Air Fryer Chef: Romantic Brownie Ice Cream Cake for Valentines Day

Sometimes I want a brownie for just myself and a second person — not an entire recipe. This sounds like great use for my little air fryer as I can whip up a small batch of cookies and bars in this small appliance, After experimenting, I figured an easy way to bake one brownie using just part of a box of brownie mix. Since it is close to Valentine’s Day, I baked the brownie in a round springform pan. Then I added a layer of ice cream. After freezing, I topped off the dessert with whipped topping, strawberry sauce and colorful sprinkles, I had a delicious and romantic “Brownie Ice Cream Cake.” And, if you are not as ambitious as me, just skip the ice cream cake and eat the brownie immediately after baking.

Air Fryer and Mini-Springform Cake Pans

I have featured “Ice Cream Cakes” including a brownie variety in previous blog posts. My family loves them so much that I continue to try out different variations of my recipe. A large ice cream cake is really more than two people need. So, I got out my trusty Chefman air fryer for this recipe and to make a very small cake for two people..

My air fryer is a basic model. Turn the oven temperature to the desired setting and the timer to the correct time. When you place the basket into the air fryer, the heater and fan turn on. The fan circulates hot air from the from the top of the air fryer to cook the ingredients. When the time is up, the air fryer “dings” and turns off the heat and fan. Just about impossible to burn what you are cooking. My kind of appliance!

The disadvantage of this particular air fryer appliance is that the food cooks from the outside to the center and from the top down. And, it can be very noticeable with this particular air fryer. If you aren’t careful, the center might be raw and the outside edges overcooked. To bake these brownies, I lowered the air fryer temperature and reduced the cooking time compared to the box mix instructions. I baked lots of batches to come up with this recipe. Still, the brownie was “gooey” in the center. Fortunately, I liked that!

Springform Cake Pan:

I found these cute little springform cake pans on Amazon. They are intended to be the top layer of a set of cake pans used for tiered cakes. Luckily, they are sold separately. One pan is 4″-diameter and the other is 4.5″-diameter. They just fit into the round air fryer basket. In the future, I need to search for a miniature Bundt cake pan, since the center of my brownies was undercooked. As with other baking pans, these springform pans should be hand washed and not placed into a dishwasher.

Brownie Mixes

Brownies made with a commercial box of brownie mix are the best. The flavor is great and the brownies are so simple to mix up. I had never considered baking just part of a box of brownie mix. However, with miniature cake pans, such as my 4″-diameter springform pan, and a small air fryer, we have lots of new possibilities for recipes.

There are lots of varieties of brownie mixes available in grocery stores. For purposes of doing test trials, I always used Betty Crocker’s Brownie Mix brand. These are large boxes, 16.3 oz each, and each box was enough for three batches of brownies. I’m sure that other brands of brownie mix will work, too.

Here are the ingredients for my brownie:

With such small ingredient quantities, it is important to use a large egg and not a jumbo egg. This recipe uses only 1 cup plus 2 Tablespoons of the brownie mix. Store remaining dry mix for future batches. And measuring accurately is important. Make sure that you level off the top of the measuring cup and spoon containing the mix.

Making the Brownies

The most difficult part of this recipe is whipping up the egg. It needs to be completely homogenized — no egg white visible or you will end up with a scrambled egg in your brownie. I used a wire whip and beat the egg for two minutes.

To mix up the brownies, add the dry brownie mix and oil to the beaten egg. Then pour the batter into an oiled springform pan and baked in the air fryer. The springform pan just fits into the air fryer basket, so when baking was complete, I used tongs to lift the pan out of the basket.

Now, if I were just making a brownie for us to eat — we’re finished. Remove the brownie from the springform pan and eat. The brownie is delicious when it is warm. But, today I’m ambitious and I am making a frozen brownie ice cream cake.

Cool the brownie to room temperature, leaving it in the springform pan — the sides of the springform pan will give structure for the ice cream layer.

Next, it is time to finish the “Brownie Ice Cream Cake.” It is a chance to be creative and conduct a scavenger search of kitchen cabinets and the refrigerator for possible toppings. Everyone has their favorite ice cream flavor; mine is Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla for these frozen desserts. I found ice cream syrups in my refrigerator and sprinkles in a kitchen cabinet. Hum, this is beginning to remind me of a Brownie Sundae.

It is easier to spread on the ice cream if it is softened, so I let it set out of the freezer for 30 minutes. I used one cup of ice cream to reach the top of the springform pan. Back into the freezer to firm up the ice cream. Let it freeze at least an hour to overnight.

The final step is to add whip toppings, pink sprinkles, other decorations of your choise and pour on the syrup. I used strawberry syrup for this “Brownie Ice Cream Cake.” Oops, all of it ran down the sides of the cake onto the platter.

And, I found the perfect serving platter — a piece of Depression Glass inherited from a my aunt.

This little cake is just right for a romantic Valentine’s dinner. Well, Valentine’s Day is past — but we can still enjoy this dessert. It is the mood and special person which makes the life memorable. Since both of us like ice cream and brownies — it’s a winning dessert any time. Enjoy!

A brownie for one or two people is a great use for a small air fryer. You don’t have to turn on a large oven. I am trying to cut down on sweets. A small brownie batch means that we get to indulge on the sweets; but not excessively.

Enjoy!