My son requested a ice cream cake roll for his birthday. Here is the finished product - sort of. I was having camera issues and only had the cell phone camera to work with. This is much more appealing to look at - in real life. As I explain the procedure, I will tell you all my mistakes - so your outcome is less work.
Make your favorite chocolate cake batter and pour into a very well greased jelly roll (cookie sheet) pan -DO NOT USE A BOUGHT BOXED MIX (they rise too much). The cake will only have to bake approx. 15 minutes due to it being so thin. Have a prepared pillowcase or other woven cotton piece of fabric. Terry cloth does not work well at all. I use old pillowcases that have been washed well and bleached and only get used for this occasion. At the cake is baking sprinkle powdered sugar on the pillowcase in a rectangle about the size of the cake. When the cake is done-but fresh out of the oven
ie. still hot, set it next to the sugared pillowcase. Use a spatula to make sure your cake isn't going to stick to the pan, slide it under the cake to dislodge sticky parts. Don't be arrogant here and think you greased the pan very well - cake has a mind of its own. But if it does tear - it is forgiving. Then flip the cake upside down (there will be a poof of sugar - I suggest wearing an apron or at least not dark clothing).
Lift off the pan ever so carefully - if the cake tears put pieces back together the best you can. Sprinkle the cake with powdered sugar - this keeps cloth from sticking to the cake. Gently begin rolling the cake up (remember...it is HOT!). Keep the roll loose. Put funny rolled log of cake aside until it is cool.
Take boxed (in a cube) ice cream from the freezer. Open the box up until it is flat. Slice the ice cream then let it sit a little while until it starts to soften - less than 10 minutes.
Gently unroll cake - not completely flat leave it a little curled so it will assume the rolled position again. Fit ice cream slices onto cake like a puzzle.
Use a warm knife to smooth ice cream over the cake, filling in gaps. No picture of this, sorry.
Carefully, roll cake back up into the log. Remove pillowcase from under cake - wrap tightly with plastic wrap (so not green - oops). Go around it, almost squishing it - like it is in need of a girdle. Wrap from end to end and stick in freezer for half and hour or more.
Remove from the freezer and gently unwrap. Cake roll should feel pretty solid at this point. Using some jarred hot fudge -'frost' the cake. You may need to microwave the hot fudge a little for spread-ability. This will look great sprinkled with some chopped walnuts if you like those - but son requested no nuts on top.
I have had this also without the fudge on top. but it looks pretty with a fresh, light dusting of powdered sugar.
I had a great picture of a slice so you could really see the spiral, but it is lost on the broken camera that is also short a USB cord, Nuts!!
Anyhow...I make
pumpkin cake roll the same way except it is obviously a pumpkin cake that I fill it with cream cheese frosting.
A nice
girlie ice cream roll can be made by... making a strawberry (pink) cake and fill with strawberry revel ice cream and then just frost with whipped cream and garnish with strawberry slices or pink sprinkles.
This is a fun activity to do with kids. They are always amazed how easy the cake comes together.
Enjoy!
~jan
PS. Thanks Rhonda Koyle for teaching me how to roll cakes - do I dare say - 20 years ago? You were right - now that I know how - I "will make them over and over". ~xoxo
I linked to...
http://bellavita-bellasblog.blogspot.com
http://www.thegirlcreative.com
http://www.simplysweethome.com
http://litandlaundry.blogspot.com/
