Celebrity chef Curtis Stone transforms traditional holiday flavors into an unforgettable dessert with his Chocolate Gingerbread Ice Cream Cake. This show-stopping creation marries the warm, spicy notes of classic gingerbread with rich, velvety chocolate and smooth, creamy ice cream for a sophisticated twist on seasonal favorites. Perfect for holiday entertaining, this decadent layered dessert captures the cozy essence of winter while delivering an unexpectedly refreshing finish
Save this recipe for your next gathering!
Ingredients
1 tbs. olive oil, plus more for coating pan
8 oz. milk chocolate, coarsely chopped, divided
30 chocolate wafer cookies
5 gingerbread cookies, broken into bite-size pieces (about 1 1/2 cups)
6 cups vanilla bean ice cream, softened
4 large egg whites
1/2 cup sugar
Serves: 12
Prep Time: 20 minutes, plus 8 hours and 40 minutes freezing time
Cook Time: 2 minutes
Make-Ahead: Pie, without meringue topping, can be made up to 1 week ahead, covered and frozen.
Method
- Brush bottom and sides of 9-inch springform pan with 3-inch-high sides with oil.
- In small bowl set over simmering water, stir 3 oz. chocolate and 1 tbs. oil until melted and blended. In food processor, grind chocolate wafer cookies into very fine crumbs (you should have about 1 1/3 cups). Add chocolate mixture and pinch of salt and pulse until moistened. Press crumb mixture evenly onto bottom and 1 1/2-inches up sides of pan. Freeze for 10 minutes, or until crust hardens.
- In large, chilled bowl, fold gingerbread cookie pieces and remaining 5 oz. chocolate into ice cream. Pour mixture into frozen crust and smooth top. Freeze for about 8 hours, or until ice cream hardens. Remove pie from pan and transfer to platter. Return pie to freezer.
- In large bowl, using an electric hand mixer on medium-high speed, beat egg whites until foamy. Gradually add sugar and beat for 5 minutes, or until firm glossy peaks form. Using large spoon and working quickly, dollop meringue onto pie and spread meringue decoratively, making sure no ice cream is exposed. Using a kitchen blowtorch, torch meringue until browned all over.
Freeze cake for 30 minutes, or until meringue has stiffened. Slice and serve immediately.