Baked Alaska Bars

I think about this brownie baked alaska dish every summer; brownie base, a towering dome of ice cream swirled with lemon curd and a toasted marshmallow finish. It is a slightly tough one. I think the hardest part must be working the ice cream into the bowl shape, overturning it and covering a dome shape in meringue. It doesn’t get made too often, so I was thinking of ways I could make baked alaska more accessible and exciting to more of you. 

Summer times and summer parties are all about the easy to slice and grab so I thought what if we did it ‘slab’ style or sheet pan style? I took my cake recipe (developed for an ice cream cake) and layered it with two ice creams (it was going to be one but I wanted this to be a stunner =), then the meringue. 

Note: You can just buy a quart of ice cream, soften it and then press and spread it on top of the cake – that’ll make this quicker and easier. 

Note 2: this has several cooling stages, once the cake bakes it needs to be completely cool before the first ice cream layer goes on. Then the first layer of ice cream should be frozen before the second is added. The meringue goes on once the second ice cream layer is frozen. 

Recipe Origins 

The cake part of this recipe is one I developed a couple of years ago, to be the outer layers for an ice cream sandwich cake. I make the full recipe and bake it as one longer layer. The first ice cream we’ll make for the dish is a basic no churn vanilla, the second is my own no churn chocolate ice cream (I bloom the cocoa before adding it to the base) and lastly, the torched meringue is a simple ratio of egg whites to sugar. I make it swiss meringue style. 

Recipe Ingredients 

For the cake 

Cake flour: all purpose can work but cake flour provides a much more tender crumb, ideal for a softer cake even when frozen. 

Salt: fine sea salt. If using table salt, halve the amount. 

Leavening: baking soda and powder, to leaven the cake. 

Cocoa: dutch process cocoa powder. 

Sugar: fine granulated sugar. 

Oil: I use avocado oil but any flavorless oil will work fine. 

Milk: whole milk or 2%. 

Egg: just one large egg. 

For the ice cream layers 

Sweetened condensed milk: one can for each layer. Two total. 

Heavy cream: or heavy whipping cream. Light cream does not have enough fat in it to make for a smooth ice cream so do not use it as a substitute. 

Vanilla: I use the paste for the vanilla ice cream and an extract for the chocolate (where you can’t see or taste the vanilla as strongly). 

For the meringue 

Egg whites: they should have absolutely no yolk mixed in or the egg whites won’t whip. 

How to make Baked Alaska Bars

Start with the cake

Butter or grease a cake pan and line it with parchment paper

The dry ingredients are all whisked together in a bowl

Then one by one the wet ingredients are added, then whisked in 

You’ll bake the cake for a short time then allow it to cool completely 

Once the cake is cool, first layer of ice cream

This follows a basic no churn ice cream recipe: whip heavy cream to medium peaks then fold in the sweetened condensed milk and flavorings 

For best results the heavy cream should be cold

Spread over the cooled cake and cover with plastic wrap 

Once the ice cream is frozen, second layer of ice cream 

We’ll add a step to the chocolate version of the no churn ice cream: heating the cocoa with some milk then straining it to remove any bits 

Stir in the sweetened condensed milk and let this cool 

Whip the (cold) heavy cream to medium to stiff peaks and fold in the chocolate mixture 

Spread over the frozen ice cream 

Once the second ice cream is frozen, meringue 

For pie toppings or any kind of non-baked meringue, I prefer to use the swiss method: 

Set a bowl over a pot of simmering water (the water shouldn’t touch the bowl) 

Add in the sugar then the egg whites and whisk to combine 

Once you can’t detect any sugar granules, transfer the mixture to a stand mixer 

Affix the whisk attachment and whip to stiff peaks (add the salt and vanilla at the end) 

Spread meringue over the frozen ice cream layer, then torch to toast 

Baker’s Make Ahead Tips 

Bear in mind, there are many cooling and chilling periods needed between the layers: the cake must cool before the first ice cream layer goes on (it shouldn’t need more than 2 hours to cool), the first ice cream layer must freeze (at least four hours), and the second (another four hours). 

You can make the bars ahead of time, up to a week, before making the meringue and serving. 

I like to freeze the meringue for a while before serving and it also keeps well in the freezer, at least a few days. 

Recipe for Baked Alaska Bars

Baked Alaska Bars

An ice cream cake with 4 layers: chocolate cake, vanilla ice cream, chocolate ice cream, and a toasted meringue - baked alaska style.

Prep Time: 2 hours hrs

Cook Time: 15 minutes mins

Chill Time: 12 hours hrs

Yields: 1 tall sheet pan cake

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Ingredients

Chocolate Cake Layer

• 97g or ¾ cups cake flour sifted
• Pinch fine sea salt
• ¼ tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp baking powder
• 50g or ½ cup dutch process cocoa
• 100g or ½ cup brown sugar
• 67g or ⅓ cup flavorless oil like avocado
• 120g or ½ cup whole milk
• 1 large egg

Ice Cream Layer 1 (No Churn Vanilla)

• 480g or 2 cups heavy whipping cream cold
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
• 396g or 1 can sweetened condensed milk

Ice Cream Layer 2 (No Churn Chocolate)

• 50g or ½ cup dutch process cocoa powder
• 120g or ½ cup whole milk
• 396g or 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
• 480g or 2 cups heavy whipping cream cold

Toasted Marshmallow Meringue

• 4 egg whites from large eggs
• 200g or 1 cup fine granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

Method

• To make the cake: line a 13 x 9 inch cake pan with parchment paper (grease it first so the paper sticks to the pan). Preheat the oven to 325 F. In a bowl whisk together the cake flour, salt, baking powder, soda and cocoa. Add the brown sugar and whisk. Add the oil and the milk and whisk well. Crack in the egg and whisk the batter until it’s thick and glossy. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until a cake tester comes out clean, for about 12-14 minutes. Set aside to cool completely.
• To make the vanilla no churn: in a large bowl, add the heavy whipping cream, vanilla, and salt. Using a hand mixer, beat the cream until it is thick and forms ribbons that hold shape. Pour in the sweetened condensed milk (slowly) and use a rubber spatula to fold it into the whipped cream making large J shapes. Once the milk is fully incorporated, pour it over the cake layer - you may want to hold some back so you have room for the next layer, it can be kept in an airtight container and stored in the freezer. I usually save about a cup from this layer. Smooth into an even layer into the pan and cover with plastic wrap. Set in the freezer until completely solid, at least six hours.
• To make the chocolate no churn: set the milk and cocoa in a small pot and whisk until the cocoa has dissolved. Heat until the milk steams then take off the heat and let cool. Pour into a bowl, and add the sweetened condensed milk and whisk to combine. This mix needs to be completely cool before the next step, set it in the fridge to chill until cold - about 30 minutes. In another bowl, beat the heavy cream with the salt and vanilla until you have medium peaks. Through a fine mesh sieve, pour the cooled chocolate mixture. Use a rubber spatula and fold the chocolate mix into the whipped cream. Once you have stiff peaks, pour the ice cream into the pan - again reserving about a cup or more so you have space for the meringue. You can freeze the remainder and store it in a freezer safe jar and simply eat it as ice cream.
• To make the meringue: find a bowl that will sit in or over a pot filled about an inch high with water without the bowl touching the water. Once the water starts to simmer, add the egg whites and sugar and whisk well. Switch to a rubber spatula, stirring frequently. When the mix is warm and you can’t detect any sugar granules, transfer it to a stand mixer. Affix the whisk attachment and whip the meringue until thick, glossy, and it holds stiff peaks - this can take a while. Add the vanilla and salt toward the end of whipping. Spread the meringue over the frozen ice cream in an even layer, creating swoops with the back of a spoon or offset spatula. Use a kitchen torch to toast the top of the meringue (avoid torching the parchment paper or you’ll start a little fire). The bars can be served and sliced now or, for cleaner slices, freeze for at least an hour then slice and serve. The bars will keep for about 5 days, in the freezer.

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