Baked Alaska

Baked Alaska is a dessert made of ice cream and cake covered with meringue, which is browned quickly in a hot oven or with a torch.

Baked Alaska is a dessert of ice cream and cake encased in meringue, browned quickly at high heat. It’s known for its contrast of a frozen interior and hot, toasted exterior, and for its American origins tied to the 1867 purchase of Alaska.

What it is

Baked Alaska combines a layer of ice cream atop sponge cake, all wrapped in meringue. The dessert is then browned under intense heat or with a torch, with the meringue acting as insulation to keep the ice cream from melting. It’s also called bombe Alaska or omelette norvégienne, especially in French and Canadian contexts.

Why it matters

The dessert is a notable piece of American culinary history, often linked to Delmonico’s restaurant in New York City in the late 1800s. Its name likely references the U.S. purchase of Alaska from Russia in 1867, making it a dessert tied to a major historical event. It’s also an example of early food science, using meringue as thermal insulation.

Key details

Preparation requires assembling the cake and ice cream, freezing the stack, then covering with meringue and browning briefly. The high heat just toasts the meringue’s surface. Variations exist worldwide, such as the French omelette norvégienne. In Canada, it appears in French-influenced menus and home baking, reflecting its dual heritage.