I'm saying no to cool whip

Pete's birthday is tomorrow and have nothing for him. Really, nothing at all. I ordered something for him last night seconds before he got home and there is no way it will be here by tomorrow. But, he is very understanding and on Saturday we are going shopping and I know exactly what I will get him, so at least I have a plan. and shopping with the kids is so much fun, right?! and on a Saturday with all the people out in the world? gads.

But I have started his ice cream cake, which was the request this year. We always make each other's cakes and the birthday person gets to request-so, ice cream cake it is. it's a chocolate cake with mint ice cream. I found so many recipes for types of ice cream desserts and pretty much every one called for cool whip. I hate cool whip and I absolutely love cream, so I am using that instead. The big dilemma is do you frost a ice cream cake with frosting? Whip cream (or cool whip, as all the recipes say) or really soft vanilla ice cream? I am going for the second choice. I think it will freeze just fine.This has been a long time coming because I did get the HUGE upright freezer from mom when she moved so I can put about 20 ice cakes in there. freezing in layers take up a ton of room, and I've got it.

I am bummed because the kitschy cool of cool whip pies, cakes, frozen desserts,etc. is so cool and so incredibly easy. But, dang it, I can always taste it, you know? It's gross, but so cool gross. I'm just not that cool. Pete remembers going to a party as a kid where they served "strawberry shortcake" which was twinkies broken up in a huge vat with containers of cool whip on top and then strawberries in syrup mixed it. And the there were also about 200 thousand bees swarming around. wow.

the wonderful fringe is from plum party, and I don't have any of this either, but I wish I did. sorry Pete! I suck!

Comments

[erinay]

yes, you can frost an ice cream cake (never done it myself... but I have had a slice of one... I am not sure if it was frosting or just hot fudge smeared on top... god it was delicious... my ob dr just told me to stop gaining so much weight, so I am dreaming of all the sinful desserts and I am sure I will be eating many in the near future, out of pure defiance.

[Kay]

I was all set to rise to the defense of Cool Whip but the Twinkie Shortcake stopped me dead in my tracks. That story is a walk-off home run. I admit defeat.

It's only gross if I think of it as 'Whipped Cream Substitute'. Cause there IS no substitute for cream. There are just other white fluffy substances. xoxo Kay

[sally]

Amy: I'm sure Pete will love his cake! They have some similar fringe at Target right now, in red and pink. Just picked some up for Valentine's Day decorations. Not sure if Pete would go for the pink? Maybe red though?

[Daphne]

MMmmmm. I once made a chocolate layer cake with mint chip filling, and iced it with a traditional butter/sugar/cocoa/vanilla and probably a raw egg frosting. It froze in a great way and is the most delicious cake I can remember making. mmmmm...

[Mariko]

Happy Birthday to Pete! I actually LOVE Cool Whip. Yummers. I'm sure Pete's ice cream cake will be delicious.

[Barb]

I froze regular frosted cake before in an attempt to not eat so much of it. My plans derailed when I found out it was just as delicious straight out of the freezer, lol. I've had store-bought ice cream cakes before that had regular icing on them that froze fine. There used to be a cake roll you could buy at the grocery store when I was a kid--chocolate cake with a raspberry sherbet and nuts all over the outside somehow. I don't remember the details, but it was heavenly.

[Barb]

I just did an internet search, and it looks like most of the cakes call for buttercream frosting.

[Sarah]

Hey, I just stumbled across your site from not martha, and I wanted to help you with your cake. I worked at Baskin Robbins for a year and a half before I left for college, an I've probably frosted a hundred ice cream cakes. (For a particularly adorable lion cake, check my flickr). First of all, you have to seal the cake , especially the sides, with a thin layer of your mint ice cream before you frost, just the same way you do with buttercream or whatever on a layer cake. Then for the top layer of vanilla, the key is to melt the ice cream until it's just hard enough that when you press your finger into it, it keeps the shape for a few seconds (gross that I've touched customers' cakes, huh? It happens). Anyways, when it's the perfect consistency, dump a whole bunch of it on the top and smooth it to a (mostly) uniform thickness with a long, flat baking/pastry spatula, letting it run down the edges. Then use the same spat (or a smaller one, if you have it) to smear the ice cream around the sides. Don't be afraid to really work the ice cream. You'll end up with a little vertical ridge around the top of the cake when you've smoothed the sides. Kind of slice that off with the side of the spatula, and you're done. Oh, and remember, it's not gonna be perfect, but the longer you keep messing with the melting ice cream, the worse it will get. But it will be awesome anyway, because it's ice cream, right? ...I loved frosting cakes at work...turning out a seamless frosting job makes one feel like such a badass. :)

[kt]

Sarah's 100% correct--as a graduate of the Baskin-Robbins world, I can agree that ice cream will frost a cake quite nicely. You can also use REAL whipped cream--my fave B-day cake is icebox cake, which is made up of Nabisco chocolate wafers (think larger, thinner oreo cookie minus filling) and whipped cream. (See this http://www.nola.com/food/t-p/recipes.ssf?zebra_pie.html, too.)

Happy Birthday Pete!

[sarah n.]

nothing at all?? not even a card?? you must at least make the man a card. i, on the other hand, am still stuck thinking about frozen cheese and this post is totally turning my stomach. that strawberry shortcake is the nastiest thing i've ever heard of though a recent state fair treat, fried oreos + snickers, is a very close second. shoot. just batter it up and drop it in your fry daddy. forget the frosting.

[amanda]

happy birthday to pete!

Just Say NO to cool whip.

[hannah]

what is cool whip made of anyway? i mean there is no way there is any actual dairy product in there. i contend that it is plastic. good luck with the cake, it sounds daunting, but maybe thats just because i order mine every year from a delicious and cheap bakery near by. eliots party is saturday too. is pete into outerspace? you all are more than welcome!

[stephanie]

happy birthday pete!

[hillary]

i'm that cool. coolwhip rocks!

happy birthday pete :)

[Dayna]

Hi - your cake sounds like the one I just made for Christmas. I found mine in Cooking Light and it had regular frosting. It tasted great and froze wonderfully! Your post makes me want to have a piece right now!! Good Luck.

[mary]

ohmigosh, you are too funny, amy! i'm sure you're ice cream cake will rock, and with the information from sarah and kt above, I am now going to request an ice cream cake for my birthday next week. yumm!

happy birthday to Pete!

Oh, and I hate cool whip too. it has to be the real thing...

[sparrow]

I always frost my ice cream cakes with real whipped cream just before I serve it. Works for me - and it's super easy.

[amy k.]

thanks for all the tips! I frosted this moring with whipped cream and stuck it back in the freezer-photos to follow, although I can't promise they will be of the cake un-cut. . .

[kathreen]

having never used cool whip - only ever cream - i would say you can pipe whipped cream - there are all sorts of piping spouts to get the effect you desire - happy b'day to the hubby and goodluck shopping

[Tabitha]

I've always frosted ice-cream cakes with frosting, then put it back in the freezer. My grandmother, who was a much more dedicated baker than I, would make meringue and bake it quickly, ala baked alaska style. AND...as trashy as it is...I LOVE Cool Whip--there's nothing like white, shiny, plastic fluff to make a good dessert GREAT!--We all have vices :)

[emily]

As a long time silent reader, I must say that I love your blog and was thrilled to see the new fabrics yesterday! As a former Baskin Robbins ice-cream-scooper, be assured that you can indeed frost your cake with vanilla icing. That's what we did to cover all the crumbs and then freeze. After that, we would bring it back out and frost it again this time there's no chance the cake crumbs will mix with the frosting. Yum! Happy birthday to your husband!

[Julia]

So funny, "just say no to cool whip"! I grew up in CA, and we never had it; it was a strange jello topping I only experienced when visiting my grandmother or aunts in TX. To this day, I don't care for it on desserts, except for pumpkin pie. Real whipped cream is just so, so perfect, especially with berries. But my sinful secret is that I love to eat cool whip RIGHT OUT OF THE TUB.

Not that I've indulged that whim too often. It's a forbidden lust ;-)

I see the cake wound up being gorgeous. You're so good!

[carolb]

Word on the Cool Whip. Yuck. Anything that says "edible oil product" just gives me the willies.
Also, I have to say the description of twinkies and Cool Whip and strawberries in syrup really is the worst birthday cake ever. I just can't top that...other than the time I caught my dog licking my friend's cake minutes before I had to take it to her house for her party. I didn't tell anyone. Besides, there were no bees to worry about and dog's mouths are supposedly very clean. Teehee.