Ice Cream Cake Roll

Thirty some odd years ago, on a Sunday, my new husband (of less than a year), came home from work and announced that he needed to take a birthday cake to work that evening.  CRAP!  I had nothing in the cupboards; about 1+ cup of cake flour, some eggs, some ice cream and that was it.  Now what was I going to do.  Flipping through my cook book, I came across a recipe for a jelly roll.  (Light bulb goes on!)  I could make a jelly roll, but put ice cream in it and make an Ice Cream Cake Roll.  So that is what I did.  I wrapped it in foil, kept it in the freezer and when he went to work, gave him directions on how to care for it and serve it.  The next morning, my husband came home beaming.  The ice cream cake roll was a great success.  Everyone loved it, including my husband, who declared that he wanted this for his birthday, Father’s Day, etc., etc., etc.  So it became a family tradition.  This is a great icecream cake dessert for any occasion, even Mother's Day.  So this is how to make an Ice Cream Cake Roll.

Supplies:
¼ sheet cookie sheet
Aluminum foil
5 eggs
1½ cups sugar
½ cup water
1½ tsp. vanilla
1½ cup cake flour
1½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
Cake release spray (works better than just shortening and flour)
Clean dish towel
Powdered sugar
Beaters (I used my bread mixer with beaters attached; you may use a hand mixer)
½ gallon ice cream (flavor of your choice, Abby asked for Cherry Chocolate Chip)
Extra bowls (not shown)
Cooling rack (not shown)
Hot pads (not shown)
Cookie turner (not shown)

Preheat oven to 375°.

Line the cookie sheet with aluminum foil. 

Spray the cake release spray all over the foil, set aside, until needed.

Take a moment and mix the water and vanilla together.

Measure the sugar into a bowl.

Measure the flour,

baking powder and salt together.

In your mixer bowl, beat the eggs

for about 5 minutes, until they are foamy and light yellow in color.

Slowly add the sugar to the eggs and beat until well blended and thick.

Slowly add the water/vanilla mixture.

Slowly add the flour mixture.  Beat just until smooth.  Turn off the mixer.

Using a rubber scraper, pour the jelly roll batter into the foil lined and greased cookie sheet.  Spread the batter until it is evenly spread.  Put it in the oven and bake for 17 minutes.

While the cake roll is baking, spread the clean dish towel out onto the counter. 

Take the powdered sugar and sprinkle it down the center of the towel. 

Use your impeccably clean hands to spread the powdered sugar all over the center of the towel.  Leave it out and waiting for the cake roll.

Once the cake roll is done, remove it from the oven,

take it to the towel and dump it upside down on to the powder sugar covered towel. 

Remove the foil. 

Fold one end of the towel over the end of the cake roll,

and roll the cake into a towel covered roll.  Set on a cooling rack and let get totally cool (this may an hour or two).

Once it is cool, remove the ice cream from the freezer to soften for 15 minutes.
Unroll the cake roll.
Using the cookie turner, cut slices of the ice cream and lay it all over the unrolled cake.

Once the cake is covered with ice cream, reroll it (without the towel, this time). 

Wrap it in aluminum foil and put it in the freezer, to set hard.

About 5 minutes before serving, bring it out of the freezer and let it soften a little.  Use a chef’s knife to cut into 1 – 1½ inch slices and serve on a plate with a fork.  Bask in the praise.  Enjoy!