Baked Alaska

Prep Time:

1 hr 15 mins

Cook Time:

30 mins

Total Time:

3 hrs 45 mins

Servings:

8 to 12

It’s hard to beat the drama and deliciousness of a baked Alaska, and while you may think of this dessert as a restaurant-only confection, it’s totally doable to make at home. Our version starts with a homemade single layer chocolate cake which gets its light and tender texture from whipped egg whites. Meanwhile, alternating layers of pistachio and cherry ice creams are packed into a metal mixing bowl, which gives the cake its signature dome shape. After they have frozen firm, they're unmolded onto the cake, then the dessert is stashed in the freezer until its time to top it with Swiss meringue for serving. The meringue can be piped using a star-shaped tip or simply spread on in swoops before being browning briefly in the oven or with a kitchen torch. As much fun to make as it is to eat, this classic dessert it truly one of a kind.

Where Did Baked Alaska Originate?

Baked Alaska is thought to have first been made at Delmonico's restaurant in New York to celebrate the acquisition of Alaska by the United States 1867. Intially the dessert was named "Alaska, Florida," in a nod to its daring hot and cold elements.

Browning the Meringue Topping

There are two ways to brown the meringue topping, which you'll want to do just before serving this masterpiece. You can place it in a 500 degree Fahrenheit oven until it begins to darken, which should take between one and two minutes. Another approach is to use a small handheld kitchen torch to brown the meringue. Both options work great, so feel free to choose whichever one you're most comfortable with.

Directions

Preheat oven; prepare cake pan:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8-inch round cake pan with parchment paper, and spray with cooking spray.
Make cake batter:

Combine 3 tablespoons sugar and the egg yolks in bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment; whisk, on medium speed, until pale yellow and thick, about 15 minutes. Add vanilla, and fold in melted chocolate just to combine.
Beat egg whites; fold into batter:

In a medium bowl, combine egg whites and pinch of salt in bowl of electric mixer; whip, on medium speed, until frothy. Add remaining 3 tablespoons sugar; beat until stiff. Fold egg whites into the chocolate mixture.
Transfer to pan and bake; let cool:

Carefully pour batter out into prepared cake pan. Bake until cake is set and top is dull, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven, and let cool on a wire rack.
Pack ice creams into lined bowl; freeze:

Spray a 5-cup-capacity metal bowl with cooking spray; line with plastic. Pack base of bowl with pistachio ice cream; layer cherry ice cream over pistachio, then finish with another layer of pistachio ice cream (or layer ice creams and sorbets as you desire). Pack firmly, cover surface with plastic wrap, and place in freezer. Freeze until ice cream is very hard, at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours in advance.
Invert ice cream onto cake; return to freezer:

Place cake on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Remove ice cream from the freezer, and invert bowl over cake. Keep the ice cream covered with plastic wrap, and return ice-cream cake to the freezer.
Preheat oven; top ice cream with meringue:

Preheat oven to 500°F. Fill a pastry bag, fitted with an Ateco #5 star tip, with meringue; pipe onto ice cream in a decorative fashion, or spoon meringue over ice cream and swirl with a rubber spatula. If ice cream starts to soften, return cake to freezer for 15 minutes.
Bake until lightly browned; serve:

Place in oven, and bake until meringue just starts to brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from oven, and serve immediately.

Storage

Leftover baked Alaska can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and frozen for up to one month. We recommend freezing individual slices to make storing and serving easier in the future.