Jim’s Favorite Baked Alaska
In a year of restaurant closures and stay at home orders, it’s not news to anybody that going out to celebrate is not an option. So I asked my dad what I could make him for New Year’s Eve to help welcome 2021. A good steak was no surprise, but then he requested of all things Baked Alaska for dessert. It probably should not have surprised me at all. Gaudy and flamboyant, the king of ice cream cakes is probably my dad in dessert form: a decadent rule breaker who’s always ready for a party. As such, it is nothing if not the perfect dessert for a New Year’s party. And honestly, I can’t complain about his selection. Cake topped with layers of ice cream and meringue and then set on fire; what’s not too love about that? 2020 was a lot of things, but I for one am happy to say farewell with a giant, flaming, creamy bang!
You can make Baked Alaska with store bought ice cream and cake mix if you’d prefer, but I just adore the flavors of homemade ice cream and cake. Pistachio and dark chocolate are my dad’s favorite ice creams, and since this is his cake, I went with those. I paired it with a very light lemon and almond cake to balance the richness of the ice cream and the sweetness of the meringue. The good news is that the entire thing happens to be naturally gluten free if you’re avoiding wheat and it’s protein. Even if you’re not, this cake is hands down delicious and over the top decadent.
The trickiest part about this recipe is the temperature of the ice cream. Do not try rushing into topping the cake with meringue. If your ice cream is not completely frozen when you top with meringue, the topping will weep off, so save yourself the heart attack and freeze the cake without the bowl or topping for a good long time before making the meringue. Also, if you don’t have a piping bag, or you don’t want the added trouble, you can certainly scoop the meringue onto the cake and shape it with the back of a spoon or a spatula for a more rustic effect. Either way the cake will be a beautiful show stopper.
Chocolate Chocolate Ice Cream:
Equipment:
Ice cream maker
Ingredients:
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup whole milk
2 cups heavy cream
1/4 tsp. salt
2 TBS. unsweetened cocoa powder
3 large egg yolks
2 oz bittersweet chocolate chips
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Method:
Whisk the egg yolks, salt, and 1/2 cup of sugar in a large bowl until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is pale yellow and slightly thickened.
Stirring frequently, heat the milk, cream, cocoa powder, and 1/4 cup of sugar in a saucepan until just below boiling. You should see steam but no boiling bubbles. Remove from the heat.
Temper the eggs by gradually adding about 1/4 cup of the hot milk mixture to the eggs and whisking continuously. Slowly add the hot milk a quarter cup at a time until about half of the milk mixture is whisked into the eggs. Then pour the egg mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining hot milk. Return this to medium low heat and stir continuously for about 3-4 minutes or until the mixture has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon. It should not boil. Pour this through a mesh sieve into a glass bowl with the chocolate chips. Add the vanilla extract and stir to melt the chocolate chips. Some flecks of chocolate may remain, which is fine and adds a nice texture. Allow to cool and chill in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight.
Once chilled, churn in an ice cream maker until thick and frozen.
Line a large bowl with a 9 inch rim diameter with plastic wrap. Pour the chocolate ice cream into the bowl and smooth for a flat layer. Place in the freezer and proceed to make the pistachio ice cream.
Pistachio Ice Cream
Equipment:
Ice Cream Maker
Food Processor
Ingredients:
3/4 cup sugar
2 cup whole milk
1 cups heavy cream
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup shelled, unsalted pistachios + 3/4 cup roughly chopped, shelled, unsalted pistachios
4 large egg yolks
1/2 tsp. almond extract
Green food coloring (optional)
Method:
Pulse 1 cup pistachios and 1/4 cup of sugar together in a food processor until finely ground.
Whisk the egg yolks, salt, and 1/2 cup of sugar in a large bowl until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is pale yellow and slightly thickened.
Stirring frequently, heat the milk, cream, and 1ground pistachio mixture in a saucepan until just below boiling. You should see steam but no boiling bubbles. Remove from the heat.
Temper the eggs by gradually adding about 1/4 cup of the hot milk mixture to the eggs and whisking continuously. Slowly add the hot milk a quarter cup at a time until about half of the milk mixture is whisked into the eggs. Then pour the egg mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining hot milk. Return this to medium low heat and stir continuously for about 3-4 minutes or until the mixture has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon. It should not boil. Pour this through a mesh sieve into a glass bowl with the 3/4 cup of chopped pistachios. Add the almond extract and food coloring (to your desired color) and stir to mix. Allow the ice cream to cool, and chill it in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight.
Once chilled, churn in an ice cream maker until thick and frozen.
Pour the pistachio ice cream over the chocolate ice cream and smooth for a flat layer. Place the bowl back in the freezer and proceed to make the lemon almond cake.
Lemon Almond Cake
Equipment:
Handheld mixer
9in cake pan
Ingredients:
4 large eggs separated
Zest of 1 large lemon
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup blanched almond flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. cardamom
1 tsp. cider vinegar
1/8 tsp. kosher salt + a pinch
1/2 tsp. almond extract
Canola oil for the pan
Method:
Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Oil the pan and line it with parchment paper.
Use a fork to stir together the almond flour, baking powder, cardamom, and 1/8 tsp salt.
In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks, 1/4 cup of sugar, zest, and almond extract until the sugar dissolves.
Use a handheld mixer to beat the egg whites in a large bowl until frothy. Add the vinegar and a pinch of salt and beat until soft peaks start to form. Continue beating while slowly adding the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar. Beat until stiff peaks form and the mixture is lightly shiny.
In two or three pours, fold the egg whites into the egg yolk mixture. Mix until combined, but do not worry if there are some small clumps of almond mixture. Pour it into the prepared pan and smooth flat with a rubber spatula.
Bake for 30 minutes until the top is golden brown. Cool completely in the pan then flip out, remove the parchment paper, and place in the bowl on top of the pistachio ice cream. Place back in the freezer for at least 1 hour.
Remove the bowl from the freezer and turn it upside down on a heat proof plate that’s small enough to fit in the freezer but big enough to accommodate the cake. You may need to leave the cake out for up to ten minutes for the ice cream to remove from the bowl. As soon as it releases, remove the bowl and place the cake with the saran still on back inside the freezer. Freeze for 3 hours or overnight.
Meringue
Equipment:
Handheld mixer
Blow Torch
Ingredients:
4 large egg whites at room temperature
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup of sugar
Method:
In a large bowl use the handheld mixer on medium to beat the egg whites and cream of tartar until frothy, soft peaks form. Increase the mixer speed to high. Slowly add in the sugar a little at a time while continuously beating. Beat until the sugar is dissolved and the meringue becomes shiny and stiff. Add the vanilla extract and beat until fully incorporated, and the meringue holds its shape completely even if you turn the bowl on its side.
Fill a piping bag with a large star tip. Take the cake out of the freezer and spread a thin layer of meringue over the entire cake with a spatula. Then pipe kisses or rosettes (or any pattern you like) all over the cake. Be sure to work quickly to prevent the ice cream from melting. Place the cake back in the freezer until you’re ready to torch and serve. The meringue is best torched within a few hours of topping.
When you’re ready to torch, remove the cake from the freezer, and torch all over the meringue until lightly golden brown. Use a large knife to cut the cake and serve immediately.
Chocolate Chocolate Ice Cream recipe adapted from allrecipes
Pistachio Ice Cream recipe adapted from epicurious
Lemon Almond Cake recipe adapted from Simply Recipes
Meringue recipe from Preppy Kitchen
