Baked Alaska with a Lighter? You Betcha!

I’ve always wanted to do a Baked Alaska, and with Valentine’s Day coming up, I thought it would be the perfect time to demonstrate this show-stopping dessert. I just didn’t anticipate coming up with possibly the greatest browning meringue hack in history.

As you’ll see in the video, I made two of these, so I could show you a couple different ways to decorate. After browning the first one with a blowtorch, my preferred method, I started on the second, and for whatever reason the torch stopped working.

I was just about to turn on the oven, where you can finish these at 500°F until browned, when I had an idea. I’d just bought a windproof lighter to use when grilling in the backyard, and wondered if the tiny jet flame that shoots out from the tip would be hot enough to do the job. It was, and it did.

As far as the actual recipe itself, there’s really not a lot that can go wrong. As long as you freeze your ice cream cake thoroughly before browning the meringue, and cook your sugar syrup to 240°F, yours will look just like mine, or better.

There are obviously unlimited combinations of cake and ice cream flavors you can use for this, so I suggest consulting with your Valentine, and giving this easy Baked Alaska technique a try very soon. Enjoy!

For 2 Baked Alaska:

Note: You can make these ahead, including the piping, freeze, and then brown the meringue before serving.

1 1/2 cups raspberry ice cream

1/2 cup vanilla ice cream

2 round thick slices chocolate cake

For the Italian meringue:

2 large egg whites

1 tsp lemon juice

- beat to soft peak, and slowly add 240 F. sugar syrup (see below)

- continue beating until you have stiff peaks that will hold a sharp line

For the sugar syrup:

1/2 cup white sugar

1/4 cup water

FLAMBE NOTE: First of all, be careful. Pour an ounce or so of any liqueur (I used brandy but cherry liqueur or Framboise would be even better) into a pan and place on low heat. When it’s warm enough you can it ignite with a lighter, and spoon the flaming liquid over your baked Alaska. Just be sure to turn down the lights!

Fresh Raspberry Sauce – Easy and Effective

As promised, here’s the fresh raspberry sauce we served with our recently posted chocolate decadence cake. While originally intended to be a companion video for that dessert, this stuff is so beautiful and delicious, you and your Valentine may not even need the cake.

Like I mentioned in the video, this will absolutely work even if you use frozen raspberries, but nothing compares to the flavor of the sauce if you can somehow find and use fresh raspberries.

Of course, that’s only half the battle, because the real key, besides the fresh fruit, is not overcooking the sauce.  We don’t want to boil and reduce this mixture. We’re not trying to make a thick heavy syrup, but instead a light, fresh, and vibrant pool of raspberry goodness.

This was perfect with our chocolate decadence, but would be equally as effective with pretty much any quality, store-bought dessert; in particular cheesecake, or vanilla ice cream. I’ve checked with the legal team, and even if you put this on something from the market, you’re still allowed to technically call your dessert "homemade."

By the way, if this gorgeous sauce doesn’t help you seduce the object of your desire this Valentine’s Day, don’t be too upset, as it probably wasn’t meant to be. So good luck, and I hope you give this fresh raspberry sauce a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for about 3 Cups Fresh Raspberry Sauce:

4 half-pint baskets of fresh raspberries (1.5 pounds), rinsed, drained

2 to 3 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, or to taste

1/4 cup sugar, or more to taste

*0 to 4 tablespoons water, depending on desired thickness

*Depending what you’re going to serve the sauce with, you may want to add some water before cooking the berries. If you want something a little thicker, to serve over ice cream for example, then don’t add any water. On the other hand, if you want and lighter texture like I did, toss in a few tablespoons of water before heading to the stove. Be careful; we’re not boiling and reducing the sauce, so we can’t cook out excess liquid.

Chocolate Decadence - The Eighties Most Iconic Dessert

This “flourless” chocolate cake was all the rage in the 1980’s, and looking back, it all makes sense. As I vaguely remember, the decade celebrated decadent overindulgence, and this dessert is that, and more. By modern standards, this cake is ridiculously rich. In fact, some of you may find it too intense, but most true chocolate fiends will be in heaven.

This was invented by chef Narsai David, in Berkeley, California, and while close to the original, I bumped up the ingredient amounts a bit, so we can use a standard 9-inch pan.  Also, he doesn’t use cayenne. By the way, if you don’t use the same chocolate I did (milk, white, etc.), I can’t tell you what will happen, because I don’t know.

I dusted the buttered pan with flour, because that’s how Mr. David does it, but my sources in the pastry world tell me that cocoa may be a better choice, since it won’t leave a light film. Doesn’t bother me, but I have to write something for these posts. 

Be careful not to overcook this. It goes for a relatively short time in a hot oven, so while mine took about 14 minutes, you should start checking around 13. The top will be just barely set, with a jiggle below the surface. If it’s really soupy, then leave it another minute and check again.

This is best served very cold. It’s easier to cut, and I enjoy the texture more than at room temp. As I mentioned, stay tuned for the raspberry sauce video, which I’ll post on Friday. That will give you plenty of time to practice both for Valentine’s Day. I hope you give this a try soon.  Enjoy!

Ingredients for one 9-inch cake pan (this is extremely rich cake, so you can easily get 12 to 16 servings):

18 ounces semi-sweet chocolate (62% cacao)

10 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon sugar

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon flour

5 large eggs, room temp, or slightly warm for best results

tiny pinch of cayenne and salt

- serve with ice-cold fresh raspberry sauce

* Bake at 425 F. for probably 12-15 minutes depending on the oven, until just barely set, with a jiggle below the surface. The cake will firm up as it cools.

TIP: If you want to remove your cake from the pan for presentation, just set it in a pan of hot water for a minute, and it will pop right out.