What is bombe Alaska made of?
A cold and creamy filling encased in a warm and marshmallow-like shell –what’s not to love? The bombe Alaska is a magical dessert featuring a caramelised dome hiding a sweet surprise – a decadent ice cream cake! The secret, which was discovered in the 1800s, lies in the meringue. When the egg whites are whipped into fluffy, soft peaks and spread thickly over the cake, the whipped whites act as a barrier that prevents the heat from the blowtorch melting the ice cream. Don’t have a blowtorch? You can pop the bombe Alaska cake into the oven to caramelise the outside of the meringue to create the stunning golden colour.
This show-stopping dessert has been served at dinner parties and tea parties since the 1800s, and these days bombe Alaska ice cream cake is often enjoyed as a celebratory cake at birthdays and Christmas parties. The bombe Alaska makes for the perfect centrepiece at any occasion. Looking for other elegant and eye-catching ideas? Try apple cake with apple custard buttercream layered with caramel, mascarpone chocolate tart with roasted grapes, or elevate the classic cherry pie with Curtis Stone's cherry bourbon pecan pie.
How to make this bombe Alaska recipe
If you’ve always wanted to know how to make bombe Alaska, you’ve come to the right spot. Follow our tips:
- While ready-made sponge cake is perfect for our bombe Alaska dessert recipe, there’s nothing like making your own cake from scratch. Try our recipe for the perfect sponge cake. Likewise, you can make your own easy lemon curd and adjust its tanginess and sweetness to your liking.
- Make sure that your cut sponge cake pieces are at least 2.5cm thick and the entire pudding basin is lined evenly with cake, so the ice cream is safely cocooned and protected from the heat.
- For the meringue, it’s important to make sure not a single drop of egg yolk is included in the bowl of egg whites, so the meringue holds its shape well. A good tip: separate the eggs when they are cold, as they will come apart more easily, but remember to only whip the egg whites when they have come to room temperature.
- When cooking the sugar syrup, don’t let it come to a boil before you fully dissolve the sugar, or the sugar will crystallise and your meringue will be grainy.
How to assemble a bombe Alaska cake
Once you have all the essential bombe Alaska ingredients ready to go, here is how to prepare this impressive dessert:
- The ice cream cake needs to be frozen for at least 8 hours before you start to coat it with meringue.
- Make sure meringue is prepared and ready to add to the cake as soon as you remove it from the freezer.
- Coat the frozen cake quickly with a 2.5cm thick meringue layer, including the bottom edges.
- Once the cake has been covered, pipe on meringue peaks to add interest, and use the back of a spoon to make swirl patterns if you wish.
- If using a blowtorch, hold it 15cm away and torch the meringue by constantly moving quickly in circles.
- Don’t have a blowtorch and need to bake the meringue instead? Keep a close eye on it while it’s in the oven to prevent it from burning.
