Chocolate-Cherry Ice Cream Cake

Waiting. The longest waiting. The due date is next week. Megan is enormous and uncomfortable and she walks through the house like a ship navigating narrow waters. She can't sleep. She can't get comfortable. She eats standing up because sitting down requires a plan and standing up requires only gravity. I rub her back at night and she says, "Lower," and I go lower and she says, "More left," and I go more left and she says, "Just hold me," and I hold her and the baby kicks against my hand and I hold them both.

I'm off from the brewery for the next two weeks — paternity leave, pre-approved by the head brewer, who said, "Call me when it's over." He doesn't do sentiment. He does efficiency. He wants me back. He wants the sours checked. He also, I suspect, wants to know the baby's name, but he'll never ask because asking would involve expressing personal interest and that is not his way.

I went to Holy Cross this week. Not Danny's anniversary. Not Babcia's birthday. Just a Tuesday. I sat by Danny's headstone and I said, "It's almost time." I said, "I'm naming him after you." Not his first name — his middle name. Thomas Daniel. Tommy. The first name is for Tom. The middle name is for Danny. Tom and Danny. The two men. The presence and the absence. Both carried in the name of a boy who hasn't been born yet.

Made nothing this week. Couldn't cook. Too anxious. Too ready. Too full of everything that's about to happen. Megan and I ate from the freezer — reheated pierogi, reheated soup, reheated golabki. The frozen army is deployed. The kitchen is on standby. The house is ready. The crib is ready. The name is ready. We are ready. Almost. Always almost.

The freezer has been running our kitchen this week — the pierogi, the golabki, the soup we made in better-brained weeks and tucked away for exactly this kind of waiting. So it felt right to reach back in one more time, not for a meal, but for something worth celebrating what’s almost here. This Chocolate-Cherry Ice Cream Cake has been sitting in there since last weekend, quiet and patient, which is more than I can say for either of us. It’s cool, it’s ready, and when Tommy finally arrives, we’re cutting into it.

Prep Time: 25 min | Cook Time: 0 min | Total Time: 6 hrs 25 min (includes freezing) | Servings: 12

Ingredients

24 chocolate sandwich cookies (such as Oreos), finely crushed
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup hot fudge sauce, plus more for drizzling
1.5 quarts cherry ice cream, slightly softened
1.5 quarts chocolate ice cream, slightly softened
1 cup frozen whipped topping, thawed
1/2 cup maraschino cherries, drained and patted dry
2 oz semisweet chocolate, shaved or roughly chopped (optional garnish)

Instructions

Make the crust. Stir crushed chocolate cookies and melted butter together in a bowl until the mixture resembles wet sand. Press firmly and evenly into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Freeze for 15 minutes until set.
Layer the chocolate ice cream. Spread the softened chocolate ice cream over the chilled crust in an even layer. Smooth the top with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon. Freeze for 45 minutes until firm.
Add the fudge layer. Warm the hot fudge sauce briefly until pourable but not hot. Spread it evenly over the chocolate ice cream layer. Return to the freezer for 15 minutes.
Layer the cherry ice cream. Spread the softened cherry ice cream over the fudge layer, smoothing the top as evenly as possible. Cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap and freeze for at least 4 hours, or overnight.
Finish and garnish. When ready to serve, release the springform ring and transfer the cake to a serving plate. Spread or pipe whipped topping across the top. Drizzle with additional hot fudge sauce, arrange maraschino cherries across the surface, and scatter chocolate shavings if using.
Slice and serve. Run a sharp knife under warm water, wipe dry, and slice cleanly. Work quickly — the cake softens fast. Return any leftovers to the freezer immediately, covered.

Nutrition (per serving)

Chocolate-Cherry Ice Cream Cake — Something Sweet Waiting in the Freezer