Daring Bakers' July Challenge: Swiss Swirl Ice Cream Cake

The July 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Sunita of Sunita’s world – life and food. Sunita challenged everyone to make an ice-cream filled Swiss roll that’s then used to make a bombe with hot fudge. Her recipe is based on an ice cream cake recipe from Taste of Home.

Ack! Late again for this month’s Daring Bakers’ Challenge! The worst part is, I actually completed it in time, but I didn’t have a chance to unmold it, photograph it, and eat it until just a few minutes ago!

There were a lot of components to this month’s challenge, which was a lovely ice cream cake. First, we had to make our own ice cream. I’m one of the unlucky people who do not own an ice cream maker, but our hostess Sunita gave us a way to make ice cream with just a freezer: you literally freeze cream, after sweetening and flavouring it. Rather than go for the classic chocolate-vanilla combo in the original recipe, I went for chocolate and green tea.

Then we had to make Swiss rolls. I had made biscuit roulé before (the one year I tried making a bûche for Christmas), and I have to say I had done better job back then than I did now. I overcooked one of my layers, which cracked when I tried to fold it.

But I think my biggest problem was slicing the Swiss rolls, after I had filled them with green tea-flavoured whipped cream. They got squished and lost their shape in the process. The result: one ugly-looking bombe on the outside.

But not so bad on the inside! The layers of green tea ice cream, chocolate fudge sauce, and chocolate ice cream are pretty clearly defined.

And the taste? A tad too sweet for me, but I loved the different textures. And let’s face it: ice cream is always good, no matter how you make it, or how you serve it!

Thank you Sunita for this challenge! And all of you be sure to check out the Daring Kitchen and look at all the more aesthetic cakes that the other Daring Bakers have made!