Ice-cream cake

This month's challenge was a breath of fresh air. Simple and perfect for the summer heat - an ice-cream cake :) The whole process isn't difficult, its just laborious and time intensive. I would suggest making the ice-creams a day before and make the cake, filling and fudge sauce another day. The assembly itself takes time. So do that another day. The assembly should be as follows
1) Cut pieces of swiss roll cakes layered on the bottom of a large mixing bowl (or any bowl)
2) Vanilla ice-cream
3) Fudge sauce
4) Chocolate ice-cream

Swiss Roll Ice Cream Cake
(inspired by the recipe of the same name from the Taste of Home website)
The Swiss rolls:
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Baking time: 10 - 12 minutes
Rolling and cooling time: at least 30 minutes
Filling: 5 - 8 minutes
Filling and rolling: 5 - 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 6 medium sized eggs
• 1 cup sugar + a little extra for rolling
• 6 tbs. AP flour
• 5 tbs natural unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted together
• 2 tbs of boiling water
• a little oil for brushing the pans

For the filling:

• 2 cups whipping cream
• 1 vanilla pod or 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 5 tbs sugar

Directions:

1. Pre-heat the oven at 392 F. Brush 2 pans (9x11" jelly roll pans) with a little oil and line with greaseproof baking paper. If you have just one pan, bake one cake and then let the pan cool completely before using it for the next cake.
2. In a large mixing bowl, add the eggs and sugar and beat till very thick; when the beaters are lifted, it should leave a trail on the surface for at least 10 seconds.
3. Add the flour mixture, in three batches and fold in gently with a spatula. Fold in the water.
4. Divide the mixture among the two baking pans and spread it out evenly, into the corners of the pans.
5. Place a pan in the center of the pre-heated oven and bake for about 10-12 minutes or till the center is
   springy to the touch. 
6. Spread a kitchen towel on the counter and sprinkle a little caster sugar over it.
7. Turn the cake on to the towel and peel away the baking paper. 
8. This step is very important - trim any crisp edges.
9. Starting from one of the shorter sides, start to make a roll with the towel going inside. Cool the wrapped roll on a rack, seam side down.
10. Repeat the same for the next cake as well.
11. Make the cream mixture - whip the sugar and cream together to make a whipped cream. When it reaches the soft peak stage, add the vanilla and whip for a couple of seconds more. 
12. Divide the cream mixture between the completely cooled cakes.
13. Open the rolls and spread the cream mixture, making sure it does not go right tothe edges (a border of ½ an inch should be fine).
14. Roll the cakes up again, this time without the towel. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge till needed, seam side down.

Vanilla Ice-cream
Preparation time: 5 minutes + freezing
Ingredients

• 2 ½ cups whipping cream
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ cup granulated sugar

Directions:
1. Grind together the sugar and vanilla in a food processor. In a mixing bowl, add the cream and vanilla –sugar mixture and whisk lightly till everything is mixed together. If you are using the vanilla extract, grind the sugar on its own and then and the sugar along with the vanilla extract to the cream.
2. Pour into a freezer friendly container and freeze till firm around the edges. Remove from the freezer, beat till smooth and return to the freezer. Do this 3-4 times and then set completely.

Hot Fudge Sauce
Preparation time: 2 minutes
Cooking time: 2 minutes
Ingredients:

• 1 cup of sugar
• 3 tbs natural unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 tbs.cornstarch
• 1 ½ cup water
• 1 tbs butter
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:
1. In a small saucepan, whisk together the sugar, cocoa powder, corn flour and water.
2. Place the pan over heat, and stir constantly, till it begins to thicken and is smooth (for about 2 minutes).
3. Remove from heat and mix in the butter and vanilla. Keep aside to cool.

Chocolate Ice Cream
Preparation time: 5 minutes + freezing
Ingredients:

• 2 cup whipping cream
• 1 cup caster sugar
• 3 tbs natural unsweetened cocoa powder

Directions:
1. Grind together the sugar and the cocoa powder in a food processor.
2. In a saucepan, add all the ingredients and whisk lightly.
3. Place the pan over heat and keep stirring till it begins to bubble around the edges.
4. Remove from heat and cool completely before transferring to a freezer friendly container till firm around the edges. If you are using an ice cream maker, churn the ice cream according to the manufacturer’s instruction, after the mixture has cooled completely.
5. Remove from the freezer, beat till smooth and return to the freezer. Do this 3-4 times and then set completely.

 The cake part was amazing, worked great with the ice-creams and froze and unfroze perfectly. I liked this recipe a lot. I wasn't a fan of the fudge sauce recipe, I found it to be too sweet and it had an aftertaste of cornstarch.