Baked Alaska is easy to make with only 5 ingredients and while it looks fancy, it’s actually really easy! I first had this on an Alaskan cruise and knew I had to create a simple version at home!
Ice cream & pound cake are wrapped in meringue and baked in a hot oven until the meringue is golden brown, all while keeping the integrity of the frozen ice cream intact! Truly amazing! Serve this easy dessert as the end to a perfect meal, it’ll absolutely wow your guests!
Thank you to Princess Cruises for hosting our cruise, serving us loads of amazing seafood and sponsoring this delicious Baked Alaska Recipe!
Baked Alaska is requires a bit of preparation and of course time for freezing, it is certainly easy and there is very little hands on time! This pretty dessert is made with just a FIVE simple ingredients ingredients (you likely have on hand)!
This easy Baked Alaska was inspired by our recent Alaskan cruise with Princess Cruises! First off, Alaska is breathtakingly beautiful as you may have seen in my Easy Salmon Patties recipe. There are endless things to do both on and off of the boat!
While on the ship, it seemed there was always some activity we could join on like trivia, wine tasting or even playing Bingo (check out the onboard activities here)! There are both indoor and outdoor pools, hot tubs, a fitness center and of course places to relax and really get away from it all like the sanctuary. The night life is lots of fun with several different shows to see and lounges to enjoy drinks and dancing. And while we had an absolute blast onboard, we absolutely LOVED our excursions too! Princess has tons of shore excursions you can choose from when you sail Alaska. We did several tours and I do have to say that the Glacier Point Wilderness Tour in Skagway was amazing!
The food was off the charts, there are so many different onboard dining experiences and everything was delicious! During the days we did casual meals, often visiting the buffet or enjoying the most amazing pizza! In the evenings we had beautiful meals at the Bayou Café (which serves New Orleans-inspired meals) to an incredible Italian meal at Sabatini’s. And of course, lots of seafood including salmon, crab and the grand finale, BAKED ALASKA!
Truly what would be an Alaskan cruise without experiencing baked Alaska?!
Baked Alaska is the perfect ending to any meal and while it looks impressive, it’s actually really easy to make! And of course it was inspired by the beauty that is Alaska, snow capped mountain peaks and glaciers!
What is Baked Alaska?
Quite simply, yet unbelievably, Baked Alaska is a meringue dessert filled with ice cream, heated and served from the oven!
How to Make Baked Alaska?
- Ice cream is slightly softened and pressed into a lined bowl, then pound cake is pressed onto the top of the ice cream and then frozen solid.
- Once frozen it is inverted, so the pound cake is on the bottom. A thick meringue layer is applied to cover the entire dessert, then placed in the freezer once again.
- Finally, it is baked in a super-hot oven for a very short time until the meringue is golden brown. It should cool or rest for only about 10 minutes before serving.
Baked Alaska seems almost magical since this ice cream dessert remains frozen after baking in a hot oven! As with almost all tricks, the real magic lies in the science; air trapped the pound cake and the meringue insulate the ice cream keeping it from melting!
Other Factors that Contribute to the Success of a Baked Alaska:
- Make sure your oven is hot so this can cook quickly (to keep the ice cream from melting)!
- Start with room temp eggs (and remember any oil or yolk at all will ruin your meringue)
- Give your meringue covered dessert time to freeze. The colder the better!
- Make sure your meringue and pound cake layers are thick enough (about 1″”) to insulate the ice cream
If you are lucky to have leftover Baked Alaska simply put the remainder in the freezer for another time!
Easy Baked Alaska
Ingredients
- 8 cups neapolitan ice cream slightly softened
- 1 pound cake sliced 1" thick
- 6 egg whites room temperature
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ¾ cup sugar
Instructions
- Line a 3 qt bowl with plastic wrap. Scoop the ice cream into the bowl ensuring to mix up the colors and press to remove any spaces.
- Top with pound cake slices cutting to fit the bowl so the ice cream is covered. Gently press the cake into the softened ice cream. Cover well and freeze 3 hours or for up to 2 weeks.
- Beat egg whites and cream of tartar with a mixer on high until foamy, about 3 minutes. Add sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form.
- Remove plastic wrap and invert the cake onto a baking sheet. Cover with meringue. Place uncovered in the freezer for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.
- Preheat oven to 500°F. Bake the dessert about 3-5 minutes or until meringue is golden.
- Allow to cool/rest 5 minutes before slicing.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
Like our recipes?
Follow us on Pinterest!
REPIN this Easy Dessert Recipe
Great recipe and as easy as promised.
Do you have to ‘Place uncovered in the freezer for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours’ or can you after cover put into the oven?
If you do not refreeze before baking, the dessert may not stand up well in the oven. Enjoy it!
I will make this and report here for you.
Thank you for posting.
We hope you enjoy it, Tim!
Baked Alaska, I have never heard of it but it looks so yum! Thank you for sharing the recipe!
Oh it’s so good, I hope you enjoy it!