Ice Cream Cupcake Project

And project that it was.  Before I begin, let me say that this post is dedicated to my dear friends who saw me through the Ice Cream Cake Disaster of 2008.  Yes, that would be the night I decided to make a huge ice cream cake for my guests.  In my haste, I started icing the cake with the ice cream before it was (evidently) completely cool.  By the time I started drizzling my caramel sauce on top, most of the ice cream had melted and was running down the sides of the cake.  In a true moment of panic, I began screaming at the top of my lungs and running through the house carrying this enormous melty cake.  In my defense, I initially started to run down to the basement to stash the cake in the large freezer.  Once I got down there, I realized this ridiculous cake wouldn’t fit in the freezer.  So I bee-lined it back upstairs, through the dining room, living room and outside to our back patio.  Not quite sure what my thought process was there except that the mess could be contained outdoors…minus the trail of melted ice cream and caramel I left behind.  Eventually, someone got enough sense to clear out a shelf in my kitchen freezer and I quickly stowed the cake on the top shelf.  Two hours later, when I decided to survey the damage and retrieve my ice cream cake, I opened the freezer to see caramel icicles dripping from ALL the shelves in the freezer.  Apparently, the cake continued to melt and while it did, everything went south.  It was a hot mess.

My dear friends laughed and ate it anyway, which tells you just how good of friends they are.

I didn’t have much time to get crafty with a new recipe for the Ice Cream Cupcake Project Round Up, thanks to www.cupcakeproject.com and www.scoopalicious.blogspot.com,  so I went with an adapted version of the ill-fated ice cream cake I made last year.  At least I have learned a lesson or two since the first try.  My Candy Bar Cupcakes with sweet milk ice cream are to die for–a brownie/toffee base, a layer of homemade sweet milk ice cream and topped with chopped Snickers bar and a caramel drizzle.  This will satisfy any sweet tooth!

Candy Bar Ice Cream Cupcakes

For the sweet milk ice cream:

14 oz sweetened condensed milk

18 oz hot water

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

a couple pinches salt (to taste)

For the toffee brownie cupcakes:

3 cups all purpose flour

1.5 teaspoons baking powder

1/5 teaspoons coarse salt

3.75 sticks unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

12 oz unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped

3 cups sugar

6 large eggs, room temperature

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

4 Snickers Bars, coarsely chopped

6 oz crushed Health Bars or toffee bits

1 jar prepared caramel sauce (such as Sanders or Smuckers)

Make the Sweet Milk Ice Cream first.  This is a recipe I found on www.onlinepastrychef.wordpress.com.  I don’t know who this woman is but she is a genius and this recipe doesn’t get any better.  I doubled the batch so that you will have enough to top all the cupcakes but you still may come up just a smidge short.  Mix condensed milk and hot water until well mixed.  Add vanilla and salt and stir.  Taste and add additional vanilla and salt if needed.  Pour into your ice cream maker and prepare according to manufacturer’s directions.  If making ahead, freeze once done.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line standard muffin tins with paper liners.  I didn’t have any fancy liners here and I regret it now…that’s one reason why I need to win this contest!  Please pick me!  Ok, enough of that.  The brownie cupcake recipe is a ala Martha Stewart, who is known to make things a little more complicated than need be but oh-so-good.  Whisk flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.  Place butter and chocolate in a heatproof mixer bowl and set over a pot of simmering water, stirring until chocolate melts.

Add sugar to chocolate and beat on medium-high speed until smooth, 2-3 minutes.  Beat in eggs, 1 at a time.  Add vanilla.  Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture.  Once incorporated into the chocolate, add 6 oz toffee bits or crushed Heath bars.  Stir until well mixed.

Divide batter among muffin cups and cook for 20-22 minutes.  Let cool in tins.  Once cupcakes are COMPLETELY cool (and I cannot stress this enough), ice them with sweet milk ice cream and place in freezer to set.  Coarsely chop Snickers candy bar.  Remove cupcakes from freezer and top with chopped Snickers and a drizzle of caramel.  Return to freezer lickety-split (just in case).