Chocolate Chip Ship Ice Cream Cake

Name: Chocolate Chip Ship Ice Cream Cake
Yield: Makes one 10-by-5 1/2 inch cake
Ingredients: Unsalted butter, softened, for pan; 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, plus more for dusting; 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour; 1 1/2 cups sugar; 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda; 3/4 teaspoon baking powder; 3/4 teaspoon salt; 2 large eggs; 3/4 cup buttermilk; 1/4 cup vegetable oil; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1 bag of chocolate chips (approximately 24 ounces); 1 carton of chocolate-chip ice cream (approximately 1.5 quarts); 1 peanut-butter cup, for decoration (optional); 4 to 6 mini sandwich cookies, for decoration (optional); Blue sanding sugar, for decoration; Whipped cream, for decoration

Recipe photo courtesy of Kirsten Strecker

Turn a chocolate cake layered with chocolate-chip ice cream into a real luxury liner by adding chocolate chips and mini sandwich cookies. Set in a sea of whipped cream with blue sanding sugar, this ship will be welcome in any port. For the decorating technique, see our step-by-step photos.

Source: Martha Stewart Kids, Summer 2005

Makes one 10-by-5 1/2 inch cake

Yield

Ingredients

Directions

Make the Chocolate Loaf Cake

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 10-by-5 1/2-inch loaf pan. Dust with cocoa powder; tap out excess. Sift cocoa powder, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
2. Add eggs, 3/4 cup warm water, the buttermilk, oil, and vanilla. Mix on low speed until smooth, about 3 minutes. Raise speed to medium; mix 30 seconds.
3. Transfer batter to prepared pan. Bake until a cake tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Let cool in pan on a wire rack 15 minutes. Run a knife around edges to loosen; invert, and unmold. Let cool completely, right side up. Wrap in plastic. Refrigerate until cold, about 2 hours (or up to 2 days).

Make the Chocolate Chip Ship

1. Cut chocolate loaf cake into three layers; place one in a loaf pan lined with plastic wrap. Peel paper off container of chocolate-chip ice cream and cut 1-inch-thick slices. Lay slices on cake, cutting to fit; fill in holes with ice-cream pieces. Add another layer of cake and ice cream; cover with remaining cake. Press down lightly and refreeze (at least 3 hours).
2. Trim cake to create bow and stern. Press on chocolate chips to cover top of ship. Attach mini sandwich cookies to sides of ship. Refreeze (up to 5 hours).
3. Attach mast (see Cook's Note below) before serving. Pipe whipped cream waves at base of cake just before serving, and sprinkle with blue sanding sugar.

Cook's Notes

Use your imagination to make the ship's sail. We attached craft paper to two craft sticks, and attached those to a chop-stick mast. Finish the sail by topping it with a peanut-butter-cup crow's nest and a craft-paper pennant.