Baked Alaska is one of my favorite desserts. It combines a few of my favorite things: ice cream, meringue and a blow torch 😉! A traditional Baked Alaska is simple and elegant, and you can customize yours with all kinds of flavors. Here, you’ll learn how to make traditional Baked Alaska, and find 6 different flavor varieties to try!
When it comes to frozen treats, Baked Alaska is always top of mind for me. It is like the thespian of desserts, over-the-top, always fun and center stage at a party. It turns out plums and roasted grapefruit are a brilliantly tart match for a big pile of sweet meringue.
What is Baked Alaska?
So, what is Baked Alaska and who was the crazy genius that thought to light ice cream on fire? According to this story by NPR, my favorite dessert was developed as scientific research.
“The treat’s true roots date back to the turn of the 18th century, when American-born scientist Sir Benjamin Thompson (aka Count Rumford, a title he gained for his loyalty to the crown during the American Revolution) — whose inventions included a kitchen range and a double boiler — made a discovery about egg whites.
Rumford realized that the air bubbles inside whipped egg whites made meringue a great insulator. “That’s really why the Baked Alaska works,” says Libby “O’Connell, the History Channel’s chief historian and author of The American Plate. “The meringue insulates the ice cream from heat.”
By the 1830s, this culinary revelation had inspired French chefs to create a dessert called the “Omelette Norwegge.” This predecessor of Baked Alaska consisted of layers of cake and ice cream covered in meringue, then broiled. The French named this elaborate treat in reference to its own frigid territory to the north — Norway.”
The name given to Count Rumford’s scholarly dessert, Baked Alaska, was inspired by the land deal that made Alaska the 49th state of America. It is alternatively called omelette surprise, omelette norvegienne, or omelette siberienne, all of which make sense since they are all cold locations and what’s inside is a surprise.
Who knew that Baked Alaska, despite its theatrical presentation, had such heady roots? The concept may have been conceived in a science lab, but pastry chefs made it delicious, and it became all the rage for a while, until it basically disappeared from menus. I’m not sure why it fell out of favor, but I can’t get enough of this retro showstopper with its layer of cake, topped with ice cream and covered in toasted meringue.
The first time I saw a baked Alaska was probably at the hands of Julia Child on her PBS show. She introduced me to a world of foods I’d never experienced growing up with hippie parents in the 1960-70s. My first memory of a real-life table-side flaming of the meringue-covered ice cream was shortly after I moved from a commune in California to Fairfield, CT. The setting was very country club and everything, including the dessert, seemed like a movie. The waiter doused the quaffed meringue in warm liqueur and set it ablaze right at the table. It was THRILLING and felt a bit dangerous.
Not until decades later when I was working as a pastry chef in a restaurant did I discover using a blow torch to toast the meringue, instead of table-side flambé or toasting in an oven, which never quite made sense to me.
Basic Baked Alaska Ingredients
A traditional recipe includes just a few components: meringue, ice cream and cake. You can find the specifics by choosing a recipe below, but in general you will need:
- Homemade ice cream (store-bought works in a pinch, but I highly recommend making it yourself!)
- Egg whites, sugar, salt and vanilla extract for the fluffy meringue topping.
- A cake base that acts as a “crust” (some of mine below are simpler versions without this layer.
Baked Alaska Tips
- You can line your bowl with plastic wrap to make it easier to remove the molded ice cream.
- Get a propane torch to make toasting the top easy and fun!
- Let the cake come to room temperature before slicing to make it easier to cut.
- You can choose all kinds of different flavors and combinations for your Baked Alaska. Anything from vanilla to pistachio, chocolate, coffee ice cream and so much more!
How to Make Fluffy Swiss Meringue Topping for Baked Alaska
In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, bring 1 inch / 2.5cm of water to a simmer.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the egg whites, sugar, and salt; place over the simmering water; and stir with a rubber spatula until the mixture is hot and all of the sugar has dissolved, about 5 minutes.
Remove the bowl from the heat and place onto the stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, then beat on high speed until very thick and glossy and stiff peaks form, about 5 minutes. If the meringue is not stiff enough, your spikes with slouch and lose the drama. Add the vanilla and mix well.
Use immediately as the topping for your baked Alaska and create spikes, then torch! Return to the freezer until ready to serve. This can be done hours ahead, even the day before.
