Skip to content

The dessert, French classic

Baked Alaska

Baked Alaska is a frozen dessert covered in golden meringue and flambéed with rum, serving 6 people. It takes 60 minutes of active work spread across several steps, but you bake the sponge the night before and assemble the ice cream the same morning. Medium difficulty and €2.40 per person, success comes down to a meringue with no gaps to shield the ice cream from the hot oven.

Hot outside, icy inside, my baked Alaska arrives at the table golden as a cloud and always gets a reaction.

Baked Alaska
For
6 people
Work
1 h
Total time
5 h
Prep
Prepared the same day
Difficulty
Medium
Cost per person
€2.40
Calories per person
450 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach

Under the warm golden meringue, the vanilla ice cream and raspberry sorbet stay perfectly cold, that contrast in temperature is the whole point of this dessert. The soft rum soaked sponge adds a layer of tenderness between the crisp toasted meringue and the frozen center. The final rum flambé brings a warm, fragrant note that surprises with every bite.

This is a showstopper dessert, ideal for a family gathering, a birthday, or a dinner with friends when you want to make an impression without spending the whole evening in the kitchen. It fits naturally at the end of a classic French style menu, after a braised meat dish or something in a rich sauce, and it wins over kids and adults alike thanks to the dramatic flambé moment.

The schedule

What happens when, so you can be with your guests instead of in the kitchen.

  1. The day before 1 step, 25 min
  2. The same day 1 step, 30 min
  3. Before the guests arrive 2 steps, 25 min
  4. When it's time to serve 1 step, 5 min

The night before, bake the sponge cake, it keeps perfectly well until the next day. The morning of, assemble the dessert with the ice cream and sorbet, then freeze it for the rest of the day. Right before guests arrive, make the meringue and cover the dessert completely, then return it to the freezer until serving time, when you bake it for four minutes and flambé it in front of everyone.

The ingredients

6 people

Dairy

  • Eggs 3
  • Egg whites 5

Pantry

  • Granulated sugaroften in the pantry 340 g
  • Flouroften in the pantry 90 g
  • Dark rum 6 cl
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Frozen foods

  • Vanilla ice cream 75 cl
  • Raspberry sorbet 50 cl

Allergens Gluten, Lactose, Eggs

The recipe, moment by moment

The day beforeWhat's better after resting overnight in the fridge.

  1. Whisk 3 whole eggs with 90 g of sugar over a bain marie until the mixture thickens, then off the heat whisk until cooled, fold in the flour, spread on a baking sheet and bake 10 minutes at 200 degrees. 25 min

    The batter should form a thick ribbon when you lift the whisk, that's when the sponge will turn out light and airy.

The same dayDuring the day, whenever you get a moment.

  1. Cut the sponge to line a loaf pan, soak it with 2 cl of rum thinned with water, fill with vanilla ice cream and raspberry sorbet packed in tightly, cover with sponge and freeze for 4 hours. 30 min

    Line the pan with plastic wrap first, unmolding later is as easy as one pull.

Before the guests arriveThe last hour, right before the doorbell rings.

  1. Cook 250 g of sugar with 8 cl of water until it reaches 118 degrees, pour over the 5 whipped egg whites and whisk until the meringue is warm and glossy. 15 min

    Pour the syrup in a thin stream along the side of the bowl, never directly onto the whisk.

  2. Unmold the dessert onto a heatproof platter, cover it completely with meringue using a piping bag or a spatula, and return it to the freezer. 10 min

    Draw swirls with the back of a spoon, they'll brown beautifully.

When it's time to serveThe final touches, right in front of your guests.

  1. Bake the dessert for 4 minutes at 250 degrees to brown the meringue, pour the warm rum over it and flambé in front of your guests. 5 min

    Warm the rum in a ladle over low heat and light it at arm's length.

Our tips to get it right

  • Work with a very cold freezer, ideally at zero degrees Fahrenheit or below, so the frozen center holds up during the brief trip through a blazing oven.
  • Make the Italian meringue at the last moment before covering the dessert, it needs to still be warm so it adheres properly to the frozen surface.
  • Use a dish that can truly handle extreme temperature swings, ideally metal or thick ceramic, never thin glass.

The variations

  • Swap the raspberry sorbet for lemon or mango sorbet to change the tart brightness of the frozen center.
  • For kids, flambé the rum separately in the kitchen and offer it as an option at the table, the dessert keeps all its charm without the alcohol.
  • For a faster version, buy a ready made sponge cake and focus your time on assembling the ice cream and making the meringue, which are the steps that really matter.

What to serve it with

  • A strong coffee to balance the sweetness
  • Fresh berries on the side
  • A fragrant tea after dinner

Storage

Once assembled and covered in meringue, the dessert keeps in the freezer for up to 3 days before baking and flambéing. It doesn't freeze again once baked and flambéed, it needs to be served right away.

Questions about this recipe

Can you use a different liquor instead of rum?

Yes, Grand Marnier or kirsch both work well for flambéing baked Alaska. Pick a liquor that's at least 80 proof so it ignites properly.

How do you keep the ice cream from melting before flambéing?

Keep the dessert in the freezer until the very last minute and work quickly once it's out. The very hot oven and the short 4 minute bake also limit melting.

Do you need a piping bag for the meringue?

A piping bag makes it easier to get even, gap free coverage, but a spatula works just as well. The key is covering the ice cream completely, with no thin spots.

Can this recipe serve more than 6 people?

Yes, just use a larger mold and increase the ice cream, sponge, and meringue amounts proportionally. If you double the recipe, also adjust the time needed to whip the egg whites to stiff peaks.

Can a baked Alaska be made ahead?

Yes, during the day. The recipe needs 1 h of work in total, split up like this, the day before, 1 step, the same day, 1 step, before the guests arrive, 2 steps, when it's time to serve, 1 step.

How long does it take to make a baked Alaska?

Allow 5 h in total, including resting and cooking time, of which 1 h is actual work. The recipe is rated "medium".

How many calories are in a baked Alaska?

About 450 kcal per person, for a recipe meant for 6 people. The calories are calculated by Kiloach, your kilo coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a baked Alaska cost?

About €2.40 per person, that's €14.40 for 6 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains gluten, lactose, eggs. Remember to ask your guests about their allergies before putting your menu together.

To round out your menu

Build a menu

Desserts for entertaining

See all
Malva pudding The dessert

From around the world

Malva pudding

  • 25 min of work
  • Prepared the same day
  • Easy, €1.50 per person

620 kcalcalculated by Kiloach