Cookie Dough Ice Cream Layer Cake

Instructions

1. Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
   In a large mixing bowl, cream your butter and sugars using an electric mixer until the mixture is pale and creamy. Add vanilla and beat again. Then sift in flour and beat until combined. Add milk, one tablespoon at a time, until a soft dough forms. Then stir in chocolate chips. Divide your cookie dough into four even balls. Place one ball of cookie dough into the fridge – this will be used later to decorate.
2. For the remaining three balls, you need to roll each piece of dough out to form a flat rectangle. I found it easiest to do this by placing a sheet of baking paper onto the bench. Form your dough into a rectangular blob using your hands and place it on top of the paper. Then place another piece of baking paper on top of the dough. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough out until it forms a rectangular shape (no need to be perfect at this stage). Once the dough is about half an inch thick, place on a tray and pop into the fridge. We will let it harden slightly before cutting it into the right shape for your baking tin. Repeat for all three balls of cookie dough and place in the fridge.
3. Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
   In a large mixing bowl, beat cream with an electric mixer until it forms soft peaks. In a separate bowl, add your condensed milk and vanilla and then gently fold in whipped cream. Once combined and smooth, place bowl into the fridge.
4. Dark Chocolate Ganache
   To make ganache, finely chop dark chocolate and place into a bowl. In a small saucepan, warm cream on a medium-low until it is slightly bubbling but before it is boiling. Pour the cream over the chocolate, cover with plate and leave it for 3-4 minutes. Gently whisk the mixture until it becomes smooth.
5. Assembly
   To assemble the ice cream cake, you will need to line a small rectangular tin (I used a 24 cm x 15 cm or 9 inch x 5 inch) tin with plastic wrap, ensuring at least two sides overhang. Get your first piece of flattened cookie dough out of the fridge, now it is a bit firm, you should be able to cut out a rectangle shape using a sharp knife. Then pop your first piece of cookie dough into your tin. Next add half of your ice cream mixture (1 and 1/2 cups) on top and spread out evenly. Then drizzle over a thin layer of chocolate ganache.
6. You will want to repeat this process, cutting out your second piece of cookie dough, then layering with the rest of the ice cream, more chocolate ganache and finishing with a final layer of cookie dough. Wrap the plastic wrap over the cookie dough. Wrap the entire tin with more plastic wrap to ensure it is completely covered. Pop in the freezer overnight to set. Pop the rest of the chocolate ganache in the fridge to use later.
7. Decorate
   Grab your last cookie dough ball from the fridge and set aside. To decorate the ice cream cake, you will first need to whip your cream until it forms stiff peaks and then fold in the cocoa powder and icing sugar. Next grab ice cream cake from the freezer and place on a serving platter. It should be easy to remove from the tin and just peel off your plastic wrap.
8. Grab your leftover chocolate ganache from the fridge and microwave for 15 seconds at a time, until it becomes nice and loose. Pour it over the top of your cake. Pop the cake into the freezer for five minutes to set. Then spoon your chocolate cream into a piping bag and gently pipe circles over the top of cake. Once your cookie dough has softened a little, roll small balls with your hands and gently place a piece on top of each dollop of cream. If you wish, add a few extra chocolate chips to the sides of your cake and you are done! You can officially DIG IN!