Chocolate-Coffee Ice Cream Layer Cake with Norton Ganache

Looking for an idea for how to use store-bought ice cream (other than devouring the entire pint?) Inspired by my trip to Bold Spoon Creamery, I layered some of Rachel’s coffee and Irish cream flavor with a coffee-infused chocolate pound cake and some rich, dark chocolate-wine ganache that I made using Norton. All of the flavors were intense, but they all balanced out beautifully.

The cake should be made a day ahead so it’s fully cooled — and if you want to use a store-bought cake, go for it. This recipe is as easy as slicing and layering — and the ganache takes only a few minutes to make. Enjoy with a glass of Norton — or even try a Norton port, both of which will complement the not-too-sweet nature of this decadent dessert.

Pair with: Dry, well-aged Norton
Norton, Missouri’s state grape, offers deep, dark, jammy flavors — a perfect foil for chocolate to add a bit of acid and savory nuance in the super-easy ganache I pour on top of an ice cream layer cake. The Norton I use is from Chaumette Vineyards and Winery, which is located in the Ste. Genevieve region of Missouri. With a focus on French-style wines made with regional hybrids, Chaumette is an award-winning estate winery that is well-worth a visit for its incredible on-site restaurant and beautiful views.

Chocolate-Coffee Ice Cream Layer Cake with Norton Ganache

Recipe by: Catherine Neville

Yield: 1 cake

  • 1 baked-and-cooled chocolate pound cake (recipe follows)

  • 1 pint coffee ice cream, slightly softened (we use Bold Spoon Creamery’s Coffee with Irish Cream)

  • 2 cups Norton-chocolate ganache (recipe follows)

  • Strawberries cut into slices

  • 2 cups heavy cream

| Preparation | Line 9-inch-by-5-inch loaf pan with plastic wrap, allowing wrap to hang over sides. Slice pound cake horizontally into four slices. Place the bottom cake layer in the pan and top with a drizzle of ganache, rows of strawberry slices, then a layer of ice cream. Repeat with the second layer of cake, then add the top layer of the cake and wrap with plastic and place in freezer for at least an hour. (If your plastic wrap doesn’t fully cover the cake, just add another sheet or some tin foil.)

When ready to serve, whip cream until stiff peaks form and spoon into a piping bag. Remove cake from freezer and pull out of pan. Pipe whipped cream on top of cake in whatever design you prefer. Slice and serve with additional ganache if you’d like and pair with a glass of Norton.

Chocolate Pound Cake

Recipe adapted from King Arthur Flour

Yield: 1 cake

  • 10 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature

  • 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar

  • 2 tsp vanilla extract

  • 1 tsp baking powder

  • 1/4 tsp baking soda

  • 1/2 tsp salt

  • 3 large eggs, at room temperature

  • ⅔ cup brewed coffee, warm

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

  • 1/2 cup cocoa powder

| Preparation | Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease a 9-inch-by-5-inch loaf pan with butter.

In a large bowl using either a stand mixer or a handheld beater, beat butter, sugar, vanilla, baking powder, baking soda and salt until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down sides. Add eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly before adding the next egg.

In a separate bowl, whisk flour and cocoa together.

Beat, at low speed to avoid a mess, a third of the flour mixture into the egg mixture. Mix in half of the coffee. Beat in another third of the flour, the remaining coffee and then the remaining flour.

Scrape the bowl and beat briefly to fully combine. Transfer batter to prepared pan.

Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 60 to 65 minutes. Remove cake from the oven and place it on a rack. Let cool for 15 minutes, then turn it onto the rack to cool completely.

Norton Ganache

Recipe by: Catherine Neville

Yield: about 2 cups ganache

  • 1 cup heavy cream

  • 1/2 cup dry red wine like Norton

  • 4 Tbsp unsalted butter

  • 8oz semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

  • Pinch salt

| Preparation | In a heavy saucepan, whisk cream and wine over medium heat. While heating, place chopped chocolate and butter in a large heatproof bowl with a pinch of salt. When wine mixture comes to a boil, remove from heat and pour over chocolate. Allow to sit for a minute or two and then whisk to combine, melting the chocolate. Ganache will firm up as it cools.

Catherine Neville