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Baked Alaska - Flaming Dessert
A classic 1876 dessert featuring strawberry ice cream layered with pisco-soaked sponge cake, enveloped in Swiss meringue and dramatically flambeed with pisco. Served with orange supremes, honey, and dried fruits for a romantic Valentine's Day presentation.
Ingredients
Cake Layer
- 2 rounds Sponge cake (genoise or store-bought) (Cut into rounds with a glass, then halved horizontally)
- 60 ml Pisco (For soaking the cake)
- 15 ml Honey (Tacna-style) (Mixed with pisco for soaking)
- 30 g Raisins (Soaked in pisco for several days) optional
Flambe
- 60 ml Pisco (for flambeing) (Heated until flaming)
Garnish
- 1 unit Orange (Peeled a vif, cut into supremes; julienne the zest)
- 2 units Chamomile flowers (For decoration) optional
Ice Cream Layer
- 300 g Strawberry ice cream (Any flavor works)
Swiss Meringue
- 4 units Egg whites
- 180 g White sugar (1.5x the weight of egg whites)
- 5 ml White vinegar (To wipe the bowl and remove grease)
Steps
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1Line a small bowl with plastic wrap. Fill halfway with ice cream, pressing firmly to the edges. Add pisco-soaked raisins. Cut sponge cake rounds with a glass, halve them, and soak in pisco-honey mixture.Tip: The bowl size should be individual portion - think Valentine's Day presentation.~5 min
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2Layer the soaked sponge cake on top of the ice cream. Add more ice cream. Top with another layer of soaked cake. Press down, close the plastic wrap like a candy, and freeze for at least 30 minutes.~35 min
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3Make Swiss meringue: Wipe the mixer bowl with vinegar to remove grease. Combine egg whites and sugar. Heat over bain-marie, stirring constantly, until sugar dissolves and mixture is warm (do not exceed 60C). Whip in stand mixer until bowl is cool and meringue forms stiff peaks.Tip: The ratio is always 1 part egg whites to 1.5 parts sugar. If it exceeds 60C you will get sweet scrambled eggs.~15 min
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4Unmold the frozen ice cream dome. Cover completely with meringue using a spatula, creating peaks and texture.Tip: The meringue acts as thermal insulation - cover completely with no gaps to protect the ice cream from the flame.~5 min
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5Prepare garnish: Peel orange a vif (remove all pith). Cut supremes between membranes. Cut julienne strips of orange zest (remove white pith first).Tip: The white pith is bitter and adds nothing beneficial. Only the outer zest provides aroma.~5 min
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6Decorate with orange supremes, pisco-soaked raisins, orange zest julienne, and chamomile flowers. Dim the lights for dramatic effect. Heat pisco in a small pan until it ignites, then pour flaming pisco over the meringue.Tip: Lower the lights for maximum visual impact. Serve immediately after flambeing.~3 min
Nutrition (per serving)
450
Calories
8g
Protein
62g
Carbs
18g
Fat
2g
Fiber
Cultural Context
Baked Alaska was created in 1876 to celebrate the United States' acquisition of Alaska, with the meringue representing snow. Giacomo gives it a Peruvian twist by using pisco (Peruvian grape brandy) for soaking the sponge and flambeing, and Tacna honey. The meringue acts as thermal insulation, keeping the ice cream frozen while the exterior is torched.