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Mary Anne here. Ellicotts and Rittenhouses don’t consider any celebration complete without my mom’s absolutely-over-the-top ice cream cake. We are so nuts for this dessert, that at Mariel’s very fancy and formal Bridal Tea last summer, we skipped Petit Fours and Chocolate Truffles in favor of this homespun treat.
While not exactly the cheapest dessert we’ve featured, it makes up for some of the pricey ingredients (which aren’t typically found in a well-stocked pantry) in the number of servings per cake. Plus, it literally takes 10 minutes to put together! As Mariel and I assembled the one featured here, her husband commented on how quickly we prepared our FOC birthday cake. And then he dove in!
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Lady Finger Ice Cream Cake with Toffee Crunch
Serves 16
Note: You will need a 10-inch spring form pan.
Note 2: In general, you can find packages of Lady Fingers in the produce section near the strawberries. (i.e. for Strawberry Shortcake.)
Break up the candy bars by hitting them, in their wrappers, with a kitchen mallet — make sure you leave the wrappers on while hitting or you’ll have chocolate bits all over the kitchen.
Ingredients:
2 packages Lady Fingers – $3.98
3 quarts of your favorite ice cream (mix up the flavors) – $11.98
1 jar maraschino cherries, drained (optional) – $1.99
7 Heath or Skorr’s bars, broken into bite-size pieces – $5.66
16 oz. Chocolate syrup or fudge topping -$1.79
whipped cream (totally optional, and gilding the lily, in my humble opinion)
Grand Total: $25.40
Total Per Serving: $1.59
Directions:
1. Line the spring form pan with the Lady Fingers, beginning with the sides, the curved face of the cookie gently pressed against the pan. Using the second package of cookies, line the bottom of the pan. Fill in the inevitable gaps with broken pieces of cookies.
2. Scoop half of the ice cream into the bottom of the pan. We usually use 2 to 3 flavors, and I distribute them evenly. Sprinkle with half of the broken Heath bars. Drizzle chocolate/fudge topping over the candy and ice cream. Scatter half of the drained cherries evenly over the top.
3. Repeat with the remaining ingredients, beginning with the ice cream and ending with the maraschino cherries. If you must, top with fresh whipped cream.
4. Place in the freezer for at least 30 minutes before serving. Unhinge the pan by releasing the side spring lever and remove by lifting over the top. Transfer the cake to a serving platter. Note: This can be prepared several days ahead of time. Once the cake is “re-frozen”, cover it with plastic wrap.
Best wishes to both of you, a celebration is certainly in order!
Reading both of your posts is a like a mirror reflection of Andrea and I getting our biz off the ground. Wishing you many more years of success ladies. There’s nothing in this world a Mother Daughter team cannot accomplish!
Thank you Debbie! We love the Hip Hostesses – you’re our Mom/Daughter gurus….
Happy birthday, FOC!
I’m eternally grateful you guys posted the recipe for this cake! I was afraid it was a top-secret family recipe. Growing up, I’m pretty sure I used to look forward to Mariel’s birthday even more than my own b/c of it!
Congrats on the 1-yr anniversary. What a great accomplishment. Keep up the good work!
Thanks, Carla!! So nice to hear from you and really sweet that you remember this cake. Of course, anyone that has ever had it isn’t likely to forget the experience! Hope all is well with you and your family. Best, Mary Anne xoxo
This ice cream cake looks delicious! Congrats on your 1 year birthday!
Happy birthday to you. Love following. GREAT cake!
Ha, my cost per serving would probably be $12.25 because I’d eat half of it before anyone else got a chance!
Congrats!! This cake looks to die for! I love anything with toffee… throw in some lady fingers and I’m a happy girl! I’ll definitely have to try this.