Copycat Dairy Queen Ice Cream Cake

Directions

1. Place a 9-in. springform pan into freezer to chill at least 30 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, combine Oreo cookie crumbs and melted butter. Transfer mixture to a baking sheet; spread into an even layer. Bake 10-11 minutes or until lightly toasted. Transfer back to mixing bowl; let slightly cool. Add chocolate shell topping; stir to combine. Transfer back to baking sheet. Freeze 30 minutes; crumble into small, coarse pieces. Refrigerate until ready to use.
3. In a small saucepan, bring the heavy cream to a strong simmer; remove from heat. Place chocolate chips in a large glass bowl; add hot heavy cream. Stir until chocolate chips have melted. Stir in corn syrup and vanilla extract until glossy and fully incorporated. Set aside; let cool completely.
4. While the ganache cools, remove vanilla ice cream from the freezer; let soften 15-20 minutes on the counter. When the ice cream has softened, spoon about half of the vanilla ice cream into a gallon-size freezer bag. (Return extra vanilla ice cream to the freezer.) Snip the corner of the bag to create a half-inch round opening. Begin to pipe the vanilla ice cream around the inside edge of the springform pan, working your way almost to the top of the pan. Use an offset spatula to smooth the edges of the ice cream to create a thin, smooth wall of vanilla ice cream around the edge of the pan, leaving a hollow center to add the remaining ice cream, fudge and cookie crumbles. Freeze 20-30 minutes or until firm.
5. Remove chocolate ice cream from the freezer; let soften for 15-20 minutes. Once the vanilla ice cream wall has firmed up in the pan, spoon chocolate ice cream into the center of the cake pan lined with vanilla ice cream. Smooth and level the chocolate ice cream with an offset spatula.
6. Pour a generous layer of the chocolate ganache over the chocolate ice cream layer; smooth with an offset spatula. Sprinkle ganache with chilled cookie crumbles; gently smooth to form an even layer. Freeze chocolate ice cream, fudge and cookie crumble layers 20-30 minutes or until firm.
7. Meanwhile, remove the remaining vanilla ice cream again; let soften on the counter. Once the chocolate layers have firmed up, spoon the remaining softened vanilla ice cream over the other layers. Use offset spatula to smooth the vanilla ice cream evenly over the other layers; the vanilla layer should come to the very top of the springform pan. Freeze cake for at least four hours or overnight.
8. Meanwhile, place whipping cream in a large bowl; beat at medium-high speed until soft peaks begin to form. Gradually add confectioners' sugar and vanilla extract; beat on medium speed until strong peaks form. Keep refrigerated until ready to decorate the cake.
9. Remove ice cream cake from the freezer; use a clean dishcloth soaked in hot water to defrost and loosen the ice cream from the sides of the springform pan. Carefully remove the outside ring of the pan. If the outer ring doesn’t remove easily, continue to warm the pan with the hot dishcloth until it lifts easily off the cake. Next, use an icing smoother to clean up any imperfections on the sides of the cake. Return the cake to the freezer for 20 minutes to firm up the outside edges. Using an offset spatula or pastry bag, frost the cake with whipped cream. Top with sprinkles of your choice. Slice and serve.