Posted on
by 
0 Comments
O boy, I have quite the dessert for you today! A baked Alaska. Also called a bombe alaska. Essentially this is an ice cream cake with an outer layer of delicious meringue and with a cake bottom.
It looks super impressive, but with this recipe making it is a piece of cake!
I can still remember my sister making that very first baked alaska I tasted. I was so impressed with how she made it that I’ve been a fan of this dessert ever since.
Table of contents
Recipe Ingredients
This is a simplified version of the recipe and it doesn’t require any baking in the oven. How’s that for ease of use. Even better you use all ready made ingredients with the exception of the meringue layer. What you need for making this baked alaska recipe:
- ice cream – now what flavors you want to use is all up to you. You can use strawberry ice cream, chocolate ice cream or go with what I used which is pistachio ice cream and vanilla ice cream. You can go for one ice cream flavor or go for multiple ice cream layers.
- Pound cake – for making the bottom. You can go for store-bought cake or bake it yourself.
- Egg whites – for making the meringue
- granulated sugar – go for the fine type
You will also need a kitchen torch, a large bowl that will fit all the contents and some cling film.
How To Make Bombe Alaska
Now making this baked alaska dessert really doesn’t take a lot of time. It’s important that you let the ice cream soften first. Otherwise you will get air pockets in the baked alaska and that just doesn’t look very good. Take a round bowl and brush it with some oil. Now line the entire bowl with plastic wrap. Let it overhang on the sides so you can cover the top later as well. Don’t skip or you will not be able to remove your baked alaska from the bowl after freezing.
Once your ice cream is soft enough you scoop it into the bowl, making layers with the two flavors. You can make two layers or more layers. I went with two pistachio layers and three vanilla. Make sure the layers of ice cream or gently pressed together so you do not get air pockets in between.
Cut your cake into pieces and place on top of the ice cream so it covers the entire top of the bowl. Apart from making a cake base you can also go for a brownie base if you prefer chocolate flavors. Once that is done cover the cake with the remainder of the cling film and place back in the freezer to set for 3 hours.
Meringue time!
Now it’s time to make your meringue. Beat it to stiff peaks with a pinch of salt. While beating add a tablespoon of sugar each time and make sure the sugar is absorbed before adding the next. Making the meringue is best done in the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment. Once you have a fluffy meringue and your bowl of ice cream is set you can finish the dish.
Assembling the final layer
Take out your bowl of ice cream and place a serving plate on top of the bowl. Turn it upside down and remove the bowl and the plastic wrap. Using a spatula (or use the back of a spoon) you now spread the meringue on top of the cake. It doesn’t have to be smooth. You want it to look quite rustic so all little bits and pieces will get that nice toasted meringue look.
Now using your torch give your meringue layer a nice toasted look. Be careful not to go wild. You want it to be golden brown not black! It’s a pretty show-stopping dessert but still so easy to make!
Now officially a baked alaska, as the name suggests, is a baked dessert from the oven. The process is almost the same as using the blowtorch. But I find using the torch so much easier! But you could go for the real deal and bake your meringue in the oven. The way to do that is to make 100% sure that the ice cream is frozen solid. The meringue acts as an insulation to the ice cream. So you make sure the oven is really hot (260˚C/500˚F) and bake the meringue for no more than 3-5 minutes.
The easier way
While that might sound like a good thing to do I still prefer to use the torch. There is no added flavor when baked in the oven (I don’t think so at least) and you prevent any hassle with melting ice cream. So why not go for the easy option? Obviously it is still ice cream so best to serve it right away! If you love easy desserts like this make sure to also check out the 5 minute Christmas dessert and the Raspberry and Mascarpone cream dessert (equally fast).
FAQ Bombe Alaska
Yes you can make this in advance, or at least partially. You can prepare the dome of ice cream and let it sit in the freezer until you’re ready to finish it. I would make the swiss meringue last minute for best results.
Make sure the ice cream is really cold and also finish the meringue right away. So don’t let it stand for too long. Using a thick layer of meringue and a spatula to add the meringue to the dome.
Baked Alaska
Ingredients
- 4 egg whites
- 250 g sugar
- 1 tbsp sunflower oil
- pinch of salt
- sponge cake
- 1 litre pistachio ice cream
- 1 litre vanilla ice cream
Equipment
- round bowl about 23 cm (9 inch) in diameter
- plastic wrap
- kitchen torch
How to make the baked alaska
- Remove the ice cream from the freezer and let it soften slightly.
- Grease the bowl and line it with plastic wrap. Scoop the ice cream into the bowl, making layers with the two flavors of ice cream. Press the layers nicely each time so there is no air between them.
- Cut the cake to size and press it onto the ice cream last.
- Put the bowl in the freezer and leave to set for 3 hours.
- Beat the egg whites with the salt until stiff. While beating, spoon in a tablespoon of sugar each time. Make sure the sugar is well absorbed before adding the next spoonful.
- Remove the bowl from the freezer and pour the bombe onto a large plate.
- Using a spatula, spread the meringue onto the bombe, this can be quite rustic. When the meringue is spread all over the bombe, you can use the blowtorch to give the meringue a nice brown colour. Enjoy!
Nutrition Information per portion:
Disclaimer:
The nutritional values above are calculated per portion. The details are based on standard nutritional tables and do not constitute a professional nutritional advice.
