Best Summer Berry Baked Alaska Recipes

BAKED ALASKA

Steps:

• Line a loaf pan with plastic wrap. Spread 1 pint softened vanilla ice cream in the pan; freeze until hard, 1 hour. Spread with 1 pint softened orange sherbet; freeze 1 more hour. Top with a layer of pound cake slices; freeze at least 1 more hour. Beat 4 egg whites and 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice with a mixer until frothy, then beat in 1/3 cup sugar until stiff. Invert the ice cream loaf onto a baking sheet, remove the plastic wrap and cover completely with the meringue. Bake at 500 degrees F until browned in spots, 3 minutes.

BERRY PIE BAKED ALASKA

Steps:

• Make the ice cream cake: Preheat the oven to 400˚. Put the puff pastry halves on a baking sheet, leaving a little space between each piece. Top with another baking sheet to keep the pastry from puffing up too much. Bake until golden, about 30 minutes.
• Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Remove the top baking sheet and brush the pastry with half the melted butter. Sprinkle with half the cinnamon sugar, then flip the pastry; brush with the remaining butter and sprinkle with the remaining cinnamon sugar. Let cool.
• Coat a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray and line with plastic wrap, leaving a 6-inch overhang on the two short ends. Trim the puff pastry pieces if necessary so they fit snugly in the pan; set aside.
• Scoop half the ice cream and sorbet into the pan, alternating flavors. Use a piece of plastic wrap to pack in the ice cream evenly. Spread with half the jam and top with 1 piece of puff pastry. Repeat with the remaining ice cream and sorbet, jam and puff pastry. Cover with the overhanging plastic wrap and freeze until firm, at least 6 hours or overnight.
• Make the meringue: Beat the egg whites and cream of tartar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until foamy, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Gradually beat in the sugar. Increase the mixer speed to high and beat until stiff, shiny peaks form, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the freeze-dried strawberries and beat until combined, about 1 minute.
• Uncover the ice cream cake and invert onto a foil-lined baking sheet. Let stand until the ice cream cake slips out of the pan easily; unwrap. Spread one-quarter of the meringue over the top and sides. Transfer the remaining meringue to a large piping bag fitted with a 1/2-inch star tip. Pipe over the top and sides of the cake. Freeze until firm, at least 4 hours and up to 2 days.
• Brown the meringue with a kitchen torch (or bake at 500˚ until golden, 3 to 5 minutes). Use two large spatulas to transfer the baked Alaska to a platter and slice.

BAKED ALASKA

Steps:

• Slice the cake into half-inch layers; cut the cake layers in such a way that you can form a large oval 1/2 - inch thick and 1- inch larger all around than your ice cream mold. Arrange the oval on the platter, cover airtight with plastic wrap, and set aside. Be sure oven is preheated to 450 degrees in time for step 2. Beating the meringue: Start beating the egg whites at moderate speed until they are foaming, beat in the salt and cream of tartar, then gradually increase speed to fast until egg whites form soft peaks. Gradually beat in the sugar, sprinkling in 1/4 cup at a time, beating half a minute between additions. After all has gone in, add vanilla, and continue beating for several minutes at high speed until eggs form stiff, shiny peaks. Set aside ice-cream mold in a basin of tepid water, run a knife around edge, and unmold the sherbet or ice cream upon the cake in the platter. Immediately spread the meringue over it with a spatula, starting at bottom of cake and bringing it up to a peak at the top of the dessert. Meringue should be about 1- inch thick over the sherbet or ice cream, in order to insulate it from the heat of the oven. Sieve confectioner's sugar all over surface of meringue, making a layer about 1/16 -- inch thick. Browning: Set in upper-middle level of preheated 450 degree oven for 3 to 4 minutes, to brown meringue lightly. Just before serving, place a sparkler on top of the baked Alaska and light.

BON VOYAGE BAKED ALASKA

Steps:

• For the cake: Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
• Grease and lay parchment paper over the bottom of a jelly roll size baking pan (17 1/2 by 11 1/2-inches by 1-inch deep). With an electric beater, beat together the egg yolks, just 1/4 cup of the sugar (reserving the rest), and vanilla until the mixture becomes a pale yellow and thickens. Sift cake flour over the egg yolk mixture and set aside briefly. Wash and dry the beaters. In a separate metal bowl, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar together and gradually beat in the balance of the sugar until stiff peaks form. To the egg yolk/flour bowl, fold in 1/3 of the beaten egg whites until just barely combined. Repeat 2 more times with each of the remaining 1/3 of the beaten egg whites. Spread into jelly roll pan and bake in oven for about 15 minutes or until the surface is golden brown and springs back when touched. Let cake cool in pan.
• While the cake is cooling, it would be a good idea to make room in the freezer for the sheet cake and ice cream.
• When the cake is completely cool, peel off the browned surface of the cake. (You can do this simply by loosening it and rolling it off.) Firmly press a flat baking sheet without edges (which is the same size or larger than the baking tin) against the top edges of the baking tin and invert the cake so it is transferred to the flat sheet and remove the parchment paper. Then cut the cake in half lengthwise and in half crosswise. Two of these quarters will be dedicated to the top and bottom of the baked Alaska, respectively. Using a broad thin spatula, slide one of these quarters to a flat oven safe platter.
• Loosen the carton from the half-gallon of ice cream and place the entire brick onto the cake on the platter. Then slide the other quarter onto the top of the brick of ice cream and put the whole platter into the freezer.
• The remaining 2 pieces of cake will fit over the sides and ends of the brick of ice cream. Cut the cake to fit the dimensions of the sides and ends utilizing the most efficient positioning which will result in the fewest number of cuts. You will need 2 rectangles measuring approximately 8 inches by 3 inches and 2 rectangles measuring approximately 8 by 5-inches. Cover with plastic wrap if you are not using these immediately, to prevent them from drying out.
• Some of the meringue topping will be used to secure these rectangles to the sides of the ice cream.
• To make the meringue topping, make a slurry with 2/3 cup water gradually whisked into a small saucepan to which you have added cornstarch and sugar. Bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking constantly. As it thickens and becomes translucent, cover and remove it from the heat. In a scrupulously clean large metal or glass bowl, with scrupulously clean beaters, beat the egg whites (they must be at room temperature) until foamy. Add vanilla and cream of tartar and beat until soft peaks form. Very gradually beat in sugar on high until glossy and stiff peaks form, but do not allow it to get dry. Reduce the speed of the beater to low and gradually add the cornstarch slurry. When it has all been added increase speed to medium for about 10 seconds.
• This can be refrigerated with plastic wrap on top for a short while before use.
• Immediately before serving the Baked Alaska, make sure your oven rack is in a position to provide enough clearance for the meringue and pre-heat oven to 425 degrees F. Remove the sheet cake and ice cream from the freezer. Using some of the meringue as a "glue" position the pre-cut pieces of cake to fit the sides and the ends of the brick of ice cream. Then spread the rest of the meringue in a thick layer over the entire assembly, swirling it decoratively with the back of a spoon, and being sure to cover the lower edge of the cake on all sides so the meringue touches the pan base. Slide the Alaska into the oven and bake until the meringue browns, 5 or 10 minutes. Serve immediately with accompaniments of chocolate sauce, raspberry sauce, and caramel sauce.