We’re going to take last week’s maraschino cherry ice cream and turn it into something a bit over the top this week! This would be great for a party, but also keeps just fine while you work through leftovers solo, since it’s stored in the freezer.

Ingredients:

Cake:

Grease a 9″ springform (or other tall 9″) pan, and line the bottom with parchment. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

In a large bowl, which together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder.

In a medium bowl, mix together the oil, eggs, and vanilla. Pour the liquids into the dry goods and stir until well incorporated.

Heat the milk until just below a boil, then whisk into the batter until just combined.

Pour into the cake pan and bake until it passes the toothpick test, 50-60 minutes.

Let cool for 5 minutes then remove the sides of the pan and flip out onto a cooling rack. Remove the parchment and let cool to room temperature.

Flip the cake back right-side-up onto a cutting board and cut into two layers. If you want to be very precise, you can measure halfway up with a ruler and stick in, say, 8 toothpicks spaced around the cake at half height, and use them to guide your bread knife. I don’t currently have toothpicks, so just winged it.

Put the sides back on your cake pan and put the bottom half back in the pan. If you have another circle of parchment, throw it on top of the bottom slice of cake, and throw the top circle on top of the parchment, and freeze for an hour or so to firm up. During the second half of the hour would be a great time to make your ice cream.

Once the cake has frozen, take it out of the freezer, take off the top half, and throw out the parchment circle. Spread as much of your soft ice cream as it takes to make a solid ice cream layer covering the bottom layer of cake.

Top with the top slice of cake. Freeze until solid. Serve in slices topped with whipped cream and hot fudge sauce.

Chocolate Cherry Ice Cream Sandwich Cake

Cake:

• 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
• 1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder, sifted
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup milk

For Assembly:

• maraschino cherry ice cream, softened/not yet set
• whipped cream
• hot fudge sauce

Grease a 9″ springform (or other tall 9″) pan, and line the bottom with parchment. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

In a large bowl, which together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. In a medium bowl, mix together the oil, eggs, and vanilla. Pour the liquids into the dry goods and stir until well incorporated.

Heat the milk until just below a boil, then whisk into the batter until just combined. Pour into the cake pan and bake until it passes the toothpick test, 50-60 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes then remove the sides of the pan and flip out onto a cooling rack. Remove the parchment and let cool to room temperature.

Flip the cake back right-side-up onto a cutting board and cut into two layers.

Put the sides back on your cake pan and put the bottom half back in the pan. Top with a piece of parchment and the top slice of cake. Freeze for an hour or so to firm up.

Once the cake has frozen, take it out of the freezer, take off the top half, and discard the parchment circle. Spread as much of your soft ice cream as it takes to make a solid ice cream layer covering the bottom layer of cake, then top with the top slice of cake. Freeze until solid. Serve in slices topped with whipped cream and hot fudge sauce.