Chocolate, date and ice cream cake

Made with layers of meringue and no-churn ice-cream, this cake can be made assembled several days in advance and served from the freezer.

Credit: The Chocolate Queen

• serves

  8

• prep

  1 hour

• cook

  55 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

It's great for special events, but you can also keep it in the freezer to eat a few slices at a time. 

Ingredients

Chocolate date meringue

• 120 g pitted dates
• 120 g pecan nuts
• 30 g good quality milk couverture chocolate 33%
• 90 g good quality dark couverture chocolate 54%
• 3 egg whites
• ¼ tsp cream of tartar
• 120 g caster sugar

No-churn milk chocolate ice cream

• 200 ml fresh cream 35% fat (A)
• 50 g liquid glucose
• 1 vanilla bean
• 150 g good quality milk couverture chocolate 33%
• 250 ml fresh cream 35% fat (B)
• 395 g sweetened condensed milk

To assemble

• 50 g pecan nuts
• 50 g good quality milk couverture chocolate 33%, roughly chopped (or use chocolate chips)

 

 

Instructions

1. For the meringue, create a template by drawing 3 rectangles, 220 mm x 100 mm in size, on a piece of baking paper. Place the sheet of baking paper, ink side down, onto a baking tray. Set aside until required.
2. Heat the oven to 160˚C (140˚C fan forced).
3. Chop the dates into pieces, approximately 10 mm in size. Finely chop the pecan nuts and the milk and dark chocolates.
4. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, add the egg whites and cream of tartar. Whisk until the egg whites reach a medium peak. Gradually add the sugar to the egg whites and continue to whisk until the meringue reaches a stiff peak.
5. Gently fold through the dates, pecan nuts and chocolate through the meringue.
6. Divide the meringue evenly between the 3 rectangle templates.
7. Bake in the pre-heated oven for approximately 55 minutes.
8. Allow to cool at room temperature. Once cool, remove from the baking paper, wrap in plastic wrap and store in the freezer until required.
9. For the ice-cream, place a container into the freezer. Place the cream (A) and liquid glucose into a saucepan. Cut and scrape the vanilla bean, add the seeds and pod into the saucepan. Bring to the boil.
10. Meanwhile, place the milk chocolate in a bowl. Strain the boiled cream mixture through a sieve over the chocolate. Whisk until the chocolate has completely melted and combined.
11. Add the cream (B) and whisk to combine. Cover the mixture with plastic wrap touching the surface and place in the refrigerator for a minimum of 5 hours.
12. Once the milk chocolate cream mixture has chilled, place the condensed milk into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment.
13. Pour the milk chocolate cream mixture over the condensed milk and whisk on high speed until soft peaks form. Transfer the mixture into the pre-chilled container, cover and place into the freezer for 4 hours before assembling the cake.
14. To assemble, place a small amount of ice cream on the serving plate to secure the first pavlova rectangle.
15. Spread a third of the milk chocolate ice cream over the meringue.
16. Repeat this process with the remaining meringue rectangles and ice cream.
17. Place the stacked cake into the freezer until ready to serve. Prior to serving, garnish the top of the cake with pecan nuts and chopped milk chocolate.

Note

• The ice cream can be stored in the freezer overnight, however it will then need to sit in the refrigerator for 2 hours, to soften, before assembling the cake.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

It's great for special events, but you can also keep it in the freezer to eat a few slices at a time.