If you’ve ever been to a Shoney’s Big Boy restaurant, you know all about the Hot Fudge Cake.  If not, let’s talk about it…creamy vanilla ice cream(they had special little ice cream bricks), sandwiched between to pieces of warm chocolate cake, bathed in hot fudge sauce, topped with a mountain of whipped cream, and finished with cherry!

I’m doing the same thing but adding in some delicious patriotic color in the form of blueberries, bananas, and strawberries.  This is a great, easy “pull together” dessert that can be done with time saving store bought items.  And even though it’s easy, it’s still a very impressive dessert for company.  I hope that you will find your way to try this.

Chocolate cake, ice cream, chocolate ganache, nuts, whipped cream & fruit…You’re on your way to a show stopper!

No special shaped ice cream here, just slightly soften and mound atop a warm piece of cake.

Top with remaining cake layer, chocolate ganache, fruit, whipped cream, and nuts.

Hot Fudge Cake
makes 4

4 1-inch slices of chocolate pound cake, cut in half*
1 pint vanilla ice cream, slightly softened
1 cup chocolate sauce or ganache (half recipe)
1/2 cup blueberries
1 banana, sliced into 1/2 inch rounds
1/2 cup sliced strawberries + 4 small whole berries(garnish)
whipped cream, canned really does add to the charm of this dessert 🙂
1/4 toasted pecans or almonds

*If you’re making the chocolate pound cake, use your favorite recipe or mix baked in a 9×5 loaf pan or use store bought chocolate pound cake…As a teen, I worked at Shoney’s, they use a ‘add water only’ cake mix and it’s still good!

Warm cake pieces in a microwave for 10 seconds.  Place 1 piece on plates, evenly divide ice cream among the slices and top each with a second slice to create a “sandwich”.  Next, drizzle sides with warmed chocolate sauce or ganache, add cut fruit.  Top each fudge cake with a mound of whipped cream and a whole strawberry.  Sprinkle with nuts and serve immediately 🙂