Birthday Baked Alaska Recipes

BAKED ALASKA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8-inch round cake pan with parchment paper, and spray with cooking spray.
• Combine 3 tablespoons sugar and the egg yolks in bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment; whisk, on medium speed, until pale yellow and thick, about 15 minutes. Add vanilla, and fold in melted chocolate just to combine.
• In a medium bowl, combine egg whites and pinch of salt in bowl of electric mixer; whip, on medium speed, until frothy. Add remaining 3 tablespoons sugar; beat until stiff. Fold egg whites into the chocolate mixture.
• Carefully pour batter out into prepared cake pan. Bake until cake is set and top is dull, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven, and let cool on a wire rack.
• Spray a 5-cup-capacity metal bowl with cooking spray; line with plastic. Pack base of bowl with pistachio ice cream; layer cherry ice cream over pistachio, then finish with another layer of pistachio ice cream (or layer ice creams and sorbets as you desire). Pack firmly, cover surface with plastic wrap, and place in freezer. Freeze until ice cream is very hard, at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours in advance.
• Place cake on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Remove ice cream from the freezer, and invert bowl over cake. Keep the ice cream covered with plastic wrap, and return ice-cream cake to the freezer.
• Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Fill a pastry bag, fitted with an Ateco #5 star tip, with meringue; pipe onto ice cream in a decorative fashion, or spoon meringue over ice cream and swirl with a rubber spatula. If ice cream starts to soften, return cake to freezer for 15 minutes.
• Place in oven, and bake until meringue just starts to brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from oven, and serve immediately.

BIRTHDAY BAKED ALASKA

Steps:

• Make the cake: Line a 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan with plastic wrap or parchment paper, leaving an overhang.
• Put the sliced strawberries, sugar, and lime or lemon juice in a small bowl, stir and set aside for 2 hours while you put together the rest of the cake.
• Each type of ice cream has to be softened before you can use it, so, as you need it, cut it into hunks, put the pieces in a large bowl, and bash and beat them with a sturdy flexible spatula or wooden spoon until spreadable. If you're using homemade ice cream, you can take it straight from the ice cream maker.
• Soften the blueberry ice cream, then spread it evenly over the bottom of the loaf pan. Smooth the top. Cover, and freeze for at least 1 hour.
• Soften the vanilla ice cream, stir in the coconut, then smooth it over the blueberry ice cream. Level the top. Cover, and freeze for at least 1 hour.
• Drain the strawberries. Soften the strawberry ice cream, and stir the berries into it. Spread the ice cream over the vanilla layer, and smooth the top.
• Gently press ladyfingers into the soft ice cream to make a base layer; don't worry if you have some bare spots. Cover, and freeze until firm, at least 4 hours. (You can do this up to 1 week in advance of serving, if you'd like.)
• At least 1 hour (or up to 8 hours) before serving, make the meringue: Bring a few inches of water to a simmer in a large saucepan that can hold the bowl of a stand mixer or a large bowl that you can use with a hand mixer. Whisk the egg whites and sugar together in the bowl, place the bowl over the water - making sure it's not touching - and whisk until the sugar is completely dissolved and smooth. The mixture should be 160 degrees. Don't rush this; it needs about 10 minutes. If necessary, attach the bowl to the mixer, and fit with the whisk. Beat the meringue on medium-high speed for about 6 minutes, or until it's fluffy, glossy and holds stiff peaks.
• Unmold the ice cream cake onto a serving platter, one that is large enough to catch the kirsch, if you're using it, and peel away the plastic or paper. Using a spatula, cover the sides with a thick layer of meringue - creating swirls, if you'd like - and cover the top with a thinner one.
• Now you have a choice: You can pipe meringue spikes over the top, layer more meringue on top, and swirl or spike it with the back of a spoon, or make spikes by hand by pulling it into points with your fingers. Continue until you've got a pattern you like. Freeze the cake for at least 1 hour.
• To finish the cake, use a kitchen torch to brown the meringue on the top of the cake or use flaming kirsch: Put the kirsch in a small pan over low heat for about 2 minutes. Carefully light the kirsch with a long match. Slowly drizzle the flaming alcohol evenly over the entire cake, and watch it toast the meringue. It will burn off on its own.
• Cut into thick slices, and serve immediately. You can keep the cake covered and frozen for a day, but it's at its best the day it is made.

EASY BAKED ALASKA

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Grease bottom of 13x9-inch pan with shortening or cooking spray. Make brownie batter as directed on box for cakelike brownies. Spread in pan.
• Bake 22 to 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted 2 inches from side of pan comes out almost clean. Cool 1 hour.
• Evenly spread softened strawberry ice cream on top of cooled brownie. Place in freezer while making meringue.
• In medium glass or metal bowl, stir egg whites, sugar, cream of tartar and vanilla with whisk until blended. Set over pan of simmering water, stirring occasionally with whisk, 16 to 20 minutes or until sugar has dissolved and egg mixture reaches 160°F. Pour into large bowl; beat with electric mixer on high speed 8 to 10 minutes or until stiff glossy peaks form. Use small icing spatula to swirl meringue over top of ice cream layer. Freeze at least 3 hours or overnight.
• Heat oven to 500°F. Bake 3 to 5 minutes or until meringue peaks start to turn golden brown. Cut into 5 rows by 3 rows. Store covered in freezer.

BAKED ALASKA

Steps:

• Spoon ice cream into a 1-1/2-qt. bowl lined with plastic wrap; freeze until firm. Line a greased 9-in. round baking pan with waxed paper; grease the paper and set aside. Place a clean kitchen towel over a wire rack; dust towel with confectioners' sugar. Set aside., In a large bowl, beat the eggs, 3 tablespoons water and vanilla. Gradually add 1/2 cup sugar, beating until thick and lemon-colored. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; fold into egg mixture. , Gently spoon into prepared pan. Bake at 375° for 12-15 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Immediately run a knife around edge of pan; invert onto prepared wire rack. Gently peel off waxed paper; cool completely., In a large heavy saucepan, combine the egg whites, cream of tartar and remaining sugar and water; beat on low speed with a portable mixer for 1 minute. Continue beating over low heat until mixture reaches 160°, about 12 minutes. Remove from the heat. Add rum extract; beat until stiff peaks form and sugar is dissolved, about 4 minutes. , Place cake on an ungreased foil-lined baking sheet; unmold ice cream and place over cake. Immediately spread meringue over ice cream and cake, sealing it to foil; sprinkle with almonds. Freeze until ready to serve, up to 24 hours. , Just before serving, heat with a creme brulee torch or broil on lowest oven rack position for 3-5 minutes or until meringue is light browned. Serve immediately.

PEACH JAM AND BOURBON PECAN BAKED ALASKA

Steps:

• To 4 to 6 individual small trifle bowls, evenly divide and put the moon pies at the base. Top with the ice cream and freeze for 30 minutes.
• For the peach chutney: Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat and add the fennel seeds. Cook until they start to crackle, then add the peaches along with the brown sugar, orange juice and zest, salt and chile powder and cook over medium-high heat until the peaches are reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Cool to room temperature.
• For the Italian meringue: Combine the granulated sugar with 1/2 cup water in a small saucepan. Heat, cleaning the sides with water and a pastry brush to make sure that there are no sugar granules (which might caramelize) until the mixture reaches 240 degrees F, then remove from the heat and add the bourbon.
• To a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, blend the egg whites and cream of tartar until they form stiff peaks. On a low speed, add the sugar syrup to the meringue, and mix until the meringue is stiff and glossy. Add the meringue to a pastry bag fitted with a star tip and set aside until ready to use.
• Evenly divide and top each trifle bowl with some cooled chutney and 1 tablespoon salted caramel. Pipe the meringue on top. Use a blowtorch to carefully toast the top of the meringue, then serve immediately.

BAKED ALASKA

Steps:

• Line the bottom and sides of an 8-inch round mixing bowl or deep 8-inch square container with foil. Spread ice cream in container, packing firmly. Cover and freeze 8 hours or until firm.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour an 8x8 inch pan.
• Prepare cake mix with egg and almond extract. Pour into prepared pan.
• Bake in preheated oven according to package instructions, until center of cake springs back when lightly touched.
• Beat egg whites with cream of tartar, salt and sugar until stiff peaks form.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment or heavy brown paper. Place cake in center. Turn molded ice cream out onto cake. Quickly and prettily spread meringue over cake and ice cream, all the way to paper to seal. Return to freezer 2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• Bake the Alaska on the lowest shelf, 8 to 10 minutes, or until meringue is lightly browned. Serve at once.

BAKED ALASKA

Steps:

• Make the ice cream cake: Brush a 3-quart metal bowl with vegetable oil; line with plastic wrap. Fill the bowl with scoops of the sorbet, vanilla ice cream and half of the chocolate ice cream, alternating small and large scoops to create a mosaic of colors and shapes. Place a piece of plastic wrap on top of the ice cream; press down to close the gaps between scoops and even out the surface. Remove the plastic wrap, sprinkle the ice cream with the wafer crumbs and re-cover with the plastic wrap, pressing gently. Freeze until set, about 30 minutes.
• Remove the wrap and spread the remaining chocolate ice cream in an even layer on top of the crumbs. Cut the pound cake into 1/2-inch-thick slices; completely cover the ice cream with the slices, trimming as needed (you'll use about two-thirds of the cake). Cover with fresh plastic wrap and freeze until firm, at least 2 hours or up to 2 days.
• Make the meringue: Whip the egg whites and cream of tartar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until foamy, about 2 minutes. Gradually beat in the sugar on high speed until the whites are glossy and hold stiff peaks.
• Remove the top layer of plastic wrap, then invert the cake onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. (If necessary, let the cake stand overturned until it slips out.) Remove the rest of the plastic wrap and cover the ice cream completely with the meringue, making the dome-shaped top slightly thicker than the sides. Form swirly peaks in the meringue using the back of a spoon. Freeze for at least 3 more hours.
• Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Bake the cake until the meringue peaks are golden, about 4 minutes, or brown the meringue with a blowtorch. Let the cake soften at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing. Freeze any leftovers.