John Torode's baked Alaska recipe
John is here with a retro throwback recipe, the much-loved baked Alaska!
A great one for this weather, John shows us how to master the hot against the cold with this classic!
Baked Alaska
Serves 4 - 6
Makes 1 large (1 litre bowl) or 4 small individual portions
Ingredients
Baked Alaska base
1 x 400g tub vanilla ice cream
1 x 400g tub strawberry ice cream
1 x 400g chocolate ice cream
Approximately ½ loaf shop bought Madeira sponge
1 jar seedless Strawberry Jam
Meringue
50 ml water
1 teaspoon lemon juice
300g Caster Sugar
6 egg Whites
Method
1. For the Ice Cream: This needs to be done in a bowl which has been lined with clingfilm or greaseproof paper. You can either use a 1 litre bowl or make 4 smaller individual ones.
2. Brush the bowl of your choice with a little oil and then line with a layer of cling film so the cling film overhangs the edges.
3. Start by spooning the chocolate ice cream into the base of the bowl, a third of the way up to create your first layer. Level it off so it’s nice and flat.
4. Follow with a layer of the vanilla cream and level off again, then finish with the final layer of strawberry ice cream and make sure the top is flat and level. Fold the cling film over the top to enclose the ice cream and place into the freezer.
5. Once assembled you will need to place the ice cream back into the freezer for a good few hours, or even better overnight to make sure it is really frozen solid.
6. For the cake base: Cut the sponge horizontally in half down the centre of the loaf, and then slice in half again. Place the two pieces side by side on a board to make a large square. Place your bowl on top and cut around to make a circle the same size as the top of the ice cream bowl, this is the base. Make crumbs from some of the cake trimmings.
7. Place the sponge on a disk of greaseproof paper and then on a baking sheet, place a dollop of jam on top of the sponge circle.
8. Turn the ice cream dome onto the cake base, and press down.
9. Take the cake crumb and coat the outside of the ice cream dome and place on top of the sponge circle. Place the whole thing back in the freezer whilst you make the meringue.
10. For Italian Meringue: bring 50ml water, lemon juice and the caster sugar to the boil in a saucepan. On a sugar thermometer the sugar syrup needs to reach 120C or 250F, remove the pan from the heat.
11. Place the egg whites into a free standing mixer and whisk for a good 5 minutes until stiff peaks, turn the machine down. Carefully pour the sugar syrup into the whisked egg whites in a thin stream. Keep whisking until all the sugar syrup has been used up and now whisk until nearly cold. Place the meringue into a piping bag and leave to one side.
12. Once the meringue is cool, pipe all over the frozen dome and swirl or make a pattern or whatever you would like.
13. Place the whole bomb back in the freezer and leave for at least an hour or overnight if baking in the oven. If you are using a blowtorch then the freezing time can be less.
14. If using the oven, preheat the oven to the highest setting and place the Baked Alaska in for about 4 minutes - watching all the time!
15. Once cooked it can be returned to the freezer or the fridge for a few minutes.
16. The ice cream needs to be very frozen if baking.