Epic ice cream cake

“Choose two or three different flavours of your favourite ice cream for this __cake – we went for pistachio, strawberry and vanilla. Then when you slice it open all of the amazing layers will be revealed. ”

90 g butter , at room temperature, plus extra for greasing

90 g light brown sugar

1 large free-range egg

30 g ground almonds

60 g self-raising flour

1 tablespoon cocoa powder

¼ heaped teaspoon baking powder

30 g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids)

50 ml milk

1.5 litres ice cream (2-3 flavours)

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4. Grease the base of a 16cm panettone tin. Set aside.
2. Cream the butter and sugar in a bowl until pale, then beat in the egg and ground almonds until combined.
3. In another bowl, mix together the flour, cocoa, baking powder and a pinch of sea salt, then fold this through the creamed mixture.
4. Chop the chocolate, pop in a bowl and melt it in the microwave for a few seconds. Stir it into the __cake batter along with the milk, until smooth.
5. Spoon the batter into the tin and bake in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until firm to the touch and a skewer inserted comes out clean.
6. Remove the cake from the oven, leave to cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely. Take your ice cream out of the freezer to soften a little.
7. Line the panettone tin with two long pieces of cling film, laying them perpendicular to each other (to help you take out the cake).
8. Halve the sponge horizontally and place one of the thin pieces back into the tin, pressing it down flat.
9. Spoon in one flavour of ice cream to give you a layer at least 5cm-thick. Repeat with a second flavour, then top with a third. Keep layering until you’ve used up all of your ice cream.
10. Press the remaining sponge on top, then fold over the overhanging cling film to cover. Pop the cake in the freezer for at least 2 hours to firm up.
11. To serve, turn out the cake onto a board or cake stand and peel off the cling film. Leave it to soften for 5 minutes, then cut it into slices with a large, warm knife.