Skip to content

Snack

Baked Alaska

Ice cream on sponge cake, sealed in meringue and browned in a very hot oven for just a few minutes. Delmonico’s “Alaska, Florida”: cold inside, warm outside.

⏱ 6 hr 5 min (40 min prep, 25 min cooking, 5 hr waiting) 🍽 Serves 8 · 1 wedge make aheadfreezer friendly vegetarian
📅 Add to my plan

ContainsMilk, Eggs, Wheat. Check the labels on what you buy; brands differ.

Ingredients

Make 8 servings

  • Sponge cake

  • 3 Eggs, large
  • 100 g Granulated sugar
  • ½ tsp Vanilla extract
  • 65 g Cake flour
  • 1 pinch Table salt

  • Filling

  • 1 quart Vanilla ice cream
  • ¼ cup Strawberry jam, apricot, warmed

  • Meringue

  • 4 Liquid egg whites, from pasteurized eggs, or carton whites labeled for whipping
  • 150 g Granulated sugar
  • ¼ tsp Cream of tartar

Make it yourself

Out of cake flour? Make it →

In the planner, Make it on the shopping list swaps the store item for these ingredients and puts the work on your prep day.

Nutrition

Nutrition coming: the USDA numbers for these ingredients are being added.

📜 Where it comes from

Charles Ranhofer (1836–1899), Delmonico’s, New York (chef 1862–1876 and 1879–1896).

The Epicurean (New York: Charles Ranhofer, 1894), No. 3538, p. 1007: “Alaska, Florida”.

“Prepare also a meringue with twelve egg-whites and one pound of sugar. A few moments before serving place each biscuit with its ice on a small lace paper, and cover one after the other with the meringue… color this meringue for two minutes in a hot oven, and when a light golden brown remove and serve at once.”

The original text, quoted as printed; it is in the public domain.

Delmonico’s is often said to have named the dessert in 1867, the year the United States bought Alaska; the story is popular but not documented from that year. The idea is older: Benjamin Thompson (Count Rumford) wrote about meringue’s insulating power in the early 1800s, and French cooks made a similar “Norwegian omelet.” Ranhofer’s 1894 book gives his “Alaska, Florida,” with banana and vanilla ice cream in little sponge cakes.

What we changed: Ranhofer made individual cakes with apricot marmalade and two ice creams; we make one large dome. We use pasteurized egg whites for the meringue, since it browns for only a few minutes.

Delmonico’s closed in 1923, before Michelin awarded its first stars (1926), so no star ratings apply.

Internet Archive scanHathiTrust recordCharles RanhoferBaked AlaskaMore from the great kitchens →

Steps

You’ll need: 8-inch round cake pan, parchment, 7-inch bowl and plastic wrap, stand or hand mixer, ovenproof platter or baking sheet, kitchen torch (optional).

  1. Line the bowl with plastic wrap. Soften the ice cream a few minutes, pack it into the bowl, cover, and freeze until very firm, at least 4 hours.
  2. Heat the oven to 350°F and line the cake pan with parchment. Beat the eggs, sugar and vanilla on high 5 to 7 minutes, until thick, pale and tripled. Sift the flour and salt over and fold in gently. Spread in the pan and bake 15 to 18 minutes, until springy. Cool completely.
  3. Set the cake on the ovenproof platter and brush it with the jam. Unmold the ice cream dome onto the cake and peel off the plastic. Return to the freezer.
  4. Heat the oven to 475°F. Beat the egg whites and cream of tartar to soft peaks, then beat in the sugar a spoonful at a time and keep beating to stiff, glossy peaks.
  5. Spread the meringue over the ice cream and cake right down to the platter, sealing it completely; swirl the top. (You can freeze it now, up to 1 day.)
  6. Bake 3 to 5 minutes, until the peaks are golden brown, or brown it with a torch. Slice with a hot knife and serve at once.
Make aheadAssemble and freeze the meringue-covered dessert up to 1 day ahead; bake straight from the freezer.
❄️ FreezerFreeze leftovers, covered, up to 1 week; the meringue softens over time.
↺ LeftoversKeep leftovers frozen and eat within a few days.
🧒 With kidsKids can swirl the meringue peaks with the back of a spoon.
Shortcut swapUse a store-bought pound cake, sliced ½ inch thick, in place of the sponge.

Good to know

All-purpose vs. bread flour (and friends) Table salt vs. kosher salt vs. sea salt Baking soda vs. baking powder

Our own adaptation of a public-domain recipe, in our own words. Nutrition is estimated from USDA FoodData Central and changes with brands and portions.