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Pool Party Cake
A COOL POOL ICE-CREAM CAKE FROM FAMILY FUN
by Emily B. Todd
From www.familyfun.com
Every parent wants his or her child's birthday to make a
splash, especially if the celebration happens during the
sizzling months of summer. So, when FAMILYFUN reader
Gail Fournier's son, Scott, turned seven, she was hot on
throwing a poolside bash. The coolest part of the party was
the cake, modeled after the aboveground pool in
their New Hampshire backyard.
When we tested Gail's recipe on a recent afternoon, our
group of young cooks dived right into the project. They
outlined their ice-cream pool with fudge stick panels,
topped it with blue whipped cream waves and decorated it
with plastic swimmers, gummy ring inner tubes,
Gobstopper beach balls, a licorice ladder and paper
umbrellas. When it was time to taste-test, the kids, like
Scott's party guests, had no difficulty taking the plunge.
INGREDIENTS
1/2 gallon quality ice cream (any flavor)
1 1/3 8.5-oz. pkgs. fudge sticks cookies (chocolate or peanut butter)
2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract * Food
Items page
Blue food coloring * Food
Coloring page
Gummy rings
Gobstoppers
Paper umbrellas * below
Plastic figures * below
Licorice
Decorators' frosting * Food
Items page
Springform pan* Pans
page
The pretzel rods in the background are dipped
in white chocolate coating and sprinkled with colorful
sprinkles
*Starred items available at Sugarcraft, Links included to those pages.
Other items availa to order, below
1. Begin by making the ice-cream base of the pool cake.
Let the ice cream soften at room temperature for 15 to 20
minutes, then ask your kids to help you spoon it into an 8-inch
round springform pan, soufflé dish or plastic container. Pack
the ice cream into the mold and smooth out the top. Cover with
plastic wrap and freeze for at least 4 hours or overnight.AA
TIP: To add variety, you can layer different flavors of ice
cream or mix in candies (chocolate fish, anyone?).
2. After the ice cream has frozen solid, unmold it by
dipping the container quickly into a pan of hot water; if
necessary, you can also loosen the edges of the ice cream with
a knife. Invert the mold onto a large plate and carefully lift off
the pan to reveal the ice-cream cake.AA
TIP: The trick is to loosen the ice cream without melting it,
so don't hold the mold in the hot water for more than a few
seconds.
3. Your kids can then carefully place the fudge sticks (we
alternated plain and chocolate-peanut butter) along
the sides of the ice-cream pool cake—the cookies will resemble
the panels of an aboveground pool. Return the cake to the
freezer while you prepare the whipped cream.AA
TIP: Ask your children to work quickly while they place
the chocolate cookies around the outside; otherwise, they'll
have a melted "pool" of ice cream.
4. To make the blue whipped cream waves, pour the cold
heavy cream into a bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until
the cream begins to thicken and soft peaks form. Add the
sugar and vanilla extract and beat until stiff. Mix in several
drops of blue food coloring. Frost the top of the frozen
cake with the blue whipped cream, then return it to the
freezer for 15 to 30 minutes or until set.
TIP: For foolproof whipped cream, chill the bowl and
beaters in advance.
5. Next, let your kids turn the cake into a bustling pool
with gummy ring inner tubes, Gobstopper beach balls,
paper umbrellas, and plastic swimmers. Add a licorice
ladder with licorice rungs (use decorators' frosting to glue
it together).AA
TIP: Take the kids with you to buy pool accessories at a
party supply store, suggests Gail. "They have a better
concept than we do about what makes good pool toys." If
you can't find plastic swimmers, call Sugarcraft at
513-896-7089 or go to www.sugarcraft.com to place an
order.
6. Now it's time to take the plunge into the pool cake. For
best results, serve it immediately and do not let it stand at
room temperature for long. Store leftovers in the freezer.
Feeds 10 to 12 hungry swimmers.
YOU CAN ORDER ITEMS TO DO THIS CAKE... HERE:
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