Easy Oreo Ice Cream Cake

• 1/2 carton Cookies & Cream ice cream (get the block, not a tub!)
• about 17 OREO cookies
• 3 cups of whipped cream (or about 2/3 an 8-oz container of Cool Whip)
• 6 chocolate graham crackers
• 1 1/2 cups chocolate ganache

For the ganache you’ll need:
(see below)**

• 16 oz chocolate {roughly 2 2/3 cup}
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 cup butter

To make the cake:

Line a bread pan* with parchment or foil. (This just makes it super simple to lift the cake out once frozen.)

Place 3 graham crackers into the bottom of the pan. Top with two 1″ slices of ice cream. Spread 1 cup of whipped cream over the top of the ice cream and press whole Oreo cookies into the whipped cream. Top with another small layer of whipped cream and drizzle with about 1/2 cup of chocolate ganache. Top with 2 more 1″ slices of ice cream and then the remaining 3 graham crackers. Spread the remaining 1 cup of whipped cream over the crackers.

Cover and freeze for at least a couple hours, but preferably overnight.

Remove cake from bread pan and place on a tray/ serving plate. Pour about 1 cup of chocolate ganache over frozen cake, letting it drip a bit down the sides. Crush remaining Oreo cookies and sprinkle on top of ganache. Return to freezer until ready to serve. (I’d at least let the ganache-covered-cake be in the freezer for 10-15 minutes prior to serving to make sure ganache is sufficiently cooled. It will be easier to cut and serve this way.)

Slice cake to serve. (If the cookies are still a bit solid, I find it helps to first pierce a knife straight down into the cake where the cookies are, then slice and serve. However if you have the cake in the freezer for 2-3 days prior to serving, you won’t have any issues- the cookies will be soft.)

**Chocolate Ganache:

• 16 oz chocolate {roughly 2 2/3 cup}
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 cup butter

Pour chocolate into medium sized bowl, set aside. 

Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add in cream when butter is just about melted.

Increase heat slightly and using a whisk, stir constantly, but gently. Heat until mixture just barely comes to a boil.

Pour over chocolate in bowl. Begin stirring gently, combining the chocolate with the butter-cream mixture. 

But after just a minute or two of stirring, all the chocolate is melted and you’ve got a smooth chocolate gananche!

Let the mixture sit from 5-15 minutes, depending on how “drippy” you want the chocolate. 

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Ina Garten's Blueberry Crumb Cake

Ingredients

For the streusel:

1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

For the cake:

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature (3/4 stick)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2/3 cup sour cream
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup fresh blueberries
Confectioners' sugar for sprinkling


For the cake:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a 9-inch round baking pan.

For the streusel:
Combine the granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a bowl. Stir in the melted butter and then the flour. Mix well and set aside.

For the cake:
Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on high speed for 4 to 5 minutes, until light. Reduce the speed to low and add the eggs 1 at a time, then add the vanilla, lemon zest, and sour cream. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture to the batter until just combined. Fold in the blueberries and stir with a spatula to be sure the batter is completely mixed.

Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and spread it out with a knife. With your fingers,

crumble the topping evenly over the batter. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool completely and serve sprinkled with confectioners' sugar.

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