Day 74: Viennese Ice Cream Cake

So, you know how obsessed I've been with my new ice cream maker? Well, the ice cream is beginning to pile up in my freezer, so luckily, I have a recipe to use up some of that before it piles up on my waistline!! 

This Viennese Ice Cream Cake from Sandra Lee is so quick and easy! Ice cream cakes can become whatever you want it to be - just get creative.  Use your favorite flavors between layers of candy, fruit, chocolate or sprinkles and you have something unique and delicious. It is better to make this the day before you need it, so it has time to freeze solid.

Viennese Ice Cream Cake

From: Sandra Lee Semi Homemade Desserts

Yield: 8-10 servings

Ingredients:

• 2 packages (5.5 oz each, 20 sticks total) of Twix bars
• 1 qt coffee ice cream, softened
• 3/4 cup butterscotch caramel topping
• 3/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted
• 1 qt vanilla ice cream, softened
• 1 container (8 oz) Cool Whip
• 1 (1.55 oz) milk chocolate bar, shaved

Directions:

1. Line 9 1/4 x 5 x 2 3/4-inch loaf pan with 2 layers of plastic wrap, allowing 3 inches to hang over pan sides. Stand Twix along sides of pan, spacing evenly. Using rubber spatula, press 1/4 of coffee ice cream into pan. Drizzle about 1 tbsp of pecans over caramel. Spread 1/4 of vanilla ice cream over nuts. Drizzle about 1 tbsp of caramel topping over ice cream; sprinkle about 1 tbsp of pecans over caramel.
2. Freeze 20 minutes or until firm. Repeat the layering from step 1, freezing for 20 minutes between each layering.  Fold plastic overhang on top of  cake to cover.  Freeze for 4 hours or until frozen solid.
3. To unmold, wrap hot damp towels around pan to loosen ice cream cake from pan. Fold back plastic from top of ice cream cake. Invert cake onto serving platter; peel off plastic wrap. Spoon whipped topping into pastry bag fitted with star tip and pipe onto cake, or spread with a spoon or spatula.
4. Freeze for 1 hour or until whipped topping is frozen solid. Let cake stand at room temperature 10 minutes before serving. Sprinkle chocolate shavings over cake. Cut cake crosswise into slices. 

Notes:

• This is Sandra Lee's exact recipe. I chose to use my own homemade ice cream that I already had on hand.  You can use any flavor of ice cream that you desire. 
• I layered one flavor of ice cream, drizzled caramel sauce over that, and then layered the second flavor of ice cream, instead of doing the individual layers 4 times. 
• I left off the pecans, because my husband and kids don't like them. Use could replace with chocolate chips or just omit them all together.
• I sprinkled Reeses Pieces on top instead of shaved chocolate bar.