Maybe you heard about our crazy heatwave here in California? The last few weeks have been brutal and with no A/C in our home there was also no desire to turn on my oven!
I did however fire up my blender, food processor and freezer quite a bit! Which means we have a stockpile of frozen goodies for the warm days ahead of us this weekend.
I am a huge fan of ice box cakes, like a HUGE, humongous fan!
About the only flavor combination I haven’t whipped up into an ice box cake on the site yet is chocolate and coconut. I’m not sure what took me so long – it’s one of my favorite flavor combos, but I just hadn’t gotten around to it. Seeing as though it is hot as Hades around here and I happened to have a pint of dark chocolate ice cream and a bag of frozen young Thai coconut meat in the freezer I decided to go ahead and make this dreamy flavor combo happen.
This is by far the best ice box cake I have ever created…although I guess technically since this one has ice cream in it I should probably call it an ice cream cake instead. I dare you to eat just one slice!
- ½ cup raw almonds
- 1 cup gluten free rolled oats
- 1 cup chopped, pitted Medjool dates
- ½ cup Enjoy Life Dark Chocolate Chips
- 2 tablespoons black cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 pint vegan dark chocolate ice cream, thawed until softened
- 2 cups raw cashews, soaked in water for at least 30 minutes preferably overnight
- 1 cup young Thai coconut meat
- ½ cup coconut milk
- ½ cup maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 – 2 tablespoons water, if needed
- ¼ cup shredded unsweetened coconut
- Make the crust: Lightly grease the bottom and sides of an 8-inch spring form pan with coconut oil and set aside.
- In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the “S” blade combine the almonds, oats, dates, chocolate chips, cocoa powder, vanilla and salt. Process until the ingredients begin to clump together, about 1- 1½ minutes. Transfer the mixture to an 8-inch spring form pan, gently pressing the crust into the pan and around the edges until the crust layer is level and smooth.
- Chocolate Layer: Pour the softened ice cream over the crust and smooth the top with a silicone spatula. Gently tap the pan against the kitchen counter to release any air bubbles that are trapped in the filling and place in the freezer until set, about 1½ – 2 hours.
- Coconut layer: In the bowl of a clean food processor fitted with the “S” blade or in a high powered blender combine the soaked cashews, coconut meat and milk, maple syrup and cinnamon. Blend until completely smooth, stopping to scrape the sides as necessary. This step can take anywhere from 1-3 minutes depending on the strength of your machine. Pour the blended cashew layer over the partially frozen ice cream layer. Smooth the top with a rubber spatula until even and gently tap the pan against the kitchen counter to release any air bubbles that are trapped in the filling. Sprinkle the shredded coconut over the top of the cashew layer and press in gently with the palm of your hand. Place the pan back in the freezer for 6-8 hours or overnight until completely set.
- To serve: Place the spring form pan in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes. Gently remove the side wall of the pan from the cake. Slice and serve. Store any uneaten cake completely wrapped in the freezer.
Sydney | Modern Granola says
Yum! This looks gorgeous and delicious! I’m excited to peruse your icebox cake recipes for more!
Stay cool!
xx Sydney
Kathryn @ The Scratch Artist says
I am sitting here sweating and dreaming of putting this in my mouth. Your photos are so beautiful. I do not take your dare…knowing me I would eat half of this cake. Especially when I am so HOT!