Ice Cream Pumpkin Cake

3 quarts vanilla ice cream (store bought)
3 cups canned pureed pumpkin
2 tbls pumpkin pie spice
3 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
24 drops red food color
36 drops yellow food color
6 large green gumdrops

Make this treat at least one day before serving it to your family or guests.

Line two identical 2 quart bowls with plastic wrap.

Remove vanilla ice cream from your freezer and let it stand at room temperature or in the refrigerator until slightly softened. Scoop soft ice cream into a very large bowl and add pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice. Blend well with a wire whip. Spoon this mixture into your two 2 quart bowls. Smooth tops; cover and freeze overnight.

The next day, make the pumpkin.

In a large chilled bowl, put the heavy cream, sugar, vanilla and food colors. Beat the heavy cream mixture with an electric mixer set on high speed until stiff peaks form. Cover and place whipped cream in the refrigerator.

Remove ice cream bowls from the freezer and turn the contents out on to a waxed paper surface. Remove the plastic wrap and place the two flat surfaces together to form a ball. Place ice cream ball on a chilled platter. Place ball back in the freezer for about 1/2 hour hour to refreeze. Then remove it from the freezer and with a small spatula, spread the whipped cream evenly over ice cream ball. Use the spatula to make grooves in the cream to give it a pumpkin like appearance.

Roll and shape gumdrops to make leaves and stem. Add these to the top of your ice cream pumpkin cake.

Place frosted pumpkin in the freezer until you are ready to serve it.

At serving time, decorate your clean cake plate with clean autumn leaves or ivy vines.

Makes 16 servings.