While not a Christmas tradition in my family, Baked Alaska is apparently a special treat for others this holiday. So I tried my hand at it for the first time in decades, hoping that strawberry and mint ice creams would add some traditional color. The strawberry was a tad pale, but still worked for me.
Mark Guydish | For Times Leader
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Ingredients for a home-made sponge cake areon the left, and for turning it into a Baked Alaska on the right.
Mark Guydish | For Times Leader
I’ve never written a Test Kitchen for the actual day of Christmas, so I wanted to make something for this week that would really look the part. After browsing the web, I initially opted for an elaborate edible wreath: A baked meringue ring topped with whipped cream and a mix of strawberries, raspberries, pomegranate seeds and mint leaves. Things beyond my control changed plans enough to set that idea aside and I quickly opted for this “Baked Alaska” from thespruceeats.com.
Apparently the meringue/ice cream/sponge cake is a holiday tradition for some. It wasn’t in our house, but I do remember being fascinated by the notion of baking ice cream when I first learned of the dessert, probably in my teens. I even recall making it once in mom’s kitchen, though not how it was received.
I liked this version for two reasons: First, you can easily scale it to need; second, the website showed it with two different ice creams, and I figured reddish and green varieties would suit the day. MT and I opted for strawberry and mint chocolate chip, and while it tasted great, the strawberry could have been redder.
The solution would have been to let the 2 cups or so I used melt enough to color with some red dye, but I short-circuited the directions, by skipping the part where you soften the stuff and refreeze it in a bread loaf pan. Instead, I carved a chunk of each ice cream off the top of the tub in one piece and roughly shaped them to fit the cake. It worked OK, but if you really want your servings to hold together well and cut neatly, follow the directions and make sure the ice cream is well-frozen before baking.
Alternatively, just use some spumoni.
If you are handy with a kitchen propane torch, you could skip the bake and brown the meringue that way, probably keeping the ice cream a bit colder.
MT, a Baked Alaska first-timer, thought it looked pretty and praised the taste combinations and textures. “It’s very light, like an angel food cake,” she said before deciding on a second piece. “The flavors are great. And the cake smells wonderful.” (MT’s mom loved it, too. Back at ya, Nanner!)
Which brings me to the bit of extra work I did for this: I made the sponge cake from my brother’s collection “Uncle Jake’s Favorite Recipes.” It’s fairly simple and well worth the effort if you are looking to make your own, but I’ve gone on long enough, so I’ll offer it in a future test kitchen.
Merry Christmas, and Dobru chut!
Baked Alaska (the spruceeats.com)
4 cups ice cream, softened, about 2 pints (mix flavors/colors for your preferred look and flavor).
1 single-layer sponge cake — yellow, white or chocolate — about 9-inch square.
¼ cup seedless raspberry or strawberry jam
5 large egg whites, room temperature
⅔ cup superfine sugar (regular sugar can work)
To give the ice cream the right shape, line an 8 x 4-inch loaf pan completely with plastic wrap, leaving some overhang on the longer sides (to use as handles to pull the ice cream out once solid). Soften the ice cream and add it to the pan, spreading it in a smooth layer. Freeze until very solid, at least 6 hours or up to overnight. If using different flavors/colors of ice cream, freeze each layer until completely solid before adding the next layer.
If necessary, cut the cake horizontally so that it’s 1-inch thick. Then cut an 8½ by 4½-inch rectangle. Place the cake on an oven-safe platter or tray. Warm the jam and brush it over the cake. Let the jam cool completely before proceeding.
Pull the ice cream from the loaf pan by the plastic wrap handles. Discard the plastic. Place the brick of ice cream on top of raspberry coating on the sponge cake. Freeze the cake and ice cream, uncovered, until very firm, about 30 minutes.
Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 450°.
In a large bowl, beat the egg whites until foamy. Gradually add the sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. (If you are using regular granulated sugar instead of superfine, try keeping the mixer speed at low/medium for a minute or three, to give the sugar time to integrate, then set on high and whip to peaks).
Remove cake/ice cream from freezer and spread the meringue over it all, taking care to seal it completely. No ice cream or cake should be visible. There should be about a 1/2-inch thick layer of meringue.
Bake until the meringue is light brown, about 5 to 7 minutes (keep a close eye on it). Serve and enjoy!