Baked Alaska

Ingredients

• For the ice cream
• 1 litre vanilla ice cream
• 1 C (250 ml) cream
• 2 Tbsp (30 ml) good-quality coffee granules
• 3 Tbsp (45 ml) Irish whiskey
• For the cake base
• 5 large free-range egg yolks
• 125 g butter
• 1 1/2 C (300 g) white sugar
• 2 1/3 cups flour
• 2 1/2 tsp (12.5 ml) baking powder
• generous pinch salt
• 1 C (250 ml) milk
• 1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) vanilla
• 1 tsp (5 ml) lemon juice
• For the meringue topping
• 5 large free-range egg whites
• generous pinch salt
• 1 C (200 g) light-brown sugar

Instructions

1. 1

   --- For the ice cream ---

2. 2

   Prepare the ice cream layer a day before. Wet a cake tin and line it with clingfilm.

3. 3

   Remove the ice cream from the freezer and leave to thaw and soften slightly.

4. 4

   Beat the cream until soft peaks form, then beat in the coffee and whiskey. Fold this mixture quickly into the slightly softened ice cream. Pour into the lined cake tin and put in the freezer.

5. 5

   --- For the cake base ---

6. 6

   Preheat the oven to 180° C.

7. 7

   Grease 2 cake tins the same size as the one you used for the ice cream and line them with greaseproof paper.

8. 8

   Cream the butter and sugar together until smooth and light. Beat the egg yolks and add to the butter/sugar mixture. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add this, alternately with the milk, vanilla and lemon juice, to the butter/sugar mixture, beating well between each addition. Divide the mixture equally between the two cake tins. Bake for about 35 minutes. Take care not to undercook the cakes – because of the high yolk content, the batter isn’t gooey, and a toothpick stuck into the centre halfway through baking will come out clean even though the cake isn’t ready yet. Remove from the oven. Leave in the tins for about 10 minutes and then turn out onto a wire rack to cool. Remove the greaseproof paper.

9. 9

   --- To assemble ---

10. 10

    About 15 minutes before you’re ready to serve the baked alaska, preheat the oven to 190° C.

11. 11

    Place one of the cakes upside-down on an ovenproof plate. Place the ice-cream on top of the cake and remove the cling film. Return to the freezer while you make the meringue.

12. 12

    --- For the meringue topping ---

13. 13

    Whip the egg whites and salt to soft peaks, then add the brown sugar bit by bit until the meringue is very firm and fluffy.

14. 14

    Remove the cake from the freezer and working quickly, cover the ice cream completely with the meringue. Make very sure there are no holes!

15. 15

    Bake for about 6 minutes, until the meringue is golden-brown.

16. 16

    Serve immediately.