Ice Cream Cake in Dry Ice?

[Chowski]

Alright Eplaya, I need your advice -

I'm getting married on playa this year, and want to bring an ice cream cake for the reception. Ice. Cream. Cake. I'm a fifth-year vet, but have never done a dry ice cooler before. Anyone have any experience they can share?

Here are my thoughts:

I am fairly certain I can keep the cake frozen from (probably) early entry Saturday morning through Tuesday afternoon in a dedicated cooler packed with dry ice on the bottom, cardboard on top of that and ice packed around a hard-frozen cake. Cooler would be kept elevated and covered in deep shade. I would seriously wrap the cake in saran wrap and plastic bags to TRY to keep the dry ice from affecting the taste of the cake.

My biggest question at this point is trying to thaw a full (and a half) sheet cake-sized ice cream cake from hard-frozen to soft-frozen for cutting and serving around 5:00 in the afternoon. I thought perhaps about transferring it out of the dry ice into a normal iced cooler at some point earlier that day or the day before. I fear simply taking it out 1/2 hour before and letting it thaw in the heat - that seems like it would melt outside and remain hard inside.

Fortunately, I live in Sacramento, where we regularly get 100+ degree temperatures all summer, so I will be running a few tests in the next two months to test effects of the ice on the flavor and thawing techniques.

Any advice/Wisdom/snark from someone who may have dealt with ice cream on the playa?

[Elderberry]

We use Dry Ice to keep things cold on the way up. We've done ice cream, but not ice cream cake; so I think you've got the right idea regarding some actual tests.

I like your other idea about putting it in regular ice before serving. With ice cream kept in a standard freezer, they recommend putting it in the refrigerator 1/2 hour before serving. Maybe with dry ice twice that time?

But better a bit too cold than too warm, as long as you can cut it people will enjoy it the colder the better. Use a serrated knife to cut it.

[maladroit]

If you manage to get it frozen too hard to cut, then just drop it and serve the shattered pieces.

[AntiM]

We had frozen cream puffs which were just fine by Thursday (early entry from Utah at that). The filling was carbonated though, and I once had "carbonated" ice cream bars. FYI.

[some seeing eye]

Have you considered a chest or upright powered freezer? New ones are energy efficient and not expensive.

[DoctorIknow]

The filling was carbonated though, and I once had "carbonated" ice cream bars. FYI.

I've picked figs from a very productive tree just hours before depart. Great treats while setting up theme camp.

One year, I put them in a cooler with dry ice.

They became carbonated.

HORRIBLE.... had to toss them between layers of burlap so they could dry out and not rot in the trash.

I haven't researched, but I think lots of items in a dry ice cooler should be in air tight containers.

[BeeWeeDee]

Nobody will ever complain if the ice cream is too hard. Melted - yes. Take it out of the dry ice when you're ready to serve and people can gnaw on it around the edges.

I've been bringing ice-cream bars to the playa as "my thing" for the past several years and by Thursday when the masses get one of the ice cream bars (rock solid), I have yet to have one single complaint.

After that, I gift the rest of my dry-ice.

[Dr. Pyro]

A truly enlightened camp like Barbie Death Camp & Wine Bistro uses liquid nitrogen. It works really well.

[chuckularone]

A truly enlightened camp like Barbie Death Camp & Wine Bistro uses liquid nitrogen. It works really well.

And it cleans itself up when spilled!

[smiffman]

If you manage to get it frozen too hard to cut, then just drop it and serve the shattered pieces.

Cake shanks......(Michael Jackson's "Beat it", plays in background).

[dragonpilot]

Read up on dry ice. It can evaporate very quickly so if you don't have enough to get you through to Thursday, you may end up with ice cream soup.

[Dr Dilemma]

I managed to keep an ice cream cake frozen with dry ice from Thursday (EE) till the following Friday with dry ice. I did have people bringing me more dry ice through the week though.