Baked Alaska
Baked Alaska is an impressive and easy ice cream dessert. Layers of cake, ice cream, and toasted meringue come together flawlessly to make this tasty treat.
Ingredients
- 1 loaf pound cake store-bought or homemade
- 1 quart chocolate ice cream slightly softened
- 1 quart strawberry ice cream slightly softened
- 6 large egg whites about 3/4 cup, at room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
Instructions
- Slice the pound cake into 1/2 inch slices. Set aside.
- Spray a 9-inch freezer-safe bowl with cooking spray. Then, line the bowl with plastic wrap, leaving overhang as tall as the bowl. Fill the bowl with scoops of chocolate ice cream and strawberry ice cream, alternating the flavors every few scoops. Smooth the top of the ice cream with a spatula to create an even layer.
- Place the pound cake on top of the ice cream, trimming any slices as needed, to fill out the entire length of the bowl. You will probably not need the entire pound cake. Cover with the plastic wrap overhang. Freeze the ice cream and cake for at least 3 hours, until firm.
- Once the ice cream is firm, make the meringue. Place the egg whites and cream of tartar in a large bowl. Mix until on high speed until foamy, about 2 minutes.
- Gradually add in the granulated sugar while mixing. Mix until the meringue is glossy and the meringue forms stiff peaks. This should take about 5 minutes.
- Remove the cake from the freezer. Unwrap the top of the plastic wrap from the cake. Place a serving board or large plate on top of the cake and then invert the bowl onto the platter. Remove the bowl and then unwrap the remaining plastic wrap from the cake.
- Frost the ice cream with the prepared meringue using a spoon or piping bag.
- Use a kitchen torch to toast the meringue or place it under the oven broiler for 3-4 minutes. Slice and serve immediately.
Notes
- You can use your favorite store-bought pound cake or a homemade version. If you are baking your own, you can make it in a 9-inch round cake pan that will fit the bottom of your bowl very easily. You can also use brownies for this recipe, too.
- Use two ice cream flavors that have contrasting colors. I used chocolate and strawberry ice cream. Chocolate and mint chocolate chip would also be a great color combination and delicious, too.
- You need to make sure that the meringue comes to stiff peaks so that you can create some texture with the spoon so that you can get those parts really toasted. You can spoon the meringue onto the ice cream or use a piping bag with a star tip. I chose to use a spoon and created swirls with the back of the spoon.
- It's best to serve Alaska Bake right away after toasting the meringue, but you can keep leftovers in the freezer for up to 3 days.
- If you'd like to make Baked Alaska ahead of time, the prepared pound cake and ice cream center can be wrapped very well and kept in the freezer for up to a week. Add fresh meringue to finish before serving.