If You Give An Oreo Cookie Monster...

an oreo cookie sandwich, he will probably ask for another two more...then he will probably ask for some ice cream to go with the oreos...and perhaps some chocolates too....

It was only a few days ago that I discovered the joy of taking images of a slice of ice cream cake. As the camera clicks away, the icy frosting on the outer layer started to disappear...and very soon, the ice cream began to give in to our hot and humid weather...as if urging me to dig in right away...telling me I should just dump that camera aside. and I did just that. I helped myself to one huge mouthful before I continued to give it another couple of clicks before I wiped up the entire slice...


that happened to be a slice from this birthday cake I made for my husband. Two weeks before his birthday, I asked him what kind of cake would he like this year. As usual, he asked for something that has got oreos in it. So the two of us sat in front of the computer and I typed in the key words "oreo cake" and clicked on the 'Search Everyone's Photos' on Flickr. I was pleasantly surprised to see the photo of a cake I made appeared on the screen. He took a hard look and it was apparent that he couldn't remember that was his birthday cake last year. Anyway, inspired by the beautiful images which started to appear on the screen one by one, he requested for an ice cream cake..and we left things as it is. I didn't think there would be anything more difficult than to head down to the store to get a pack of oreos and a tub of ice cream for his birthday ;)


Well, since he has walked with me for more than half of his lifetime, and to thank him for always being there by my side, I thought I really should put in some effort to grant his wish. After reading up on how to make an ice cream cake, I made up this Oreo Ice Cream Cake...which was choked to the brim with layers of oreo cookies.

The base was a layer of oreo crumbs, which I covered with a tub of Cookies & Cream ice cream. I even added some oreo chunks into the ice cream layer. Next came the chocolate ganache layer...and it was generously dusted with oreo crumbs before topping off with more oreo cookies! The only thing that had got nothing to do with oreos was the chocolate birthday 'card'. It was among one of the many goodies given to me generously by VB. Thank you VB!


It was a very good experience coming up with this cake since this is the first time I have ever made an ice cream cake. It was actually much simpler than I thought. I used a loose bottom pan for the cake...and since I do not have any appropriate plastic sheets to line the sides of the pan...I improvised by using long strips cut from a cookie bag. You need lots of patience when making this cake. It has to be well chilled before unmolding. I tried to unmold it when it was only in the freezer for 2hrs...as I thought the surface looked well set...but the ice cream started dripping from the sides when I tried to release the pan. I quickly returned it to the freezer and tried it again 4hrs later...and it came off nicely!

The only downside of this cake: the oreo cookies that were used to decorate the top loose their crisp after they were in the freezer for so many hours. I read that one way to overcome this problem is to decorate the cake just 30mins before serving. Warm a palette knife by running it under hot water, dry it and swipe it over the chocolate layer a few times. Once the chocolate is soft enough...'stick' whatever cookies or fruits on top, and send it back to the freezer to set before serving. I'll try this method on my next ice cream cake :)


Oreo Ice Cream Cake
(makes one 18cm cake)

Ingredients
110g oreo cookies (finely crumbled)
40g butter, melted and cool
about 1 tub of ice cream (1.5 ltr)
1 cup Nestle pouring cream (or heavy cream)
150g dark chocolate, finely chopped

Method:

1. Line the sides of a loose bottom pan with plastic sheets. Set aside.
2. Place oreo crumbs and melted butter in a bowl. Mix thoroughly with a spoon until the crumbs are moistened. Press the crumbs evenly into the base of the prepared pan. Use the back of the spoon, smooth out the crumbs and press firmly. Freeze the base for at least 1 hour.
3. Soften the ice cream at room temperature. When the ice cream is soft enough, place it in a mixing bowl. With a spoon or spatula, stir the ice cream until it is spreadable. Spoon the ice cream over the oreo base, ensure all gaps are filled. Depending on the depth of the pan, fill it with enough ice cream till it reaches about half to one inche before the rim. Cover with a cling wrap and freeze for at least 2 hours.
4. When the ice cream layer is set, prepare the chocolate ganache. Place cream and finely chopped dark chocolates in a bowl over a pot of simmering water. Stir till the chocolate melts complete. Leave to cool off.
5. This step has to be done as quickly as possible. Spread the chocolate ganache over the ice cream layer. Decorate as desired.
6. Cover with cling wrap and freeze for at least another 6 hours before unmolding. When ready to unmold, dampen a kitchen towel with hot water and wrap it around the pan and hold it there for about 10seconds. Remove the towel and unmold. After unmolding the cake, return it back into the freezer to firm up before serving.