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Baked Alaska with Roasted Strawberry Ice Cream & Pistachio Cake

5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 2 days
Cook Time 35 minutes

Equipment

  • Ice Cream Maker
  • Kitchen Torch

Ingredients
  

Roasted Strawberry Ice Cream

  • 1 pint strawberries hulled and halved
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar divided
  • 1 1/2 cups 2% or whole milk
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 1/2 cups whipping cream

Pistachio Cake

  • 1/2 cup unsalted pistachios blanched
  • 1/2 cup all purpose flour
  • 3/4 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tbsp full fat yogurt

Meringue

  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 4 egg whites room temperature
  • 1/2 tsp lemon juice

Instructions
 

For the Ice Cream

  • Preheat the oven to 400°F
  • Place the strawberries in a large bowl. Add the olive oil and a 1/4 cup of the sugar. Toss to coat. Transfer the berries to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Roast the berries for 15-20 minutes or until lightly browned.
  • Transfer the berries, juice and all, to a fine mesh strainer. Force any remaining juice out by pressing the berries with a muddler or the back of a spoon. Set the juice and the mashed berries aside to cool completely.
  • Pour the milk into a small saucepan and place over low heat. Heat the milk until steam settles on the surface. Remove from the heat.
  • In a medium-sized bowl, whisk to combine the egg yolks, sugar and salt. Whisk until the sugar is mostly dissolved and the egg yolks turn a paler shade of yellow.
  • Pour half of the warmed milk into the yolk mixture, whisking constantly. Pour the yolk mixture into the saucepan with the rest of the milk and return the pan to the heat. Cook the custard until it thickens slightly, about 8 minutes.
  • Remove the mixture from the heat and pour into a large bowl. Whisk in the whipping cream and the strawberry juice. Transfer the mixture to the fridge and chill for 1 hour.
  • Pour the chilled mixture into the bowl of an ice maker and churn for 30 minutes. In the last five minutes of churning, spoon in the berry mush until it is swirled throughout. Spoon the finished ice cream into a 8x8 pan or loaf pan and cover. Freeze overnight.
  • The next morning, place the ice cream on the counter for 15 minutes to soften. Spray a 6" bowl with non-stick spray and line with plastic wrap. Spoon the softened ice cream into the bowl and smooth the surface with the back of a spoon. Cover the surface and return the ice cream to the fridge. Let set overnight.

For the Cake

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 6" cake pan and line the base with parchment paper. Set aside.
  • Place the pistachios in a food processor and pulse until they resemble a fine meal. Transfer the nuts to a large bowl and sift in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Whisk to combine and set aside.
  • Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand-mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Cream the butter into the sugar on a medium speed until light and fluffy.
  • Add the eggs to the bowl one at a time followed by the yogurt. Set the mixer to its lowest speed and add the dry ingredients to the wet. Beat until a smooth batter forms.
  • Pour the batter into the prepared pan and transfer to the oven. Bake the cake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick can be inserted in the center and removed cleanly.
  • Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling wrack to cool completely. Once cool, wrap the cake in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge overnight.

For the Meringue and Assembly

  • Pour the water and sugar into a small saucepan. Place over medium heat and cook until the mixture registers 240°F on a candy thermometer. Don't stir the sugar mixture.
  • While the sugar mixture is coming up to temperature, pour the egg whites and lemon juice into the bowl of a stand-mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Whisk the egg whites on medium speed until soft peaks form.
  • Once the sugar mixture has reached 240°F and the egg whites are forming soft peaks, set the mixer to medium speed and slowly pour the hot sugar mixture into the egg whites. Try to drizzle the sugar mixture down the side of the mixing bowl, so it doesn't splash everywhere. Whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
  • Working quickly, trim the pistachio cake and place it on a cake stand. Take the ice cream dome out of the freezer and extract it from the bowl. Place the dome on top of the cake before removing the plastic wrap.
  • Using an offset spatula, coat the cake and ice cream with the meringue until fully encased. Using a kitchen torch, toast the surface of the meringue until golden brown. Serve immediately.