Baked Alaska is an elegant dessert fit for a special occasion like Valentine’s Day. This delicate treat consists of layers of ice cream and cake, then covered in sweet airy browned meringue. For my Sweet Valentine’s Day tabletop the menu consisted of desserts that combined different aphrodisiac flavors perfect to share with your special someone. The first thing that comes to mind, is of course chocolate, so I decided to add another element by incorporating coffee, but this chocolate wine cake would’ve been just as tempting. Contrary to what most believe, honey actually has higher levels of aphrodisiac chemicals, especially when paired with the fruit of ancient gods, the pomegranate. I placed each cake atop an upside down ramekin, but should’ve thought about a bottom plate to catch the smooth ice cream dripping down, which is why this dessert is a labor of love that should be enjoyed right away. Delicate, rich, and sweet this Baked Alaska is the perfect sweet treat to enjoy with your loved one.
Baked Alaska with Chocolate Cake and Honey Pomegranate Ice Cream
Ingredients {Makes 5 to 8″ 3 inch Cakes}
Chocolate Coffee Cake
2 1/2 cups – All Purpose Flour
1 1/4 cups – Dutch Processed Cocoa Powder
2 1/2 cups – Granulated Sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons – Baking Soda
1 1/4 teaspoons – Baking Powder
1 1/4 teaspoons – Salt
2 large – Eggs {plus 1 large yolk}
1 1/4 cups – Milk
1/2 cup & 2 tablespoons – Pumpkin Puree
1 1/4 teaspoons – Pure Vanilla Extract
1 1/4 cups – Freshly Brewed Coffee {or espresso}
Honey Pomegranate Ice Cream
1 3/4 cups – Heavy Cream
3/4 cups – 1% or 2% Milk
1/2 cup – Organic Honey
1/4 teaspoon – Salt
1 – Vanilla Bean
5 large – Egg Yolks
Pomegranate Swirl Sauce
2 cups – Pomegranate Seeds
1/3 cup – Granulated Sugar
Honey {for drizzling}
Meringue
1/2 cup – Egg Whites {about 4 large eggs}
1 cup – Granulated Sugar
Recipe
To make the chocolate cake, pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottom of a buttered 9X13″ baking pan with parchment. In a bowl of an electric mixer, sift all the dry ingredients together. With a paddle attachment, add all the wet ingredients, beating on low-speed until batter is smooth and completely combined, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed {about 3 minutes}.
Fill pan with batter, and bake rotating halfway until a toothpick comes out clean from the center {about 20 to 25 minutes}. Transfer to a cooling rack, cooling slightly. Invert from the pan, and cool completely with top up.
To make the Honey Pomegranate Ice Cream, stir the cream, milk, honey and salt in a heavy saucepan. Split the vanilla bean and use your knife to scrape the seeds from the inside. Add the seeds and bean to the pan, heat over medium-high heat. When the cream mixture begins to bubble around the edge, remove it from the heat and cover. Let it steep for 30 minutes. Whisk the yolks, just to break them up in a medium heat-proof bowl, set aside.
Uncover the pan, and heat base over medium-high heat. Reduce to medium heat once the mixture hits a slight simmer. Slowly ladle about 1/2 cup of the hot mixture into the yolks, while continuously whisking then add one more ladle of the hot mixture to the yolks, making sure to whisk quickly to not curdle the eggs. With a clean spatula, stir the cream mixture as you slowly add the egg-cream mixture back to the saucepan.
Cook the ice cream base over medium heat, stirring constantly until it has thickened, about 1 to 2 minutes. The mixture should coat the back of a wooden spoon, holding a clear path when you run your finger. Strain the base through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean container, over an ice-water bath. Using a clean spatula, stir the base frequently until its has cooled and remove it from the ice-water bath. Cover with plastic wrap, refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
Freeze the base in your ice cream machine following your manufacturer’s directions. While the ice cream churns, put the container that you’ll use in the freezer. The ice cream is ready once it reaches the consistency of soft-serve, or the paddle creates a distinctive path as it churns. After every few spoonfuls of ice cream into the container, drizzle some pomegranate puree and honey. When all the ice cream is in the container, use a chopstick or butter knife to gently swirl the mixture. Place in an air-tight container, and freeze until later {at least 4 hours}.
To make the Pomegranate Sauce for ice cream, combine the raspberries and sugar in a small saucepan stirring frequently over medium-high heat until most of the liquid has evaporate and mixtures has become a jammy consistency {about 20 to 25 minutes}. Reduce to medium heat as the mixture thickens. Remove from the heat and allow to cool for a minute. Transfer to a lender and puree until smooth. If using as topping serve warm, for swirling in ice cream, refrigerate in an air tight container until ready to use.
To make the Meringue, whisk the egg whites and sugar in a bowl of an electric mixer just until combined. Place the bowl over a small saucepan of simmering, not boiling, water. Which the whites occasionally until they are warm, and the sugar is completely dissolved {about 3 minutes}. Place the bowl on the mixer, whisk on medium-high speed until the white are glossy, hold their shape and are cooled {about 8 to 10 minutes}. Meringue is ready when you lift the whisk and a soft peak stands then curves downward at the top.
To assemble Baked Alaska, use a 3 inch round cookies cutter to cut chocolate cake rounds. Depending on the height of your cake, you should be able to cut each round mini cake in half {makes sure each layer is 1/2 inch thick}. Each mini baked alaska will need 3 layers of cake. Wrap the inside of your cookie cutter with plastic wrap, leaving about 2 inch overhang over the top to cover assembled cake. Place a chocolate cake round on the bottom of cookie cutter, spread 1 tablespoon of ice atop, repeat one more time until you have three layers of cake and two layers of ice cream. Wrap in plastic, freeze until ready to cover with meringue.
Spread the meringue over each frozen cake, and create small peaks with the back of a spatula. Toast the meringue with a torch or under the broiler for a minute until the surface is lightly toasted. Serve immediately.
