CHERRY-ALMOND ICE CREAM CAKE WITH MILK CHOCOLATE SAUCE

Cherry-Almond Ice Cream Cake with Milk Chocolate Sauce image

Yield Serves 10

Number Of Ingredients 8

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For chocolate sauce
2/3 cup whipping cream
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
10 ounces imported milk chocolate, chopped
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For ice cream cake
3 pints cherry or cherry-vanilla ice cream, softened slightly
3 cups coarsely crushed amaretti cookies (about 9 ounces) or almond macaroons

Steps:

Make chocolate sauce:
Heat 2/3 cup whipping cream and 2 tablespoons butter in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat until butter melts. Remove from heat. Add chocolate; let stand 1 minute. Whisk until chocolate melts and sauce is smooth. Mix in vanilla extract. Cool sauce to room temperature, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes.
Make ice cream cake:
Line bottom of 9 x 5 x 2 1/2-inch metal loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving overhang on long sides. Using back of spoon, spread 1 pint ice cream over bottom of prepared pan. Sprinkle evenly with 1 cup cookie crumbs. Spread another 1 pint ice cream over cookie crumbs. Freeze until ice cream is firm, about 20 minutes. Spread with 3/4 cup sauce; freeze 20 minutes. Spread with remaining 1 pint ice cream; sprinkle with 1 cup cookie crumbs, pressing crumbs into ice cream to adhere. Cover pan and freeze ice cream cake until very firm, at least 4 hours. (Can be prepared 5 days ahead. Keep cake frozen. Cover and refrigerate remaining sauce. Store remaining 1 cup crumbs airtight at room temperature.)
Stir remaining sauce in heavy medium saucepan over low heat until warmed through; pour into small pitcher or bowl. Cut around pan sides to loosen cake. Turn cake out onto platter. Peel off parchment. Sprinkle top of cake with remaining 1 cup crumbs.
Cut cake crosswise into slices. Serve immediately with warm sauce.