Baked Alaska
FOR THE FILLING:
2 pints ice cream, slightly softened
FOR THE CAKE:
1 tsp. butter, softened
1⁄2 cup cake flour
Pinch salt
3 eggs, separated
1⁄2 cup sugar
1⁄2 tsp. grated lemon zest
1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
FOR THE MERINGUE:
4 egg whites
2 pinches cream of tartar
1⁄2 cup sugar
1. For the filling: Line a 7"-diameter bowl with a 15" piece of plastic wrap, allowing excess to hang over rim of bowl. Pack ice cream into bowl, smoothing out top, and freeze until solid, at least 4 hours.
2. For the cake: Preheat oven to 325°. Butter an 8" round cake pan with half the butter. Line pan with an 8" disk of parchment paper, butter paper with remaining butter, and set aside. Sift together flour and salt into a small bowl and set aside.
3. Put egg yolks into a mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until pale yellow, about 1 minute. Gradually add sugar while continuing to beat; beat until fluffy, about 1 minute. Stir in lemon zest and juice and set aside. Put egg whites into another mixing bowl and beat with clean beaters on medium-high speed until stiff but not dry peaks form, about 2 minutes. Fold whites into yolk mixture with a rubber spatula. Fold in flour mixture in two batches, taking care not to deflate batter. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 20–25 minutes. Set aside to cool completely, then invert onto a rack, peel off and discard parchment, and set cake aside.
4. For the meringue: Preheat oven to 450°. Put egg whites and cream of tartar into a mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form, about 1 minute. Increase speed to high and gradually add sugar, beating until thick, shiny, stiff but not dry peaks form, about 2 minutes.
5. Put cake onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Invert ice cream onto cake and peel off plastic. Cover ice cream and cake with meringue. Bake until meringue begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Carefully transfer to a cake plate and serve immediately.
Serves: 8
Source: Saveur #55
Prepared by: Lena for the July 2010 meeting.