• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Sift & Simmer
Matcha, tea-infused baking recipes & modern Asian favourites
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Pantry
    • Matcha 101: A Beginner's Guide
    • Hojicha 101: A Beginner's Guide
  • Subscribe
  • Navigation Menu: Social Icons

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Cakes

    Mini Baked Alaska

    Published: Sep 13, 2020 by Michelle · 11 Comments

    Share this recipe!

    • Facebook
    • Email
    • Twitter
    Jump to Recipe - Print Recipe

    This is a Black Forest-flavoured Mini Baked Alaska with a chocolate cake base, vanilla cherry ice cream, and a lightly torched meringue. The juxtaposition of hot and cold makes this dessert fun to make, and even more fun to eat!

    A torched mini baked Alaska on a marble trivet with a lit flame sparkler in the centre and a lighter coming from the left.
    Both my husband and I share birthdays in September. Within a week of each other.

    That usually means I make a cake for the both of us.

    This year, I decided I was going to try something new. A Mini Baked Alaska.

    Still the same flavours of black forest, but Baked Alaska style. 

    What is a baked Alaska?

    It's an American dessert with a sponge cake base, ice cream, and meringue covered all over.

    The meringue is traditionally baked in the oven to caramelize the exterior.

    My Mom would make Baked Alaska so it was a dessert that I grew up with, but never attempted to make, until now. 

    A white meringue-covered mini baked Alaska on white round marble trivet.
    3 components

    There are 3 main components to this Mini Baked Alaska:

    • chocolate cake base
    • cherry vanilla ice cream
    • meringue

    For the cake, I chose to do a chocolate cake with milk chocolate and cocoa.

    It's not a sponge cake, but I might try to do it with a sponge cake next time.

    The ice cream is a no-churn cherry vanilla ice cream. I've got a few different recipes for no-churn ice cream, including:

    • earl grey
    • matcha
    • espresso bean
    • tin roof

    For the cherry vanilla ice cream, I substituted in about ½ C of frozen cherries and added in more vanilla extract.

    And the meringue is simply an egg white and sugar, heated over a double boiler and whipped up until stiff.

    A slice of mini baked Alasaka with chocolate cake and torched meringue on a small round plate with fork.
    How to make the chocolate cake

    Sift together the dry ingredients into a bowl.

    In a separate bowl, beat the egg, sugar, milk, oil, and vanilla extract together. 

    Melt the chocolate, cool it slightly and stir it into the egg mixture.

    Add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. 

    Pour the batter into a lightly greased in a 4" springform pan.

    Bake at 350F for about 13-15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out with the slight crumbs clinging to it.

    Let the cake cool, and then slice off the domed top.

    How to make the meringue

    Don't make the meringue until you're ready to serve.

    You'll need 1 large egg white and 3 tablespoon of sugar.

    Add the egg white and sugar to a heat-safe stand mixer bowl. Place the bowl over top a small pot with simmering water. 

    Whisk until the egg white becomes foamy and the sugar dissolves, reaching a temperature of 160F.

    Remove from heat, attach the bowl to the stand mixer and whisk until the meringue reaches stiff peaks.  

    A mini baked Alasaka with chocolate cake and torched meringue on round marble trivet with a slice cut out.
    How to assemble

    Line a small bowl (with an approximate 4" diameter at its opening) with plastic wrap, and make sure there's enough overhang.

    Place anywhere from ½ C to 1 C of softened ice cream into the small bowl and smooth out with the back of a spoon. (Have enough space for the cake to sit on top). 

    Freeze the ice cream for 2-3 hours. Remove from the freezer and place the chocolate cake onto the ice cream and wrap it up. 

    Return to the freezer to freeze for 4-6 hours. 

    When ready to serve, make the meringue. 

    Remove the cake/ice cream from the freezer. Cover the cake with the meringue and carefully use a blowtorch to lightly caramelize the exterior.

    Note: If you don't have a kitchen blowtorch, you can place the cake onto a baking sheet and place it under the broiler for 2-3 minutes, until the meringue is lightly browned. 

    Serve immediately.

    Various textures in one bite

    There is a juxtaposition of flavours and textures in Baked Alaska -- from the warm, caramel notes in the meringue to the cold yet melty cherry ice cream and rich chocolate cake.

    This Mini Baked Alaska is perfect for 4 small servings. 

    Other mini desserts you may like

    If you like this miniature dessert, you might like:

    Mini Matcha Hojicha Burnt Basque Cheesecake

    Matcha & Hojicha Pancakes Cereal

    Mini Matcha Custard Buns

    Let me know if you try out this recipe. Tag me on Instagram @siftandsimmer or leave me a comment/rating below! Have you had a Baked Alaska before?

    Mini baked Alaska with torched meringue on round marble trivet with lit sparkler in the centre.A mini baked Alaksa with chocolate cake and torched meringue with a piece cut out with text overlay.

    Print Recipe
    5 from 5 votes

    Mini Baked Alaska

    A miniature version of the American dessert, Baked Alaska. Chocolate cake base, cherry vanilla ice cream, and a lightly torched meringue covers the entire dessert.
    Prep Time15 mins
    Cook Time20 mins
    Chilling Time4 hrs
    Total Time4 hrs 35 mins
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 173kcal
    Author: Michelle

    Equipment

    • kitchen blowtorch

    For accuracy and precision in baking recipes, use weight (metric) measurements when available.

    Ingredients

    Mini Chocolate Cake:

    • ¼ C cake flour sifted
    • ¼ teaspoon baking powder
    • pinch of salt
    • 1 ½ tablespoon cocoa powder sifted
    • 1 large egg
    • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
    • 3 tablespoon whole milk
    • 1 tablespoon avocado oil
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 30 g milk chocolate melted

    Ice cream:

    • ½-1 C ice cream flavour of your choice softened

    Meringue:

    • 1 large egg white
    • 3 tablespoon granulated sugar
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    Make the chocolate cake:

    • Sift together the dry ingredients into a bowl.
    • In a separate bowl, beat the egg, sugar, milk, oil, and vanilla extract together.
    • Melt the chocolate, cool it slightly and stir it into the egg mixture.
    • Add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined.
    • Pour the batter into a lightly greased 4" springform pan.
    • Bake at 350°F/177°C for about 13-15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out with slight crumbs clinging to it.
    • Let the cake cool, and then slice off the domed top.

    Make the meringue: (Don't make the meringue until you're ready to serve).

    • Add the egg white and sugar to a heat-safe stand mixer bowl. Place the bowl over top a small pot with simmering water.
    • Whisk until the egg white becomes foamy and the sugar dissolves, reaching a temperature of 160°F/71°C.
    • Remove from heat, attach the bowl to the stand mixer and whisk until the meringue reaches stiff peaks.

    Assemble:

    • Line a small bowl (with an approximate 4" diameter at its opening) with plastic wrap, and make sure there's enough overhang.
    • Place anywhere from ½ C to 1 C of softened ice cream into the small bowl and smooth out with the back of a spoon. (Have enough space for the cake to sit on top).
    • Freeze the ice cream for 2 hours. Remove from the freezer and place the chocolate cake onto the ice cream and wrap it up.
    • Return to the freezer to freeze for 4-6 hours.
    • When ready to serve, make the meringue.
    • Remove the cake/ice cream from the freezer. Cover the cake with the meringue and carefully use a kitchen blowtorch to lightly caramelize the exterior.
    • Serve immediately.

    Notes

    If you don't have a kitchen blowtorch, place the cake onto a baking sheet and broil for 2-3 minutes, until the meringue becomes lightly browned.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 173kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 42mg | Sodium: 49mg | Potassium: 90mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 78IU | Calcium: 39mg | Iron: 1mg

    The nutritional information provided should be considered as approximate and is not guaranteed. Please use your best judgment to ensure food is safely prepared and/or a good fit for your diet.

    Did you try this recipe?Mention @siftandsimmer or tag #siftandsimmer!
    « SunButter Marshmallow Pretzel Cookies
    Coconut Passionfruit Cupcakes »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Rahul @samosastreet

      September 13, 2020 at 2:40 pm

      Belated birthday wishes Michelle. This mini baked alaska looks super cute. Loved it that its no bake and I can top it with my fav ice cream

      Reply
      • Michelle

        September 13, 2020 at 3:59 pm

        Thanks so much, Rahul! 🙂 It was certainly a fun dessert to make!

    2. David @ Spiced

      September 14, 2020 at 5:31 am

      5 stars
      For starters, happy birthday wishes to both you and your husband! However, I do hope you made 2 of these baked Alaskas - you each deserve a cake (or special dessert) for your birthday! As far as baked Alaskas, my mom used to make these, too - I wonder if they were just more popular back in the day. You don't hear much about them anymore. I applaud you for tackling this recipe though - it looks amazing! And the photo with the sparkler is perfect. 🙂

      Reply
      • Michelle

        September 14, 2020 at 7:09 am

        Thank you so much, David! Yes, baked alaskas must have been more popular in the 90s...? 😀

    3. Christie

      September 14, 2020 at 1:07 pm

      5 stars
      Happy birthday to you and your husband Michelle! This is just amazing and I love how gorgeous it is! Just stunning.

      Reply
      • Michelle

        September 14, 2020 at 2:53 pm

        Thank you so much Christie! 🙂

    4. Priya @priyascurrynation

      September 16, 2020 at 3:41 pm

      5 stars
      looks so good.

      Reply
      • Michelle

        September 16, 2020 at 9:41 pm

        Thanks Priya!

    5. Leanne

      September 26, 2020 at 10:36 am

      5 stars
      I've always been fascinated with baked alaskas and have always wanted to make one. Thanks for all the details in this post Michelle. It's less intimidating now, and a mini one is perfect for the hubby and I!

      Reply
      • Michelle

        September 26, 2020 at 11:51 am

        Yay, that's what I love about mini desserts -- they can be much more manageable 🙂

    6. Linsey

      April 04, 2021 at 7:00 pm

      5 stars
      Delicious! Very easy to to make. Made a few times already.

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    About Me

    My name is Michelle and Sift & Simmer is a food recipe blog featuring easy, creative and delicious recipes. I believe that the best food is made from scratch. Read More…

    Subscribe for Latest recipes

    Follow Me

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • YouTube

    Popular Recipes

    Matcha Mochi Croissants

    Matcha Candy Cane Popcorn

    Classic Matcha Chiffon Cake

    Matcha Jasmine Cake with Yuzu Curd

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    About

    Privacy Policy

    Newsletter

    Subscribe for the latest recipes and updates directly to your inbox!

    Contact

    Contact

    Copyright © 2017-2023 Sift & Simmer

    All images and content are copyright protected. Do not use without prior permission.