Makes: 10 to 12 servings
Time: About 4 hours
Baked Alaska was invented at Delmonico’s Restaurant in 1867 to celebrate the United States’ acquisition of Alaska. Cake is stacked with ice cream and meringue, then quickly blasted in the oven so that the meringue gets toasted while the ice cream inside stays miraculously cold. It’s a novelty dessert you rarely see anymore, but it still impresses.
Of course, there are as many possibilities for this as there are flavors of ice cream, so use your favorite (or layer several) and pick any variation of Genoise or Sponge Cake to complement it.
1. Bake the genoise cake batter in one greased and floured 9-inch cake pan as directed.
2. To make the filling, line a 1½-quart bowl (about 8 inches in diameter) with enough plastic wrap to hang over the rim by several inches. Turn the ice cream out into the bowl, press it into the bottom, and smooth it so that the top is even. Freeze the ice cream until solid, about 4 hours.
3. Meanwhile, make the meringue, but don’t bake it. Transfer the meringue to a large piping bag fitted with a star tip.
4. Heat the oven to 450°F. Place the cake on a parchment-lined baking sheet, then turn the frozen ice cream out onto the cake, removing the plastic wrap. Cover the cake and ice cream entirely in meringue by first piping the meringue in a circle around the edge of the cake, up to where it meets the ice cream. Then pipe the meringue from the top of the ice cream down the sides in a series of vertical stripes, rotating the cake as you go to cover it all the way around. Work quickly so the ice cream does not melt.
5. Bake the cake until the meringue turns a deep golden brown, about 5 minutes (you may also achieve this by using a kitchen blowtorch). Use a couple of sturdy metal spatulas to transfer the cake to a serving plate. Serve immediately or put the cake into the freezer until you’re ready to serve.
BAKED ALASKA WITH SORBET Sorbet is a bit lighter and less creamy than ice cream, but it still pairs well with the cake and meringue: Use Lemon Genoise as the base and substitute any flavor sorbet of your choice for the ice cream.