I have an old friend that I’ve known since kindergarten (and that’s a LONG time) who lives in Louisville, Kentucky. Sheryl and her husband (also from my home town in Maine) are both retired teachers. Sheryl and my friends Diana and Anne and I were inseparable so we’ve been close all our lives.
She emailed me the other day and said, “We’re thinking about coming to Australia, when’s a good time?” I was over the moon but only for a little while because I received another email saying that Dave decided he wanted to go to Alaska first.
I wrote back and said I’d love to cruise around Alaska but I wasn’t sure I ever wanted to trudge in the cold again. I don’t miss Maine winters.
Then yesterday I received an email from my friend Australian Juliet who’s promoting Cruiseabout – cruising Alaska. She asked me if I would share this poster with my readers. After having just said this is what I wanted to do, I said yes without any hesitation. I thought it might be fate and nobody wants to tempt fate.
Thinking about the USA and the upcoming 4th of July Holiday I wanted to make something that would tickle my fancy and sooth my holiday homesickness. With Alaska on my mind, what else but Baked Alaska or as it’s called in Australia, Bombe Alaska.
This is the easiest dessert ever but there’s no mucking about permitted. First you make the cake and then while the cake is cooling, soften the ice cream in the fridge. Line a bowl with cling film and place the ice cream in layers and finish with the cake on the top.
After a hard freeze and just before serving, make the meringue and then remove from the bowl and remove the cling film and cover with meringue.
Bake until golden brown or use a blow torch. I usually put mine in the oven and finish up with the blow torch if I think it needs more scorching.
If you’re really pressed for time, buy the cake and the ice cream and assemble. It’s a gorgeous dessert and fun to eat. Who doesn’t like ice cream and cake?
- 1 cake layer
- 1½ pints vanilla ice cream
- 1 pint strawberry ice cream
- 5 egg whites (I made lemon curd with the yolks)
- 1¼ cups caster/superfine sugar
- pinch cream of tartar
- food colouring
- Make or buy one cake layer about 1½ inches thick
- About an hour before, place the ice cream in the refrigerator to soften.
- Line a bowl with cling film and place a layer of strawberry ice cream in the bottom, then a layer of vanilla ice cream and then take the remaining vanilla ice cream and colour it before placing over the vanilla ice cream. (or you could use a different flavour of ice cream.
- Top with the cake cut to fit the bowl. (it's okay to eat the cut off pieces with a bite of ice cream)
- Cover with cling film and place in the freezer until frozen hard.
- Just before serving make the meringue by whipping the egg whites and cream of tartar until frothy and slowly add the caster/superfine sugar until all is incorporated. Whip on high speed until you can't feel any grittiness between your fingers.
- Preheat the oven to 500F/245C
- Remove the ice cream and cake from the freezer and invert on a baking tray
- Cover with meringue and swirl it with your spatula.
- Place in the oven just until it begins to brown, remove and serve. Place your knife in a glass of very hot water and it will slide through the ice cream with ease.
- It takes about 6 hours but most of that time is waiting.
Happy 4th of July to my family and American friends!