Weekend Recipe: Watermelon Ice Cream Cake

This cake just makes us smile. This concoction from Cook's Country is cute, quirky, and refreshing with its raspberry sorbet filing. And watch out for those watermelon "seeds"!

Watermelon Ice Cream Cake
Serves 14 to 16

1 (9-inch) round white cake*
2 1/2 cups raspberry sorbet
2 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped fine
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
3 tablespoons lime juice (2 limes)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 cups (8 ounces) confectioners' sugar
Green food coloring

*White round cake
1/2 cup whole milk, room temperature
3 large egg whites, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (4 1/2 ounces) cake flour
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (7 7/8 ounces) sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened but still cool

For white round cake: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 9-inch round cake pan, dust with flour, and tap pan to remove excess flour. Mix milk, egg whites, and vanilla together in 2-cup liquid measuring cup.

Using stand mixer fitted with paddle, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together on low speed until combined, about 5 seconds. Add butter and continue to mix until mixture resembles moist crumbs, with no powdery streaks remaining, about 2 minutes.

Add all but 1/4 cup milk mixture to crumbs, increase speed to medium, and continue to beat for 1 1/2 minutes. Add remaining 1/4 cup milk mixture and beat until fully combined, about 1 minute longer, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.

Scrape batter into prepared cake pan and spread into even layer with rubber spatula. Bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 21 to 25 minutes.

Rest cake in pan 3 minutes, then loosen from sides of pan with knife. Invert onto large plate, then reinvert onto wire rack. Cool completely before using, about 1 1/2 hours.

For watermelon cake: Line 6-cup-capacity mixing bowl with plastic wrap. Using serrated knife, cut off domed top of cake so that remaining cake measures 3/4 inch thick (reserve top for another use). Cut remaining cake into 8 wedges and line bowl with wedges, arranging as closely as possible to achieve snug fit. Scoop raspberry sorbet into separate bowl and mash with wooden spoon until softened; gently fold in chopped chocolate. Fill cake-lined bowl with sorbet mixture and smooth top. Cover surface with plastic wrap and freeze until very firm, about 6 hours.

Using stand mixer fitted with whisk, whip butter, lime juice, vanilla, and salt on medium-low speed until combined. Slowly add sugar and continue to whip until smooth, about 2 minutes. Increase speed to medium-high and whip until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add 6 drops food coloring and mix until combined. Transfer 1/2 cup frosting to small bowl, add 6 more drops food coloring, and whisk until combined.

Remove plastic from cake and turn out onto chilled plate or cake pedestal; remove remaining plastic wrap. Cover cake with even layer of light green frosting. Spread 8 vertical stripes of dark green frosting evenly around cake. Freeze until frosting is firm, at least 30 minutes. Serve.