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 Anna Theoktisto Instagram Anna Theoktisto is a recipe tester and developer. Anna has been working in Dotdash Meredith test kitchens since 2017, and her recipes and writing have appeared in over 10 nationally distributed print publications, as well as on various digital platforms. When not in the kitchen, Anna enjoys hiking with her son, husband, and two dogs, and fostering puppies for a local animal rescue group. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines 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