Strawberry Cupid Ice Cream Cake

Ingredients

Strawberry Cupid Ice Cream Cake

1 cup chocolate chips or favorite chocolate bar cut in chip size pieces
2 bags (16 oz each) frozen strawberries
2 cups filtered water
1 1/2 cups Imperial Sugar Extra Fine Granulated Sugar
1 2/3 cups corn syrup
1 1/2 cups whipping cream
1 bag (about 1-1 1/2 oz) freeze dried strawberries (optional)

Finishing

1 cup fresh or frozen strawberries
2 tablespoons Imperial Sugar Extra Fine Granulated Sugar
1 1/2 cup whipping cream
2 tablespoons Imperial Sugar Extra Fine Granulated Sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup dark chocolate
2 teaspoons any vegetable oil including olive oil

Directions

Although cake can be made in any shape mold, click here to see mold used to prepare cake in the photograph.
Connect heart shaped ring into second or third indention. Spread a thin film of vegetable oil on exterior of heart mold. Place on a sheet of plastic food film and wrap plastic around heart mold, oil will help to make plastic cling tight. Place plastic side down on a cookie sheet and place in freezer.
Place chocolate chips in freezer.
Defrost strawberries. Defrost either overnight in refrigerator or on low setting in microwave. Keep temperature of berries as cold as possible. Puree strawberries until smooth.
Bring to boil water, sugar, and corn syrup. Boil for 2 minutes and remove from heat. Pour in bowl and place in freezer until very cold.
Combine strawberry puree with cold syrup and cold heavy cream and whisk until combined. Place in freezer until very cold but does not start to solidify.
Meanwhile prepare ice cream machine (Follow manufactures directions). Pouring very cold ice cream mixture into machine will shorten churning time and provide smoother and better ice cream.
Remove from machine and stir in frozen chocolate and nearly all freeze-dried strawberries (retain a few for decoration). Press ice cream into mold and return as quickly as possible to freezer. Leave overnight before proceeding.
Select a serving platter for ice cream cake and prechill it in freezer.
Place frozen cake upside down onto cold platter. Pull plastic away. Using a hair dryer, slightly heat sides of mold to loosen it away from cake.
Remove mold and return cake to freezer.
Whipped cream and strawberry sauce will freeze very hard and are best added to cake when ready to be served.
For strawberry sauce, blend strawberries and 2 tablespoons sugar to smooth puree. If desired add a touch of strawberry liqueur.
For whipped cream, in a cold bowl whip cream, 2 tablespoons sugar, and vanilla to stiff peaks. Fill into a piping bag fitted with a medium size plan piping tip.
Decorate edges of cake with whipped cream as well as bottom edge. Fill center with strawberry sauce and decorate with pieces of freeze-dried strawberries.
In a small microwave safe small bowl, combine chocolate and oil. Heat in 15 second intervals until melted but not hot.
Drizzle chocolate onto edges of cake and serve.