Brownie-bottomed, ganache-topped, no-churn strawberry ice cream cake – It’s a mouthful but a spectacular one, I promise. Think of it as a glamorous way to serve chocolate-dipped strawberries. Oh, and with brownies. There’s a reason (or several) people swoon over this combination: puckery-sweet fruit pairs strikingly with smooth-yet-bitter dark chocolate. Even the colors are alluring.

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Despite being made-from-scratch, this cake is deceptively easy to pull together. I had originally planned on making my own sweetened condensed milk for the no-churn ice cream, but a short nap and epic toddler meltdown left me with curdled milk and not enough time to start over. Sooo I opted for a sweetened condensed milk that listed only sugar and milk as ingredients and soon forgot the original plan. This plan is much better. Enjoy!

Brownie-Bottom No-Churn Strawberry Ice Cream Cake

This recipe makes a 6-inch cake (use a tall-sided springform pan) or double to make an 8-inch cake.  The ice cream is adapted from Sarah’s beautiful The Vanilla Bean Blog and the brownie base is adapted from David Lebovitz via another one of my favorite blogs, Sprouted Kitchen

Brownie layer:
2 1/2 tbsp butter
4 oz semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 tsp vanilla
6 tbsp sugar
1 egg
1/6 c flour
pinch of salt

Strawberry ice cream layer:
2 c sliced strawberries
1 tbsp sugar
7 oz sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 c heavy cream

Chocolate ganache topping:
1/4 c heavy cream
4 oz semisweet chocolate chips

Extra strawberries, for topping

1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and butter the bottom and 1/2-inch up the side of a 6-inch springform pan. Melt the butter and chocolate chips together in a medium pot over medium heat, stirring to combine. Remove from the heat and stir in the sugar and vanilla until smooth. Stir in the egg until combined. Add the flour and salt and stir until the batter comes together and begins to pull from the sides of the pot. Pour into the prepared pan and bake until cooked through, 15-17 minutes. Cool fully before adding the ice cream.

2. Add the strawberries and sugar to a medium pan over medium heat. Use a potato masher or wooden spoon to mash and help release the juices from the strawberries for 2 minutes. Pour the strawberries and juice into a blender or food processor and process until smooth. Press through a fine mesh sieve into a large bowl to remove the seeds, and chill the strained strawberry puree for at least 30 minutes.

3. Stir in the sweetened condensed milk and vanilla. With a handheld mixer or stand mixer with a whisk attachment, beat the heavy cream in a large bowl just until stiff peaks form. Fold half of the whipped cream into the strawberry mixture until fully incorporated. Add the remaining whipped cream and gently fold until only a few white streaks remain. Pour on top of the cooked and cooled brownie, smooth the top, and freeze overnight.

4. Remove the ice cream cake from the freezer. Place the chocolate chips in a small, shallow bowl. Heat the heavy cream in a small pot over medium-high heat until steaming, then pour over the chocolate chips. Wait 30 seconds, then gently stir to melt the chocolate and combine with the cream. Use your hands to briefly warm the sides of the springform pan and release the cake. Spread the chocolate ganache over the cake. Top with fresh strawberries and wait 30 minutes before serving; alternately, return the cake to the freezer and move to room temperature and top with the strawberries 30 minutes before you plan to serve.