stewart’s. I did some modification to the recipe for a “healthier” version (how healthy can a layered brownie ice cream cake with sugared peanuts be right ?) Well, a little bit healthier 🙂 I use 100% whole wheat pastry flour and sub the butter with coconut oil. The result was still very delicious. First bite, and my husband showed his approval! I don’t know if it’s because of the fact that I baked a cake for him for his birthday that he felt compelled to give me approval or if it’s really THAT good or both ! But I know Fiorina would give her most straight-forward opinion and she loved the cake. Iven just like the sugared peanuts ha..ha..! BUT, he doesn’t really like cakes…YET at this moment (not that I sweat about it really!)

What I really like about this layered brownie ice cream cake is the addition of the coarse sea salt into the brownie really paired so well with the richness. The addition of raspberries to the layer was a brilliant idea. The tartness cut through the richness and the crunchy candied peanuts just add an extra texture to the overall taste !! I’m very happy with this cake. It didn’t look the prettiest like I’ve imagined with the layers, but it sure was delicious !!!!

LAYERED BROWNIE ICE CREAM CAKE WITH SUGARED PEANUTS

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Ingredients

Cake:

• ▢ Vegetable-oil cooking spray
• ▢ ⅔ cup 100% whole-wheat pastry flour
• ▢ ¼ cup cocoa powder
• ▢ ¾ teaspoon coarse salt
• ▢ ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ▢ 1 stick unsalted butter I use coconut oil at room temperature, room temperature
• ▢ 1 cup sugar
• ▢ 2 large eggs room temperature
• ▢ 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ▢ ⅓ cup whole milk
• ▢ 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate preferably 61% cacao, melted

Assembly:

• ▢ 3 cups cookie dough ice cream you can use vanilla if you like, softened
• ▢ 6 oz crushed raspberries
• ▢ 1 cup whipped cream

Sugared Peanuts:

• ▢ 1 ¼ cups roasted peanuts
• ▢ ½ cup sugar
• ▢ ½ tsp coarse salt
• ▢ 2 Tbsp water

Instructions

 

Preparing the sugared peanuts:

• Bring sugar and 2 tablespoons water to a boil in a medium saucepan, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Continue to cook until a thermometer inserted in mixture registers 235 F degrees.
• Add peanuts and stir until sugar begins to from white crystals and form a sandy coating. Stir in salt and cook, stirring, until the white crystals started to melt again and caramelize into golden brown and nuts darken slightly, about 3 minutes more. Pour onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and let cool completely before serving or storing at room temperature up to 1 week.

Making the brownie:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with cooking spray. Line with parchment, leaving overhang on long sides; coat parchment with cooking spray. Whisk together flour, cocoa, salt, and baking powder in a bowl.
• In a large bowl, beat butter with sugar on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until smooth. Beat in vanilla. With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with milk in two additions, beating until combined. Beat in melted chocolate.
• Transfer batter to prepared pan, smoothing top with an offset spatula. Bake until set on top but still wobbly in center, about 15 minutes. Let cool completely in pan on a wire rack.

Assembly:

• Line an 8 1/2-by-4 1/2-inch loaf pan with plastic wrap. Use parchment to lift brownie from baking pan. Cut crosswise into 3 pieces, one piece cut to fit bottom of loaf pan exactly, the next slightly wider, and the last widest of all (to match size of pan, which gets wider toward top).
• Place smallest brownie piece, top-side up, in bottom of lined loaf pan. Spread the 1 1/2 cup of ice cream. Place second-largest brownie piece, top-side down, on ice cream. Spread with crushedraspberries, then the rest of the ice cream. Top with final brownie piece, topside down. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze until firm, at least 6 hours and up to 1 day.
• Run a butter knife around edges to release lined cake from pan, then use plastic to remove cake and place on a serving platter. Top with whipped cream and sprinkle with sugared peanuts. Slice with a sharp knife, wiping blade clean between each. Serve each slice with more peanuts

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