The layers:
Take two-thirds (about 1.3 litres) of the first
tub of ice cream, place in a large mixing bowl and allow to soften
slightly.
Crumble the mince pies and add to the ice cream along with the
brandy and nuts.
Mix quickly and thoroughly. Fold in the whipped
cream.
Tip the mixture into the prepared tin and smooth the top with a spatula.
Allow to freeze until firm.
Repeat the same process with the next two layers, using 1.3 l of ice
cream at a time, and allowing each one to freeze until firm.
To remove the cake from its tin, briefly warm the sides and invert onto a large platter.
If the
surface of the cake looks crinkled as a result of lining the tin with cling-film (and if you're not making the chocolate case), smooth with a
heated spatula.
Put the cake back in the freezer.
The casing:
Melt the white chocolate in a metal or glass
bowl set over a pot of simmering water.
Don't allow it to overheat, as
white chocolate is tricky and tends to 'seize'.
Gently heat the glucose
in another pot (or in the microwave) until it is slightly runny.
Remove the chocolate from the heat, tip in the glucose and beat hard,
until the mixture forms a ball and comes away from the sides of the
pan.
Wrap in cling-film and place in the fridge for 20-30 minutes, or
until it's cool enough to handle, but still pliable.
Roll the modelling paste into a long sausage and place it between two
sheets of baking paper.
Roll out into a long strip that is a little
taller than your cake, and long enough to wrap all the way round it.
You need to work quickly here, and to apply very firm pressure.
If
the paste becomes too stiff, fold it, still in the baking paper, in
half, and place it in the microwave for a few seconds at a time to warm
up.
When the strip is long enough, trim one edge with a sharp knife to
make a straight line. Leave the other edge wavy.
Remove the cake from
the freezer and wrap the chocolate paste around it, wavy side up.
Seal
the join with light pressure.
Replace in the freezer.
Topping:
Just before serving, pile the berries into the centre of the cake.
Use a very hot knife (dip it in boiling water, or heat over a flame) to
slice the cake.
Serves 12
Reprinted with permission of
Scrumptious South Africa.
To visit Scrumptious South Africa's blog, click here.