Baked Alaska

A delicious adult twist on one of our favourite childhood desserts, Baked Alaska. This delicious fortress of meringue is steeped in nostalgia, apparently coined by Delmonico’s in New York in 1876. Light and moist chocolate sponge, domed with no-churn white chocolate ice cream and finished off with perfectly torched Italian meringue brings this showstopper dessert into the modern day.

• INGREDIENTS

  Chocolate Sponge Base:

  • 50g 75% Dark Chocolate

  • 50g Butter

  • 4 Whole Eggs

  • 100g Caster Sugar

  • 60g Cocoa Powder

  • 75g Plain Flour

  No-Churn White Chocolate Ice-Cream with 75% Dark Chocolate drizzle:

  • 150g White Chocolate

  • 600ml Double Cream

  • 1 Can of Condensed Milk

  • 50g Dark Chocolate – melted

  • Sea Salt

  Italian Meringue:

  • 100g Egg White

  • 200g Caster Sugar

  • 90g Water

• METHOD

  Chocolate Sponge Base Method:

  • Preheat the oven to 160c, line a 20cm cake tin

  • Melt the chocolate and butter over a Bain Marie. Whisk the eggs and sugar together until light and thick – it should hold its shape when the whisk is lifted out. Sieve the flour and cocoa powder

  • Fold the eggs into the chocolate butter mixture, then fold in the dry ingredients in a few stages until everything is incorporated (making sure not to knock out too much air)

  • Spread the mx evenly across your prepared tray and bake for 10-12 minutes until the sponge bounces back to the touch. Leave to cool completely before unmoulding the frozen ice-cream on top and freezing once more

  No- Churn Ice Cream Method:

  • Prepare a bowl as your mould with a few layers of clingfilm.

  • Heat half the cream in a pan with the salt until steaming, pour over the chocolate and leave to sit to melt. Whisk until smooth. Add the second half of the cream and mix until combined.
  • Cover with clingfilm and leave to cool completely in the fridge for a few hours and then whip to soft peaks. Fold in the condensed milk then drizzle through the dark chocolate.

  (You can either use some dark chocolate to drizzle all over your prepared bowl or fold it all through the ice-cream mix)

  • Decant the ice-cream into your bowl (you may have some mixture to spare, this can be frozen separately and served as a dessert on its own!) and freeze overnight.

  Meringue Method:

  • Combine the sugar and water in a pan and cook to 120c. Meanwhile whisk the egg whites until they’re foamy. Once the syrup is ready, pour gradually over the egg whites and whip up until it’s thickened and holds its shape.

  • Remove your ice-cream from the freezer, cover with the Italian meringue, making peaks all over and blowtorch till golden. Serve straight away. (Or can be frozen until you’re ready)