The Origin Story Of The Baked Alaska

We do know Ranhofer’s unique model of Baked Alaska (aka Alaska, Florida) featured a spice cake base topped with banana ice cream all wrapped up in a toasted meringue shell, in response to Untapped New York. Or will we? Prepare dinner’s Data says Ranhofer’s creation featured a single-serving cake base topped with a layer of apricot jam and a cone-shaped serving of ice cream then topped with piped meringue and browned for 2 minutes.

Manner down yonder in New Orleans, Alciatore’s take, typically referred to as Bombe Alaska in response to Oven By way of, is an identical mound of cake, ice cream, and meringue — with one large distinction. As an alternative of toasting the meringue, Alciatore determined to go together with a flambéed presentation. The whole ice cream sculpture is drenched with liquor, often rum, and set afire tableside proper earlier than it is served.

Related creations, however at Antoine’s, Alciatore went with a extra direct strategy when he named the dessert, christening it Baked Alaska. By the many years, the title Baked Alaska prevailed, however that does not imply Alciatore’s model gained out. As we speak, as proven by Brit + Co, Baked Alaska has grow to be a generic time period for myriad combos of ice cream, cake, and meringue served toasted or, for a extra dramatic presentation, flambéed.