luna's and larry's coconut bliss Archives

The theme song for the Baskin Robbin’s commercial has been running through my head ever since I made this pumpkin ice cream cake last night.

Here it is, if you don’t know what I am talking about…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpzwbcrKDFs

That song is so catchy isn’t it? You gotta love the marketing that goes behind Baskin Robbins cakes. There is a lot of other things too – lurking behind the fun, care-free appearance of their cakes. Lots of preservatives, food coloring, growth hormones and antibiotic filled dairy, pesticides, GMOs, corn syrup, trans fat and other man made toxic chemicals!

Check out the list of ingredients in a typical mint chocolate chip cream cake -

Ingredients: mint chocolate chip ice cream: cream, nonfat milk, sugar, corn syrup, chocolate chips (sugar, chocolate liquor, chocolate liquor processed with alkali, milkfat, cocoa butter, soy lecithin an emulsifier), whey powder, emulsifier/stabilizer blend (mono and diglycerides, cellulose gum, guar gum, carrageenan), natural flavoring, artificial color (blue 1, yellow 5). ganache cake coating: sugar, coconut oil, cocoa (processed with alkali), peanut oil, whey, soy lecithin (an emulsifier), salt, natural flavor. chocolate cake: sugar, bleached wheat flour, water, egg whites, soybean oil, cocoa (processed with alkali), buttermilk, contains less than 2%: leavening (sodium acid pyrophosphate, baking soda, monocalcium phosphate), natural and artificial mocha and vanilla flavors, salt, artificial color (red 40, blue 1, yellow 6), modified corn starch, monoglycerides, propylene glycol monoesters, stearoyl lactylic acid, corn starch, cellulose gum, preservatives (ascorbic acid, citric acid, potassium sorbate).green drizzle: coconut oil, sugar, nonfat milk powder, whey, soybean oil, partially hydrogenated coconut oil, soy lecithin an emulsifier, titanium dioxide (for color), vanillin (an artificial flavor), artificial colors (blue 1, yellow 5).

Can you believe this cake has so many detrimental ingredients to your health all in one slice?…

Once you understand what is in Baskin Robbins, and other conventional ice cream brands – I hope you think twice about your support of these establishments. Even “once and a while” – I don’t call going to Baskin Robbins or anywhere else that uses these types of ingredients “a treat.” Why would I want to treat myself with carcinogenic toxins (propylene glycol, growth hormones), increase risk of heart disease (partially hydrogenated coconut oil) and other potential aliments…(corn syrup, blue 1, yellow 5)?

This is why I find it so hard to understand people when they say they just eat <Insert Dead Toxic BIG FOOD company product here> “once in a while” to “treat” themselves. There are so many good sweet delicious desserts that won’t put your life and health at risk. Remember voting with your dollars is the only way we are going to stop the production of toxic chemicals into our food supply – support local bakeries that make good ingredient decisions, buy your cakes from natural food stores, and eat out at restaurants where they make their own desserts from scratch….And do the unheard of! Make your own freakin’ ice cream cake!

Homemade Pumpkin Ice Cream Cake – Voila!

The secret ingredient is store bought “Coconut Bliss” Icecream – A company I will spend my money on – because they are 100% certified organic and do not support GMOs. Their coconut based ice creams don’t contain refined sugar either! They source their agave nectar from a quality distributor in Mexico that doesn’t overly process the natural sugar. If you haven’t tried their ice creams yet – do – because all of them are amazing!

This recipe is easy. And the outcome is REWARDING (in big caps – because everyone will think you are genius cook after making this….). I just had a piece of this incredible cake today – and let me tell you – IT WILL IMPRESS, DELIGHT and EVERYONE WILL WANT SECONDS (I certainly did!). The best part – you don’t just have to “treat” yourself “once in a while” with this cake – you can have it more often than that – because it is vegan, free of refined sugar and contains ZERO harmful chemicals! Amazing, I know.

I made two cakes last night – one for me and my husband and one for Thanksgiving on Thursday… The one for us is already half gone – if I don’t take the other one to my Mom’s house tomorrow to store in her big freezer, it might not make it until Thursday! Wish me luck!

Food Babe’s Pumpkin Ice Cream Cake

Prep time

1 hour

Cook time

45 mins

Total time

1 hour 45 mins

Serves: 8

Ingredients

Pumpkin Cake:
3 cups of flour – A mix of 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour and 1 cup oat flour works well
1 tsp salt
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1½ tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
⅔ cups coconut flakes
⅔ cups coconut milk
1 cup coconut oil melted
2 cups pumpkin puree
6 dates chopped
6 prunes chopped
2 ripe bananas chopped
1 tsp vanilla
¼ cup maple syrup
For Ice Cream Cake Assembly:
3 containers of Coconut Bliss Vanilla Ice Cream
2 cups dried cranberries

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease large baking dish (9×13)
Sit containers of ice cream out on counter to soften/melt
In a large bowl combine dry ingredients (flour, salt, baking soda, salt, and spices)
In blender combine all sweeteners & liquid ingredients (pumpkin puree, coconut oil, coconut milk, dates, prunes, bananas, maple syrup and vanilla) – Blend until smooth
Slowly stir and incorporate liquid mixture into dry ingredients – fold in dried coconut until moistened
Pour batter into large greased baking dish
Bake for 30-45mins – check doneness with a tooth pick (it will come out clean)
Allow cake to cool before starting assembly with ice cream
In a 8×4 baking dish – layer bottom with soft or melted ice cream and sprinkle top with some cranberries
Slice cake pieces to about ½ inch thick and layer on top
Repeat layer of ice-cream, cranberries, and cake one more time until you end with ice cream on top, finish with cranberries and a sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon
Freeze assembled cake for at least 4 hours
Take cake out of the freezer for 5-10 mins before serving and slice into thin pieces

Notes

Recipe makes enough cake for 2 ice cream cakes (Two 8×4 baking dishes). This is a perfect dish that can be made ahead a week or two before a holiday gathering! ***Please buy all organic ingredients if possible***