Baked Alaska

Since we had company coming, some more ice cream to use up, and a hot day, I decided to attempt Baked Alaska. For those who don't know, Baked Alaska is a dessert with a cake or brownie base, piled high with ice cream, covered in meringue, and baked at a high temperature for a few minutes, just until the meringue browns. Baked Alaska can be round, square, rectangular, or individual servings. The base layer holds everything together, the ice cream just begins to melt, and the meringue makes a crisp outer layer. This dessert feeds a large crowd and must be eaten right away, but it is quite light, so you can enjoy it even after a heavy meal. Here is how I made mine:

1. I had a leftover 8 inch round chocolate cake with only a few pieces out of it. I cut it up and used it to line a foil lined 9x5 inch loaf pan. I froze it briefly.
2. I took some hoofprints ice cream out of the freezer to soften for 10 minutes, then spread it on top of the frozen cake layer, all the way to the top of the pan. I froze this overnight.
3. I beat three egg whites and 1/4 tsp. cream of tarter until soft peaks formed, then added 3/4 cup sugar gradually until stiff peaks formed. I took the cake and ice cream out of the pan, put it on foil on a cookie sheet, and spread the meringue evenly over top, covering all of it. I popped this into a freezer while we ate the meal.
4. I baked it at 450◦F for about 5 minutes until the meringue browned.
5. I cut it into thin slices with a sharp knife and served immediately.

Baked Alaska is actually quite simple and quick to make, it just requires some prep work. It is even faster if you happen to have a spare cake layer in the freezer. It is incredibly delicious and unique, and can be very versatile. Possible bases include any flavour of cake, brownie, cookie, or square; ice cream can be any flavour, a combination of complementing flavours, frozen yogurt, or sorbet; and the meringue can be thin, thick, flavoured, or sprinkled with nuts. Don't be afraid to attempt this stunning dessert!