Chocolate Ice Cream Cake with Mint Meringue

For the chocolate ice cream

Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of boiling water, being careful not to let the water touch the bottom of the bowl, and stir constantly until just melted. Cool to room temperature.

In a large bowl, whisk the sweetened condensed milk, the cooled chocolate, vanilla, and salt until completely combined.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk, beat the cream cheese on medium until smooth. Turn the mixer to low and add the heavy cream in a slow steady stream, mixing until combined. Increase the speed to medium-high and whisk until stiff peaks form, 3-4 minutes.

Add half the whipped cream mixture to the sweetened condensed milk mixture and whisk until completely combined. With a rubber spatula, gently fold the remaining whipped cream mixture until no streaks remain. Pour into a 9-inch loaf pan or Pullman pan and freeze until firm, 6 hours or, covered, up to 1 week.

For the crust

Place 25 chocolate sandwich cookies in a food processor, and process until they are broken down into crumbs.

In a medium bowl stir together the cookie crumbs and melted butter until evenly coated.

Line a 9-inch loaf pan with plastic wrap, letting the wrap hang over the sides (this will help easily remove the ice cream cake).

Use a measuring cup or spoon to press 1 cup (100 g) cookie crumbs evenly on bottom of the prepared Pullman pan or loaf pan. Top with half the chocolate ice cream, pressing it into an even layer. Sprinkle the remaining crumbs evenly over the ice cream and top with the remaining chocolate ice cream. Place the chocolate ice cream cake in the freezer and freeze for at least 6 hours or overnight before topping with meringue. Let ice cream sit out at room temperature about 20 minutes before assembling the cake.

For the meringue topping

Put about an inch of water in a medium saucepan and bring it to a gentle boil.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, stir the egg whites, sugar, and salt to combine. Place the bowl over the saucepan, being careful not to let the water touch the bottom of the bowl. Stir with a rubber spatula until the sugar is completely melted and reaches a temperature of 160°F, 4 to 5 minutes. While you are stirring, be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl with the spatula—this will ensure no sugar grains are lurking on the sides and also help prevent the egg whites from cooking.

Remove the bowl from the heat and place it in the stand mixer fitted with a whisk. Whisk on medium-high until stiff, glossy peaks form, 8 to 10 minutes. The bowl should have cooled down to room temperature at this point. Add the vanilla and mint extracts, and crème de menthe, and beat until combined.

Use the plastic wrap to gently remove the cake from the loaf pan. Working quickly, remove the plastic and set the loaf cake on a serving platter.

Use a spatula to spread the meringue evenly over the top of the chocolate ice cream cake and, if desired, use a spoon to create curls. Hold a kitchen blowtorch 1 or 2 inches away from the cake and touch the flame down in between the curls. The curls will toast and brown (if the curls set on fire, you can blow them out). Slice the cake and serve immediately. (Because this is ice cream, an oven broiler won’t work here to toast the meringue – you will just have a melted puddle. If you don’t have a blow torch, you can serve the cake without toasting it – it will still taste delicious.)