A crowd pleasing showstopper of a chocolate cake with strawberry. This is perfect for family celebrations.

Ingredients

• 3 x 500ml tubs white chocolate or vanilla ice cream
• 2 x 500ml tubs strawberry ice cream
• 4 eggs
• 170g golden caster sugar
• 35g cornflour
• 60g plain flour

Method

1. First make the cake. Base line 2 x 20cm, deep cake tins with baking paper. Heat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Beat the sugar and eggs with an electric whisk for 10 minutes, until pale and fluffy, and stiff enough to leave a trail when you lift the beaters. Sift over both flours and fold in. Divide between the tins.

2. Bake for 20 minutes, until golden and a skewer pushed into the cake comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes in the tin (they will sink a little but don’t worry) then turn out onto a wire rack. Wash and dry one of the cake tins, and line it with a double layer of clingfilm or greaseproof paper.

3. Cut the cakes horizontally into 2. Put the bottom layer in the lined tin. Take one tub of strawberry ice cream, and snip off the cardboard with kitchen scissors. Slice the block of ice cream into discs and arrange on the layer of cake in the tin, squidging small pieces into any gaps and spreading them slightly to make an even layer. Put the upper layer of cake on top and put the whole tin in the freezer for at least an hour to firm up.

4. Use 1 tub of the the white chocolate ice cream to make the next layer, topping it with the bottom layer of the second cake. Freeze again for at least 1 hour. Finally, put on a layer of strawberry ice cream, and top with the last circle of cake. Freeze for an hour.

5. Take the cake out of the tin and peel away the paper or clingfilm. Cut thin layers from rest of the white chocolate ice cream and cover the base and sides of the cake completely. This is easier than it sounds – the ice cream acts like wet icing. Use a palette knife to smooth the surface, then freeze for 2 hours to firm up. Wrap well in freezer bags and freeze for up to a week.

6. Half an hour before serving, put the cake on a serving platter and into the fridge to soften a little. Slice with a large knife dipped in hot water.

Yield: 10-12 servings.