The Twelve Posts of Christmas - #2 (2013 Edition)

Here's a thought for a birthday cake (Mrs. BA?) or perhaps for a Christmas Dinner dessert. From BuzzFeed and Food52.

Chocolate Coffee Ice Cream Cake
Author Notes: For this decadent treat, Alice Medrich's rich and chewy nibby brownies are topped with coffee ice cream and a billowy layer of no-churn sweet cream ice cream.
Serves 10 to 12

FOR THE BROWNIE LAYER

• 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces 
• 1 cup sugar 
• 3 eggs 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
• 1/4 teaspoon salt 
• 1/3 cup plus one tablespoon all-purpose flour 
• 1/4 cup cacao nibs 

FOR THE COFFEE ICE CREAM LAYER

• 2 cups heavy cream 
• 1 cup milk 
• 1/4 cup coffee beans, coarsely ground 
• 3/4 cups sugar 
• 5 egg yolks 
• 2 tablespoons Kahlua or other coffee liqueur 
• pinches salt 

No-Churn Ice Cream

• 14 ounces can of sweetened condensed milk 
• 2 cups heavy cream 
• 2 tablespoons bourbon pinches salt 

1. FOR THE BROWNIE LAYER: Preheat oven to 350º F. Line an 8-inch springform pan with parchment paper and grease the bottom and sides generously 
2. Put the chopped chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, stirring occasionally until the chocolate and butter are completely melted. Let cool. 
3. In a separate bowl whisk together the sugar, eggs, vanilla, and salt until the mixture is lighter in color, about 3 minutes. 
4. Pour the melted chocolate mixture into the eggs and whisk to combine, then fold in the flour and 2 tablespoons of the cacao nibs. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle with the rest of the nibs. 
5. Slide your pan into the oven and bake until a toothpick inserted into the brownies comes out clean, 25 to 30 min. Cool completely, then remove the outside of the springform pan and slice the brownie round in half horizontally. I find the brownies are easiest to slice after a few minutes in the refrigerator. Leave the bottom half of the brownies in the pan and put the outside of the springform pan back in place. Break the top layer of brownie into 1-inch pieces and set aside. Then prepare the coffee ice cream. 
6. FOR THE COFFEE ICE CREAM LAYER: Heat 1 cup of heavy cream to just below simmering, turn off heat, add the coffee beans, and let steep for 5 minutes. Drain the mixture through a coffee filter and transfer it to a bowl with a strainer set over it. 
7. Combine the milk, remaining heavy cream, sugar, egg yolks, and salt in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, being careful to not let the mixture boil. Stir often, and cook until the mixture coats the back of a spoon, about 10 minutes. Strain the mixture over the coffee-infused cream and stir to combine. Add in the coffee liqueur if using. Chill over an ice bath (or for a few hours in the fridge).
8. When completely chilled, churn the mixture in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Spread the soft ice cream mixture over the trimmed brownie layer still in the pan. You want to fill the pan so it is about halfway full, which means you will probably have a bit of extra ice cream leftover; freeze it in an airtight container to enjoy later. Top the coffee ice cream with the broken brownie pieces. Put the pan in the freezer to firm up while you prepare the sweet cream ice cream 
9. FOR THE NO-CHURN ICE CREAM LAYER: Whisk the sweetened condensed milk, bourbon, and salt together in a large bowl. 
10. In a separate bowl, whisk the heavy cream to stiff peaks. Then gently fold it into the condensed milk mixture. 
11. Top the coffee ice cream and brownies with the sweet cream mixture (you may have a bit leftover) and freeze overnight before slicing. Just before serving, sprinkle with a few teaspoons of cacao nibs and top the slices with chocolate sauce. I like this Magic Shell (http://food52.com/recipes/22873-magic-shell) with a pinch of salt. Enjoy!