Big Beautiful Baked Alaska Recipes

BIG BEAUTIFUL BAKED ALASKA

Steps:

• Begin with a medium-large bowl with an 8-inch diameter at the top (with a capacity of at least 1 1/2 quarts). Line the bowl with plastic wrap, draping excess wrap over the sides.
• Evenly and firmly pack vanilla ice cream into the bowl. Smooth out the surface, and repeat with strawberry ice cream, yielding two packed layers with a flat surface. Place wafers, rounded side down, in a single layer over the strawberry ice cream. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze until completely firm, at least 8 hours.
• Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Set out all remaining measured ingredients.
• To make the meringue, combine egg whites with cream of tartar in a large bowl. With an electric mixer set to high speed, beat until fluffy and slightly stiff, about 3 minutes. Continue to beat while gradually adding sugar, sweetener, and vanilla extract. Beat until fully blended and stiff peaks form, 2-3 minutes.
• Remove bowl from the freezer and uncover. Place a 9-inch pie pan firmly over the bowl, upside down, and carefully flip so the pie pan is on the bottom. Gently tug on the plastic wrap to release the ice cream from the bowl, leaving the ice cream in the pie pan. Remove the plastic wrap.
• Quickly and evenly spread meringue over the ice cream mound. Place pie pan on a baking sheet.
• Bake until meringue is cooked through and lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Slice and enjoy! (Freeze the leftovers and eat 'em frozen.)

BAKED ALASKA

Steps:

• Make the ice cream cake: Brush a 3-quart metal bowl with vegetable oil; line with plastic wrap. Fill the bowl with scoops of the sorbet, vanilla ice cream and half of the chocolate ice cream, alternating small and large scoops to create a mosaic of colors and shapes. Place a piece of plastic wrap on top of the ice cream; press down to close the gaps between scoops and even out the surface. Remove the plastic wrap, sprinkle the ice cream with the wafer crumbs and re-cover with the plastic wrap, pressing gently. Freeze until set, about 30 minutes.
• Remove the wrap and spread the remaining chocolate ice cream in an even layer on top of the crumbs. Cut the pound cake into 1/2-inch-thick slices; completely cover the ice cream with the slices, trimming as needed (you'll use about two-thirds of the cake). Cover with fresh plastic wrap and freeze until firm, at least 2 hours or up to 2 days.
• Make the meringue: Whip the egg whites and cream of tartar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until foamy, about 2 minutes. Gradually beat in the sugar on high speed until the whites are glossy and hold stiff peaks.
• Remove the top layer of plastic wrap, then invert the cake onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. (If necessary, let the cake stand overturned until it slips out.) Remove the rest of the plastic wrap and cover the ice cream completely with the meringue, making the dome-shaped top slightly thicker than the sides. Form swirly peaks in the meringue using the back of a spoon. Freeze for at least 3 more hours.
• Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Bake the cake until the meringue peaks are golden, about 4 minutes, or brown the meringue with a blowtorch. Let the cake soften at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing. Freeze any leftovers.

BAKED ALASKA

Steps:

• Line the bottom and sides of an 8-inch round mixing bowl or deep 8-inch square container with foil. Spread ice cream in container, packing firmly. Cover and freeze 8 hours or until firm.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour an 8x8 inch pan.
• Prepare cake mix with egg and almond extract. Pour into prepared pan.
• Bake in preheated oven according to package instructions, until center of cake springs back when lightly touched.
• Beat egg whites with cream of tartar, salt and sugar until stiff peaks form.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment or heavy brown paper. Place cake in center. Turn molded ice cream out onto cake. Quickly and prettily spread meringue over cake and ice cream, all the way to paper to seal. Return to freezer 2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• Bake the Alaska on the lowest shelf, 8 to 10 minutes, or until meringue is lightly browned. Serve at once.

BAKED ALASKA

Steps:

• For the ice cream center: Spray a 4 1/2- to 5-quart metal bowl with nonstick spray and line with plastic wrap. Create a first layer using the softened cherry chocolate chip ice cream, then freeze for 30 minutes.
• Add the softened mint chocolate chip ice cream for the second layer and freeze again for 30 minutes.
• Add the softened chocolate chocolate chip ice cream for the third layer, then top with a layer of angel food cake. Cover in plastic wrap and freeze for at least 4 hours and up to 2 days.
• For the meringue: Using a stand or electric hand-held mixer, whisk the egg whites until frothy. Add the cream of tartar and whisk again. With the machine running, add the sugar a little at a time and whisk until the meringue is glossy and forms stiff peaks.
• Remove the ice cream bomb from the freezer and take off the plastic wrap on top. Turn out the frozen ice cream and cake onto a plate so that the cake layer is in contact with the plate and you have a dome.
• Remove the plastic wrap from the dome and cover with the meringue, making peaks. Brown with a kitchen blowtorch and serve.

BAKED ALASKA

Steps:

• Line a loaf pan with plastic wrap. Spread 1 pint softened vanilla ice cream in the pan; freeze until hard, 1 hour. Spread with 1 pint softened orange sherbet; freeze 1 more hour. Top with a layer of pound cake slices; freeze at least 1 more hour. Beat 4 egg whites and 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice with a mixer until frothy, then beat in 1/3 cup sugar until stiff. Invert the ice cream loaf onto a baking sheet, remove the plastic wrap and cover completely with the meringue. Bake at 500 degrees F until browned in spots, 3 minutes.

BAKED ALASKA

Steps:

• Cut a piece of cardboard the size of the cake. Wrap in aluminum foil. Set aside. Line the loaf pan with plastic wrap so it hangs well out over the edge. (The plastic wrap will be used to help lift the ice cream and cake loaf from the pan when it comes time to frost with meringue, bake and serve.)
• Spoon the ice cream into the loaf pan. Scatter the dry cherries or candied fruit, if you are using, as you layer the ice cream into the loaf pan. Press down on the ice cream to make it as even as possible. Fill the pan about 3/4 full or to within 1-inch of the top edge of the loaf pan. Place one slice of cake on the ice cream. Place the cardboard on top. Bring the pieces of plastic wrap up over the top of the ice cream loaf to cover, then place in the freezer. The Baked Alaska may be prepared up to two weeks ahead to this point and stored in the freezer before serving.
• About 30 minutes before you plan to serve the dessert, place the ice cream loaf in the refrigerator to temper slightly if it is very firm. Turn on your broiler.
• Place the egg whites and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer. Whisk to combine. Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water. Whisk gently until sugar dissolves completely (there should be no gritty feeling when you rub some of the mixture between your thumb and index finger), and the egg whites are uniformly hot (about 130 degrees).
• Remove the bowl from the pan and return to the electric mixer. Whip on medium speed until the meringue is cool and increased in volume. It should be stiff but not dry and lumpy.
• Unmold the ice cream loaf onto an oven proof serving platter. Top the loaf with another slice of the cake. Frost the cake with the meringue about 1-inch thick. Seal the ice cream loaf completely with meringue. Use a pastry bag fitted with a star tip to pipe additional meringue along the edges for a decorative effect.
• Immediately place the cake in the oven. Watch the meringue very closely. As it browns, move the pan so that it colors evenly. It should bake no more than 5 or 6 minutes.
• Serve at once with red fruit or caramel sauce

BAKED ALASKA

Steps:

• For the Flourless Chocolate Cake: Heat the oven at 350 degrees F. .
• Cut the chocolate into small pieces. Bring the water and 4 ounces of sugar to a boil. Remove from heat and add the chocolate. Slowly mix in pieces of the butter until fully incorporated. Set aside. In a mixer, whip the eggs and 2 ounces of sugar on high speed until light and airy but not to full volume. When the chocolate is warm fold it gently into the egg mixture. Pour batter over a half sheet pan that is lined with a silpat or with parchment paper. Bake until the cake is firm and slightly spongy in the center. Remove from oven and let cool at room temperature then transfer to the refrigerator. Cut around the edges of the cake. Carefully turn it out onto an inverted half sheet pan and peel back the silpat. With a small ring mold (roughly 2 inches in diameter) cut disks out of the cake. Return disks to the refrigerator. .
• For the Macadamia Nut Ice Cream: Toast the macadamia nuts on a sheet pan in a 300 degree F oven until deep golden brown. Grind the nuts in a food processor adding a 1/3 cup of milk to make a paste. Add the vanilla bean to the remaining milk and bring to a simmer. Add the nut paste, cover, and let steep for 1 hour. Whip the yolks and sugar until they form a ribbon when pulled with the whip. Bring the milk mixture back to simmering. Strain through cheesecloth. Squeeze the lump of ground nuts through the cheesecloth to extract as much milk as possible. Cut the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape the seeds into the milk mixture. Slowly stir the hot milk mixture into the eggs. Cook the mixture in a bain-maire until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Stir in the cream. Let stand at room temperature for 1 hour, cover and cool in the refrigerator overnight. Turn the mix in an ice cream freezer. Spoon into a quart container, cover, and freeze overnight.
• For the Italian Meringue: Put the egg whites in a very clean mixer bowl with a whip attachment. Boil the light corn syrup, sugar and water in a small saucepot with a candy thermometer attached. When the mixture reaches 230 degrees F start the mixer at high speed. See that the whites do not pass medium peaks before the syrup mixture reaches 240 degrees. When the syrup reaches 240 degrees F remove it from the stove. Turn the mixer down to medium and slowly drizzle the syrup into the egg whites towards the edge of the bowl. Try to get it between the whip and the bowl to avoid splattering. When all of the syrup has been added turn the mixer back up to high speed and whip until the mixture cools. Placing a bowl of ice under the mixer bowl will speed this process up. Transfer to container and refrigerate. For this dish the meringue is best served cool but not cold. For the Amaretto Sauce: Combine the Amaretto and sugar in a saucepot and bring to a boil. Use caution, as the mixture will become very flammable when hot. Continue to boil the mixture for 10 or 15 minutes (up to 45 depending on heat of the stove) until the mixture reaches syrup consistency. It will have a very tight bubble and will be thick. Remove from heat. Add the mascarpone a spoonful at a time stirring constantly with a spoon. Transfer to a squeeze bottle or a container with a lid. Let cool to room temperature and store in the refrigerator. Bring sauce to room temperature before serving. If consistency is too thick warm the sauce slightly or cool if too thin.
• For the Chambord Sauce: Put raspberries, blackberries, sugar, and lemon juice in a saucepot. Bring to a low boil. Cook mixture, stirring often, until it gets thick and syrup-like. The liquid portion of the mixture should coat the back of a spoon when ready. Let cool for about 5 minutes before mixing in the Chambord. Force the mixture through a fine sieve. Transfer to a squeeze bottle or small container. Let cool to room temperature and then refrigerate. It's best served cold. If mixture is too thick add a little water or more Chambord. To assemble: Spoon some of the meringue into a large pastry bag. Place a chocolate cake disk in the center of each plate. Top with a 2-ounce scoop of ice cream. Pipe the meringue around the cake and ice cream. Pipe the meringue on the plate just touching the outer rim of the cake. Work your way up around the ice cream and then to a tip on top. Once all plates have meringue, use a blowtorch to carefully brown the meringue. Spoon or pipe the sauce onto the plate around the Baked Alaska. Serve quickly as the ice cream will be starting to melt.

BON VOYAGE BAKED ALASKA

Steps:

• For the cake: Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
• Grease and lay parchment paper over the bottom of a jelly roll size baking pan (17 1/2 by 11 1/2-inches by 1-inch deep). With an electric beater, beat together the egg yolks, just 1/4 cup of the sugar (reserving the rest), and vanilla until the mixture becomes a pale yellow and thickens. Sift cake flour over the egg yolk mixture and set aside briefly. Wash and dry the beaters. In a separate metal bowl, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar together and gradually beat in the balance of the sugar until stiff peaks form. To the egg yolk/flour bowl, fold in 1/3 of the beaten egg whites until just barely combined. Repeat 2 more times with each of the remaining 1/3 of the beaten egg whites. Spread into jelly roll pan and bake in oven for about 15 minutes or until the surface is golden brown and springs back when touched. Let cake cool in pan.
• While the cake is cooling, it would be a good idea to make room in the freezer for the sheet cake and ice cream.
• When the cake is completely cool, peel off the browned surface of the cake. (You can do this simply by loosening it and rolling it off.) Firmly press a flat baking sheet without edges (which is the same size or larger than the baking tin) against the top edges of the baking tin and invert the cake so it is transferred to the flat sheet and remove the parchment paper. Then cut the cake in half lengthwise and in half crosswise. Two of these quarters will be dedicated to the top and bottom of the baked Alaska, respectively. Using a broad thin spatula, slide one of these quarters to a flat oven safe platter.
• Loosen the carton from the half-gallon of ice cream and place the entire brick onto the cake on the platter. Then slide the other quarter onto the top of the brick of ice cream and put the whole platter into the freezer.
• The remaining 2 pieces of cake will fit over the sides and ends of the brick of ice cream. Cut the cake to fit the dimensions of the sides and ends utilizing the most efficient positioning which will result in the fewest number of cuts. You will need 2 rectangles measuring approximately 8 inches by 3 inches and 2 rectangles measuring approximately 8 by 5-inches. Cover with plastic wrap if you are not using these immediately, to prevent them from drying out.
• Some of the meringue topping will be used to secure these rectangles to the sides of the ice cream.
• To make the meringue topping, make a slurry with 2/3 cup water gradually whisked into a small saucepan to which you have added cornstarch and sugar. Bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking constantly. As it thickens and becomes translucent, cover and remove it from the heat. In a scrupulously clean large metal or glass bowl, with scrupulously clean beaters, beat the egg whites (they must be at room temperature) until foamy. Add vanilla and cream of tartar and beat until soft peaks form. Very gradually beat in sugar on high until glossy and stiff peaks form, but do not allow it to get dry. Reduce the speed of the beater to low and gradually add the cornstarch slurry. When it has all been added increase speed to medium for about 10 seconds.
• This can be refrigerated with plastic wrap on top for a short while before use.
• Immediately before serving the Baked Alaska, make sure your oven rack is in a position to provide enough clearance for the meringue and pre-heat oven to 425 degrees F. Remove the sheet cake and ice cream from the freezer. Using some of the meringue as a "glue" position the pre-cut pieces of cake to fit the sides and the ends of the brick of ice cream. Then spread the rest of the meringue in a thick layer over the entire assembly, swirling it decoratively with the back of a spoon, and being sure to cover the lower edge of the cake on all sides so the meringue touches the pan base. Slide the Alaska into the oven and bake until the meringue browns, 5 or 10 minutes. Serve immediately with accompaniments of chocolate sauce, raspberry sauce, and caramel sauce.