A baked Alaska is a dessert made with cake and ice cream covered with meringue and baked or broiled until the meringue is golden. The ice cream will remain firm. If you have ever seen a baked Alaska being served, then you will know the beauty and excitement associated with this beautiful dessert.

The origin of this glamorous dessert dates back to the early 1800s when it was first known as Alaska-Florida, presumably because of the contrasting cold and hot nature of the ingredients (the hot cake and meringue with the cold ice cream inside). The name “baked Alaska” is now the name of the dessert.

The dessert is made from a cake layer which is at least one inch thick and should extend one half to one inch beyond the ice cream edges. Any flavor cake can be used in making a baked Alaska, but either yellow cake or chocolate cake are the most used flavors. Sherbet or a combination of ice cream or sherbet flavors can be used as well as ice cream. And again, almost any flavor of ice cream can be used inside the baked Alaska, it all depends on the flavor cake used, and also, your own personal preference. A soft meringue is spread thickly and completely over the ice cream and cake. It is extremely important that the meringue meets the edges of the cake to form a seal all around the ice cream. The Alaska is baked in a very hot oven or broiled until the meringue is browned.

Tiny air cells in the meringue act as an insulator to keep the heat away from the ice cream, but once cut baked Alaska must be served quickly because the warmth of the room air will melt the ice cream.

The classic baked Alaska of cake, ice cream, and meringue has many modern variations. Individual servings are made by putting the ice cream into hollowed out cupcakes or orange shells. Or, for the pie lovers the ice cream can even be put into a pastry shell. Some other variations include fruit under the meringue cover.

To save last minute preparation of any of the Alaska recipes, the baked Alaska can be assembled completely on a wooden cutting board, wrapped, and frozen several days ahead. At serving time, just whisk the Alaska into a preheated oven to brown the meringue and the elegant dessert is ready to serve with little bother.