The Allure of Baked Alaska: A Showstopper Dessert that Surprises and Delights

One of the reasons I have always been drawn to older classical desserts is their ability to surprise people. For me, this has led to creating show-stopping desserts like Baked Alaska, which has become a staple in my kitchen. The amount of work that goes into it, along with the flash and satisfaction you get from presenting it, makes it the best party dessert I know of.

Baked Alaska is an American dessert that consists of cake, ice cream, and meringue. It may seem simple, but it fell out of fashion in the 50s and 60s due to overdone presentations of this dish during that time period. Many people attempted to make it without much success, as it requires a significant amount of heat when making a party version of this dessert. Unless you have a very large convection oven or a secret weapon, it's quite challenging to achieve the desired results.

In my kitchen, I like to start by preparing two different ice creams. This is strawberry, and I'll begin with that one. For my bases, I prefer to make them from scratch because I enjoy making my own mixtures. However, I have made this dish using melted ice cream with other ingredients added in, only to refreeze the mixture before serving. While not traditional, it still works well.

When handling liquid nitrogen at home, I always recommend using protective mitts and protective eyewear. As a professional, I don't require these precautions, but my insurance policy is the hospital nearby where I live, along with many gas stations that sell liquid nitrogen. The best part about having liquid nitrogen on hand is its ability to make ice cream instantly without any special equipment beyond a mixer.

I will never put my tongue on the bowl during this process, as it's tempting and can cause harm. When I'm ready to start, I place everything into pan number one and straight into the freezer. After freezing both of the ice creams in standard 13-inch baking pans, and then baking up either a chiffon cake or sheet cake, I proceed with making the Italian meringue.

The Italian meringue is made by whipping egg whites that are stabilized using sugar, corn syrup, and water cooked to 240 degrees Fahrenheit. This mixture provides a tasty and stable meringue for my dish. While I'm whipping the eggs, I pour them into piping bags and leave them in the fridge until I'm ready to use them. For finishing touches, I place my cake in the middle of ice cream ice cream, pipe on the meringue, and then flame most of it if needed. If not having a super awesome red dragon like this, I can finish it off under the broiler or with a regular hardware store blowtorch.

The end result is a dessert that combines the cold sweetness of the ice cream with the soft, gooey stickiness of the meringue and the soft pillow-like texture of the cake. It's truly where you've ever eaten before.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enone of the reasons that I like older classical desserts as they tend to surprise people which has led me to this kind of showstopper dessert that I do that is Baked Alaska the amount of work that goes into it an amount of flash and satisfaction you get this is the best party dessert that I know of Baked Alaska of course American dessert that is nothing more than cake ice cream and meringue that's cooked and it fell out of fashion because it was overdone you certainly during the 50s and 60s a lot of people did it they did badly because it requires very shall we say aggressive application of high levels of heat when you're making a party version of this it's really a lot tougher unless you've got a very very big convection oven or a secret weapon so here in my kitchen and this is how Baked Alaska goes I like to do two different ice creams this is strawberry we're gonna start with that one so into the mixer I like to make my own bases because I like to make my own bases but I have made this dish with melted ice cream that I have simply returned with other stuff in it and then refreeze the ice cream you know cheating yes I don't really have a problem with that no obviously that will not turn into ice cream all by itself but with the introduction of a little liquid nitrogen I think you will see that will change very very quickly please when you're handling this at home use some kind of protective mitt and protective eyewear I'm not going to because I'm a risk taker and I'm a professional the very good insurance because I live near a hospital there are a lot of gas places around where you can buy stuff like liquid nitrogen and the nice thing about having liquid nitrogen around is you can make ice cream instantly with nothing but a mixer you can do this in a regular ice-cream machine but that wouldn't be nearly as much fun now what that took what like 30 seconds whatever you do do not put your tongue on that bowl it's tempting I know because I told you not don't do it it will stick and you'll rip all the flesh off of your tongue all right into pan number one and straight into the freezer I would simply repeat with the same amount of chocolate those ice creams get frozen and standard 13 inch baking pans you bake up a chiffon cake or a sheet cake but I'll be really honest with you you can make this from cake at the market and there's absolutely no reason not to and you freeze it so everything's getting really really cold then you make the Italian meringue which means that it's basically egg whites that are whipped and it's stabilized with a boiled and sermon that is built on eight ounces of sugar four of corn syrup two ounces of water cooked to 240 degrees Fahrenheit that will make for a tasty and stable meringue while you're whipping the eggs pour it in let it thicken put it in a piping bags and leave them in the fridge so you take your favorite cutting board you put your cake right in the middle ice cream ice cream you pipe on the meringue then flame on most of you are not in possession of a super awesome red dragon like this and if you're not that's okay you can finish this off under your broiler on high or you can use a regular hardware store blowtorch it's just gonna take a little bit longer the outside of the ring is crispy brown caramelized right you got the soft gooey stickiness of the meringue itself which is almost like a marshmallow then you hit the cold sweetness of the ice cream and then you move into the the soft pillow like texture of the cake is pretty much the best is where you've ever ate ever youone of the reasons that I like older classical desserts as they tend to surprise people which has led me to this kind of showstopper dessert that I do that is Baked Alaska the amount of work that goes into it an amount of flash and satisfaction you get this is the best party dessert that I know of Baked Alaska of course American dessert that is nothing more than cake ice cream and meringue that's cooked and it fell out of fashion because it was overdone you certainly during the 50s and 60s a lot of people did it they did badly because it requires very shall we say aggressive application of high levels of heat when you're making a party version of this it's really a lot tougher unless you've got a very very big convection oven or a secret weapon so here in my kitchen and this is how Baked Alaska goes I like to do two different ice creams this is strawberry we're gonna start with that one so into the mixer I like to make my own bases because I like to make my own bases but I have made this dish with melted ice cream that I have simply returned with other stuff in it and then refreeze the ice cream you know cheating yes I don't really have a problem with that no obviously that will not turn into ice cream all by itself but with the introduction of a little liquid nitrogen I think you will see that will change very very quickly please when you're handling this at home use some kind of protective mitt and protective eyewear I'm not going to because I'm a risk taker and I'm a professional the very good insurance because I live near a hospital there are a lot of gas places around where you can buy stuff like liquid nitrogen and the nice thing about having liquid nitrogen around is you can make ice cream instantly with nothing but a mixer you can do this in a regular ice-cream machine but that wouldn't be nearly as much fun now what that took what like 30 seconds whatever you do do not put your tongue on that bowl it's tempting I know because I told you not don't do it it will stick and you'll rip all the flesh off of your tongue all right into pan number one and straight into the freezer I would simply repeat with the same amount of chocolate those ice creams get frozen and standard 13 inch baking pans you bake up a chiffon cake or a sheet cake but I'll be really honest with you you can make this from cake at the market and there's absolutely no reason not to and you freeze it so everything's getting really really cold then you make the Italian meringue which means that it's basically egg whites that are whipped and it's stabilized with a boiled and sermon that is built on eight ounces of sugar four of corn syrup two ounces of water cooked to 240 degrees Fahrenheit that will make for a tasty and stable meringue while you're whipping the eggs pour it in let it thicken put it in a piping bags and leave them in the fridge so you take your favorite cutting board you put your cake right in the middle ice cream ice cream you pipe on the meringue then flame on most of you are not in possession of a super awesome red dragon like this and if you're not that's okay you can finish this off under your broiler on high or you can use a regular hardware store blowtorch it's just gonna take a little bit longer the outside of the ring is crispy brown caramelized right you got the soft gooey stickiness of the meringue itself which is almost like a marshmallow then you hit the cold sweetness of the ice cream and then you move into the the soft pillow like texture of the cake is pretty much the best is where you've ever ate ever you\n"