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.
Servings 1 tall sheet pan cake
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
Instructions
- 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.