February 1st is ‘National Baked Alaska Day’.  There is nothing as beautiful as a flaming Baked Alaska as it is served at table.  My Sons Father and I were fortunate to have had that experience aboard the Cunard Princess as it made its way up the Coast of California to Vancouver Canada.  The night we had it, the lights in the Dining Salon were dimmed and all the waiters marched out, each carrying a Flaming Baked Alaska, one of each which was served at each table.

You could make your own  baked Alaska, but unless you have a Culinary Torch and are familiar with the liquer that you would need to flame it with, you are better off having it as dessert at a Fine Restaurant.  However, if you really want to make your own, I have a recipe of a ‘Mock Baked Alaska’ which although it is not going to be flaming, it is still quite good and simple to make.  Children love as well as adults.  The only problem with it is that although it looks beautiful when it comes out of the oven, it loses its beauty when it is cut.  However, it does not lose its taste appeal.  That is yummy!!!

Traditionally a ‘Baked Alaska’ is a cake that has already been baked and then filled with Ice Cream.  A Meringue is put over the Cake and this insulates the Ice Cream and keeps from melting when it is baked in the oven a second time.  In Restaurants, the oven step is eliminated and the Meringue is just flamed, thereby ‘cooking’ it.

My version of ‘Baked Alaska‘ is a sponge or Angel Food Cake.  I cut a trough out of the Cake thereby creating a space for the Ice Cream.  Once the ‘trough’ is filled with Ice Cream, the Cake pieces are put back.  You can do this quite easily because a Sponge Cake is quite literally like a sponge and it can be easily compressed, thereby allowing you to replace the Cake pieces after the Ice Cream is inserted.

I usually put the cake back in the freezer at this point and just before serving, preheat your oven to 475 or even 500 degrees.  Make your Meringue and cover the cake with it and place it in the hot oven for about 5 minutes or until the Meringue is a golden brown color.  Remove it and serve immediately, once the guests have a look at your Masterpiece.

To cut the Cake, use a Bread Knife (serrated) so that you will not compress the cake as it is cut.

You can make your own Angel Food Cake or Sponge Cake cakes-frostings/angel-food-cake/ , /cakes-frostings/sponge-cake/or you can purchase a ready-made Angel Food or Sponge Cake that has been baked in a tube pan.  Of course, if you make it yourself it will taste better!

You can find the complete recipe for the finishing touches on the ‘Baked Alaska’ at /cakes-frostings/5562-2/