Red raspberries infuse cake with romance

If you're looking for a Valentine's Day dessert, think red. Then think a little more. Consider a frozen dessert sweet enough to melt a heart -- or hearts, if the cook is generous, and sociable.

A red raspberry ice cream cake with raspberry Amaretto sauce combines all these seductive qualities. Beyond the visual and romantic, this is a practical little number, too. It's a snap to make and you can prepare it up to a month ahead, then keep it frozen until you are ready to serve it.

Red raspberries, quick frozen, are available year-round in your grocer's freezer section to combine with ice cream as this Valentine treat. A 9-inch heart-shaped springform pan will give you an appropriate shape, but if you don't have one you may substitute a 9-inch round springform pan.

Red Raspberry Ice Cream Cake with Raspberry Amaretto Sauce

(Preparation 45 minutes to 1 hour; freezing time 6 hours or up to 1 week in advance; thawing time before serving, 30 to 45 minutes)

For the cake:

6 cups red raspberries, frozen

1/2 gallon vanilla ice cream

About 2 dozen Italian-style ladyfingers (available at most large grocery stores)

1/4 cup Amaretto liqueur (optional)

2/3 cup sugar

For the sauce:

4 cups frozen red raspberries

2 tablespoons Amaretto (substitute 1/2 teaspoon almond extract if you prefer a nonalcoholic sauce)

3/4 cup of sugar

For garnish:

1 cup heavy whipping cream

2 teaspoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Prepare springform pan by spraying with cooking spray and then lining with plastic wrap. Let plastic wrap hang over the sides of the pan.

Thaw 6 cups frozen raspberries. Remove ice cream from freezer and soften.

Cut ladyfingers in length to be flush with top edge of plastic-lined pan; stand them, with rounded edge at the top, along the sides of the pan. Place additional ladyfingers in the bottom of the pan, squeezing them in tightly to cover completely, cutting to fit in small areas if needed.

Sprinkle Amaretto over all ladyfingers, if desired (omit this step for nonalcoholic cake); set aside.

Puree raspberries in a food processor with the sugar. Press through a fine sieve into a large bowl. Add softened ice cream to raspberry puree, and combine well. Pour ice cream mixture into prepared pan with ladyfingers. Freeze cake, covered with plastic wrap, until frozen hard, about 6 hours or up to one week.

To serve, remove cake from freezer and let soften in refrigerator at least 30 minutes and up to 45 minutes before serving time. Remove cake from pan, discarding plastic wrap.

Whip heavy cream with sugar and almond extract until stiff peaks form. Garnish cake by piping cream along edge of cake with a large piping tip. Top cream with fresh or frozen whole raspberries. You may further decorate center with unsprayed fresh flowers, if desired.

Serve cake with sauce. Pass extra sauce at the table.

Makes 10 servings.

To make the sauce: In a food processor, puree raspberries with sugar and Amaretto (or almond extract) and force through a fine sieve into a bowl. Sauce may be made ahead, covered and chilled.

Makes 1 1/2 cups.

Recipe from Oregon Raspberry and Blackberry Commission.