MINI BAKED ALASKAS
Makes 12
1
hourWe love it when a vintage recipe makes for a successful and delectable comeback. These little treats feature a divine chocolate cake, a little fruity jam and any ice cream flavor your heart desires. Enrobe them in a fluffy cloud of meringue, then light your torch. We make these brilliant bronzed beauties in our What Would Julia Do cooking class. They make for a big finish – Julia Child would be proud!
Love everything vintage? Our 2022 Holiday Lookbook Vintage is all about retro recipes and cocktails. We revisited and reimagined each recipe and made them marvelously modern. Glam gastronomy. So, so good.
Ingredients
For the Cake:
1 ¾ cups (219 g) all-purpose flour, plus more for pan
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 large egg yolk, room temperature
1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
1 cup lukewarm brewed coffee
½ cup vegetable oil
1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
1 tsp Chocolate Extract
1 ¾ cups (350 g) granulated sugar
¾ cup (60 g) Dutch-process cocoa powder
2 tsp Baker’s Salt
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
2 oz (57 g) bittersweet chocolate, melted, slightly cooled
For the Meringue:
4 large egg whites
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp cream of tartar
2 tsp Vanilla Puree
For Assembling the Baked Alaskas:
1 quart any flavor ice cream
½ cup raspberry jam
Instructions
- For the Cake: Position an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a rimmed 13X18 sheet pan (half sheet pan) with nonstick spray. Line with parchment. Spray the parchment. Dust lightly with flour, tapping out excess.
- Whisk together eggs, egg yolk, buttermilk, coffee, oil and extracts in a medium bowl.
- Mix granulated sugar, cocoa powder, salt, baking soda, baking powder and 1¾ cups flour in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment on low speed until combined, about 1 minute. Add egg mixture in 3 additions, beating on medium speed 30 seconds after each addition. Add melted chocolate and beat, scraping down sides of bowl to ensure everything is well mixed.
- Scrape batter into prepared baking sheet and rap on counter to level. Bake cake until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 20–25 minutes. Let cake cool 15 minutes, then run an offset spatula along edges to loosen. Set a wire rack upside down over baking sheet and flip over to release cake. Carefully peel away parchment paper and let cool completely.
- Prep the Alaskas & Freeze: Soften the ice cream so that it’s scoopable. Transfer cake to a cutting board. Cut out 16 rounds with cookie cutter (leftover scraps are for snacking). Top 8 cake rounds with a 1 dollop of jam each. Top with remaining cake rounds to make a jam sandwich. Place each cake sandwich on an 8″ square of plastic wrap (lightly moistening the counter will help plastic stay flat). Place a scoop of ice cream, flat side down, on each cake sandwich. Pull the plastic wrap up and around and twist. Hold in the freezer.
- For the Meringue: Just before serving, heat egg whites, granulated sugar, and cream of tartar in the bowl of a stand mixer set over a saucepan of barely simmering water (do not let bowl touch water), whisking constantly, until sugar is dissolved and an instant-read thermometer registers 120°, 5–7 minutes.
- Fit bowl onto stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, add vanilla extract, and beat on medium-high speed until meringue forms stiff, glossy peaks, about 5 minutes.
- To Serve the Mini Baked Alaskas: Unwrap ice cream domes and place on individual heatproof plates. Working quickly, spread meringue over domes with a spoon or small offset spatula, making lots of decorative swirls and peaks all over. (You can also use a pastry bag fitted with a large fluted tip and pipe meringue over each dome.) Make sure all of the ice cream and cake is covered. Toast meringue with kitchen torch until golden.
