Elegant Swan Ice Cream Cake With White Chocolate Ganache
This decadent swan ice cream cake has a simple white cake base, complemented perfectly by a delicious cookies & cream ice cream core and covered in textured white chocolate ganache and edible feathers. This cake is as elegant as the swan itself, which makes it the perfect eye-catching treat for special occasions like birthdays and weddings.
Equipment
- deep 7-inch springform pan
- Piping bag
- Pastry brush
Ingredients
- white fondant for the swan neck
- orange fondant for the swan neck
- black fondant for the swan neck
- 1 wooden skewer for the swan neck
- 6 eggs separated, for the white cake base
- 1 2/3 cups sugar for the white cake base
- 2 1/2 cups flour for the white cake base
- 1 tbsp baking powder for the white cake base
- 2/3 cup milk for the white cake base
- 3 tbsp corn starch for the white cake base
- 14 oz white chocolate chopped, for the white chocolate ganache
- 3/4 cup heavy cream for the white chocolate ganache
- 1 3/4 sticks butter for the white chocolate ganache
- 14 oz white chocolate tempered, for the white chocolate feathers
- 1 pint cookies & cream ice cream
Instructions
- Roll out white fondant into the shape of the swan's head and neck. Attach a triangular beak made out of orange fondant to the head and add eyes and additional accents using the black fondant. Insert a wooden skewer into the bottom of the fondant neck and let the design dry at room temperature for 48 hours.
- Grease and flour a deep 7-inch springform pan and preheat the oven to 325°F. Separate the eggs, beat the egg whites, and gradually add in the sugar until a stiff meringue forms. Once the meringue is light and fluffy, incorporate the egg yolks one at a time. Use a spatula to gently stir in the baking powder, corn starch, flour, and milk until combined. Pour the cake batter into the greased springform pan, transfer the springform pan to the oven, and bake at 325°F for 90 minutes. Once the cake is done baking, take it out of the oven and let it cool completely.
- Chop the white chocolate and place it in a large heat-resistant bowl. Bring the heavy cream to a boil, pour it over the chopped white chocolate, and stir everything together until combined. Let the ganache cool slightly, beat it with a hand mixer, and gradually add in the butter.
- Lay a piece of parchment paper on top of a wooden cutting board. Temper the white chocolate, transfer it into a piping bag, and pipe two rows of white chocolate dots onto the parchment paper. Using a pastry brush, delicately brush the first row of white chocolate dots to one side in the shape of wings, then brush the other side of dots to the alternate side. Repeat this process until you've made 30-40 white chocolate feathers. Let the white chocolate set at room temperature, then transfer the pieces of parchment paper to the refrigerator to let the feathers harden.
- Once the cake has cooled, cut off the topmost layer evenly in order to make a lid for the cake. Set the top of the cake aside and hollow out the center with a glass. Remove an entire pint of cookies & cream ice cream from its container and insert it directly into the hollowed-out cake base. Place the lid of the cake back on top and coat the surface of the cake with white chocolate ganache. Use the spatula to create a fluffy, textured effect in the ganache on the top of the cake. Gently press the white chocolate feathers into the ganache covering the sides of the cake until it is covered. Insert the fondant swan neck into the top of the cake.
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Notes
This elegant cake will certainly leave a lasting impression on your guests. Its light, airy base floats delicately around the ice cream core, and the white chocolate ganache and accents make for a gorgeously indulgent cake experience. This swan cake is fit for a princess!