The Baked Alaska

As part of Christmas Baking 2013.

The last sugar filled treat I made during the battle of Christmas 2013. This was the first dessert I actually ate and the last one I made. (I made the Chiffon Cake and the Chocolate Hazelnut Tarts first.)

Baked Alaska

(Based off the Blue Flame Kitchen recipe. Changes made by me!)

An 9 inch round layer of your favourite Cake! (See below for my favourite)
Ice Cream (I used Cherry Vanilla)
1/4 cup pasteurized egg whites (Easy to find in your local grocers egg isle)
1/8 tsp cream of tartar
1/4 cup sugar

  1. Make the cake (boxed or otherwise); let it cool. Cover it in the ice cream, about an inch and a half thick. Wrap in plastic wrap and freeze flat for at least 2 hours (preferably on a sheet of tinfoil for easy transferring.)
  2. Preheat oven to 500ºF.
  3. Prepare the meringue by whipping the egg whites and cream of tartar with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Add sugar, 2 TSBP at a time, to egg mixture until stiff peaks form. (If you can put your finger in meringue and when you pull it out the meringue's peak does not collapse, it's done!)
  4. Remove the cake from the freezer. Quickly spoon meringue on top of cake, using a silicon spatula to spread the meringue over the top and sides of the ice cream and cake. (You can do fancy twirly motions to get some nice swooshy patterns.)
  5. Bake until meringue is lightly browned, about 6 minutes. (You can also put the broiler on at the same time to hasten the browning. But WATCH IT. The browning reaction happens within seconds.) Serve immediately! 
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Chocolate Zucchini Cake 

I used this recipe from the For the Love of Cooking.net. It's my favourite chocolate zucchini muffin recipe and it easily turned into a great cake layer for my baked alaska! I made the recipe exactly they way it said but split the batter into two 9 inch round baking pans. Baked at 350ºF for about 30 minutes. Easy!

And thus concludes the crazy baking of 2013. I did make some pretty delicious hot chocolate mix as well. But they were for Christmas presents. (Mind, I had to sample to see if it was any good! Just a bit though. Honest!)

-Andrea

The Half-Assed Hobbyist