Brownie Ice Cream Sundae Cake

Some recipes have you wanting to rush right out, gather all the ingredients and prepare the recipe. This is one of them. Of course, it helps that it is a hot, humid Sunday afternoon in the Deep South. This recipe is in the June 2014 issue of Coastal Living. The only change I plan to make is to substitute pecans for the walnuts. Those of you who know me, also know I'll melt the chocolate and butter in the microwave. It's so much easier and takes way less time. Just be careful to check every 30 seconds, stirring each time, to make sure the chocolate doesn't burn.

Brownie Ice Cream Sundae Cake

6 oz. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Simple Butterscotch Sauce (recipe follows)
1 half-gallon container (8 cups) vanilla ice cream, softened
Simple Hot Fudge Sauce (recipe follows)
1/2 cup chopped toasted walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease one 9-inch round cake pan AND one 9-inch springform pan. Set aside.

Combine chocolate and butter in a large saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until melted. Let cool to room temperature.

Stir sugar, eggs and vanilla into chocolate mixture. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir into chocolate mixture.

Divide batter evenly between prepared pans. Bake 14 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center emerges with moist crumbs clinging. Cool completely on a wire rack.

Pour half of Simple Butterscotch Sauce over cake baked in springform pan. Spoon 4 cups ice cream evenly over butterscotch sauce. Remove cake from round cake pan, and place on top of ice cream, pressing gently. Pour over remaining butterscotch sauce; top evenly with remaining ice cream. Freeze about 3 hours or until firm.

Run a knife around edge of springform pan, and release cake. Place on a serving plate. Pour Simple Hot Fudge Sauce on top of cake. Sprinkle with huts.

Makes 8 servings.

Simple Butterscotch Sauce

1/2 cup butter
2/3 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

Heat butter and sugar in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Stir in cream; cook, stirring constantly, 2 minutes or until well-blended. Cool completely.

Makes 1 1/3 cups.

Simple Hot Fudge Sauce

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup sugar
6 oz. bittersweet chocolate,  chopped

Combine whipping cream, corn syrup and sugar in a small, heavy saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring constantly, 7 minutes or until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat; stir in chocolate until smooth. Let cool.
'Makes 1 1/3 cups.