Recipes Desserts Cake Baked Alaska Be the first to rate & review! Baked Alaska, the meringue-topped and torched layered ice cream cake is a classic restaurant dessert, often served tableside with a fiery effect. Bring the sweet treat home with this simple step-by-step method that takes advantage of creamy (and customizable) store-bought ice creams and sorbets, a simple, buttery pound cake, and just enough time in the freezer between layers to ensure success. Less is more when it comes to swirling the ice creams and sorbets together; for the clearest marbled effect, be careful not to over-mix and blur the flavors. By Anna Theoktisto Published on July 9, 2021 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Active Time: 25 mins Total Time: 5 hrs Servings: 10 Ingredients Baking spray with flour 1 ⅓ cups (about 5 3/4 ounces) all-purpose flour ½ teaspoon kosher salt ¼ teaspoon baking powder ½ cup (4 ounces) unsalted butter, softened 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract 2 cups granulated sugar, divided 5 large eggs, separated (egg whites at room temperature) ⅓ cup whole milk 1 pint chocolate ice cream, softened 1 pint pistachio ice cream, softened 1 pint raspberry sorbet, softened ⅛ teaspoon cream of tartar Directions Preheat oven to 325°F. Spray a 9-inch round cake pan with baking spray; set aside. Sift flour, salt, and baking powder together into a small bowl. Set aside. Beat butter, vanilla, and 1 cup of the sugar with a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium speed until light, pale, and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add egg yolks, 1 at a time, beating well and stopping to scrape bowl between additions. Add flour mixture to butter mixture in 3 additions, alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat on low speed until just combined after each addition; do not over-mix. Pour batter into prepared pan, and smooth top with a spatula. Bake in preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool in pan 10 minutes. Invert onto a wire rack, and let cool completely, about 1 hour. Place inverted cake layer on a serving platter, and freeze until firm, about 30 minutes. While cake bakes, line a 2-quart (8-inch wide) bowl with plastic wrap. Fill bowl with scoops of chocolate ice cream, pistachio ice cream, and sorbet, alternating small and large scoops. Place a piece of plastic wrap on top of the ice cream; press down to close gaps between scoops and even out surface. Leave plastic wrap on ice cream, and freeze until firm, about 2 hours. Remove plastic wrap from top, and invert bowl over frozen cake layer, creating a dome shape. Carefully remove bowl from ice cream while leaving ice cream covered with plastic wrap. Freeze until very firm, at least 2 hours or up to 2 days. Beat egg whites and cream of tartar in a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment on medium-high speed until foamy, about 1 1/2 minutes. Gradually beat in remaining 1 cup sugar on medium-high speed until whites are glossy and stiff peaks form, about 5 minutes. Remove plastic wrap from ice cream. Cover top and sides of ice cream and cake layer with meringue. Use a kitchen torch to carefully brown sides and top of meringue. Slice wedges from cake to serve immediately, or freeze until ready to serve. Photo by Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Lydia Pursell Rate it Print