Strawberry baked Alaska
- Prepare
- less than 30 mins
- Cook
- no cooking required
- Serve
- Serves 2
- Dietary
- Nut-freeVegetarian
This strawberry baked Alaska has a soft sponge base, strawberry ice cream, glossy Italian meringue and a quick strawberry sauce. You’ll need a blender, sieve, stand mixer, sugar thermometer and cook’s blowtorch.
Ingredients
For the strawberry sauce
- 250g/9oz strawberries, hulled
- 1–2 tsp icing sugar
- 1 lemon, juice only
For the Italian meringue
- 250g/9oz caster sugar
- 4 medium free-range egg whites
For the baked Alaska
- 3 tbsp strawberry jam
- Maderia sponge cake, cut to size 8cm/4in round
- 1 tub strawberry ice cream
Method
To make the strawberry sauce, put the strawberries and icing sugar in a blender and blitz until smooth. Pass through a sieve, then taste and add lemon juice as needed. Set aside.
To make the Italian meringue, put the sugar and 75ml/2½fl oz water in a small saucepan. Heat gently until the sugar has dissolved, then bring to the boil. Cook until the syrup reaches 115–120C on a sugar thermometer. CAUTION: boiling sugar is extremely hot. Handle very carefully.
Put the egg whites in a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment and whisk to soft peaks. With the mixer running, gradually pour in the hot sugar syrup. Keep whisking until the meringue is thick, glossy and holds its shape.
To assemble, spread the strawberry jam over the sponge. Put the ice cream on top, then spoon over the meringue and shape it so the ice cream is fully covered.
Cut the ice-cream into 2, around the belly. Keep one half in the freeze. With the other, put ton top of the strawberry jam, then spoon over the meringue and shape it so the ice cream is fully covered.
Colour the meringue with a cook’s blowtorch. Keep the flame moving so the meringue colours evenly. Serve immediately with the strawberry sauce.
