Raspberry-chocolate bombe Alaska recipe (2024)

Just because our raspberry and chocolate bombe Alaska is a spectacle doesn't mean it's all looks.

Jan 10, 2017 6:04am

By Lisa Featherby

  • 40 mins preparation
  • 35 mins cooking plus chilling, freezing
  • Serves 8
  • Raspberry-chocolate bombe Alaska recipe (1)

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A bombe is a spectacular centrepiece, and can mostly be made ahead. For extra theatre, consider (carefully) flambéeing it with some warmed kirsch at the table instead of blowtorching it. Start this recipe at least two days ahead to set the bombe.

Ingredients

  • 220 gm caster sugar
  • 4 eggwhites
  • Pinch of cream of tartar

Raspberry sorbet

  • 1 kg raspberries
  • 220 gm caster sugar

Chocolate ice-cream

  • 200 gm dark chocolate (66% cocoa solids), coarsely chopped
  • 500 ml milk (2 cups)
  • 125 ml pouring cream (½ cup)
  • 5 egg yolks
  • 55 gm caster sugar (¼ cup)

Butter cake

  • 90 gm unsalted butter, coarsely chopped and softened
  • 90 gm caster sugar
  • 2 eggs, at room temperature
  • 90 gm self-raising flour, triple sieved

Method

Main

  • 1

    For raspberry sorbet, place a 2-litre pudding mould in the freezer to chill (about 30 minutes). Purée raspberries in a blender. Stir sugar and 250ml water in a saucepan over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves (3-5 minutes), then add a third of the raspberry purée. Stir to combine (1-2 minutes), then add to remaining raspberry purée and pass through a sieve to remove some of the seeds. Process in an ice-cream machine, then press sorbet into chilled mould to line base and sides, and return to the freezer until starting to firm (1-2 hours; you may need to press sorbet more evenly into mould once it has firmed up).

  • 2

    For chocolate ice-cream, place 160gm chocolate in a large bowl and set aside. Bring milk and half the cream to just below boiling point in a saucepan over medium heat. Meanwhile, whisk yolks and sugar in a bowl until pale (2-3 minutes). Whisking continuously, gradually add milk mixture, then transfer mixture to a clean saucepan and stir continuously over medium heat until it thickly coats the spoon (5-6 minutes). Strain through a sieve into bowl of chocolate, stir until chocolate melts, then stir in remaining cream and refrigerate to chill. Churn in an ice-cream machine, then fold in remaining chocolate, spoon into bombe mould, smooth top and freeze.

  • 3

    For cake, preheat oven to 180C. Butter and flour a 21cm-diameter round cake tin and line the base with baking paper. Beat butter and sugar in an electric mixer until pale (5-6 minutes). Add eggs one at time, beating well between additions, fold in flour in batches, then spoon batter into prepared cake tin, smooth top and bake until golden and the centre springs back when lightly pressed (15-20 minutes). Turn out onto a wire rack to cool, then trim to fit snugly over top of bombe and trim top flat (reserve trimmings). Place cake on top of bombe and freeze until ice-cream is set firm (4 hours or overnight). Turn bombe out of the mould, crumble reserved cake trimmings and scatter crumbs over bombe (this helps the meringue to adhere) and return to freezer until very firm and ready to serve (2-3 hours; this can be done a day ahead).

  • 4

    For Italian meringue, bring sugar and 200ml water to the boil in a small saucepan, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat to medium and brush down sides of pan with a clean, wet pastry brush to remove sugar crystals. Cook, without stirring, until syrup reaches 115C on a sugar thermometer (soft-ball stage; 10-15 minutes), then start whisking eggwhites with cream of tartar in the clean, grease-free bowl of an electric mixer on medium speed to soft peaks. When sugar syrup reaches 121C (hard-ball stage), increase mixer speed to high and, with motor running, gradually pour syrup into eggwhite and beat at medium speed until cool, thick and glossy (15-20 minutes).

  • 5

    To serve, working quickly, spread meringue over bombe and scorch it with a kitchen blowtorch.

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Raspberry-chocolate bombe Alaska recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between baked Alaska and bombe Alaska? ›

What is the difference between bombe Alaska and baked Alaska? A bombe Alaska is coated with hot, high-proof rum before serving and set alight or flambéed. A baked Alaska is browned using a torch or the broiler setting in an oven.

How does ice cream not melt in baked Alaska? ›

Baked Alaska is a baked dessert consisting of cake, ice cream, and meringue. So how does the ice cream not melt during the baking process? The meringue insulates it from the heat. The treat is baked in a hot oven for a few minutes or just long enough to firm and brown the meringue.

What is the outer layer on a bombe Alaska dessert? ›

baked Alaska, dessert of American origin that consists of ice cream layered between a slice of sponge cake and a covering of meringue, which is baked quickly at high heat until lightly browned.

Can I freeze baked Alaska before baking? ›

Do Ahead: Baked Alaskas can be assembled 3 days ahead. Keep frozen—but don't cover them, because the meringue won't freeze hard and you'll ruin the piping. Bake before serving.

Why is it called bombe Alaska? ›

The name "baked Alaska" was supposedly coined in 1876 at Delmonico's, a restaurant in New York City, to honor the acquisition by the United States of Alaska from the Russian Empire in March 1867.

Has Baked Alaska been discontinued? ›

Now, four years later, Baked Alaska will return exclusively to Ben & Jerry's nationwide Scoop Shops so fans can enjoy being reunited with their favourite flavour scooped in a crunchy waffle cone or swirly sundae!

Which state eats the most ice cream Alaska? ›

It's been said that Alaska consumes more ice cream per capita than any other state in the country! A local favorite microcreamery, Wild Scoops crafts small batches of seasonal ice creams that feature Alaska ingredients to make everything from wildberry ice cream to Alaska potato chip toffee with a fudge swirl.

What happened to Diana Beard? ›

Diana Beard, the Great British Bake Off contestant at the centre of the "Bingate" controversy has slammed the "misleading" editing of the programme and insisted she left the show due to illness. Beard tells The Guardian that she withdrew because she lost her sense of taste and smell after fainting in a restaurant.

What is Baked Alaska in french? ›

In France, Baked Alaska is called omelette norvégienne or 'Norwegian omelette'.

What is Alaska sponge? ›

dessert dish of ice cream, sponge cake and meringue. Baked Alaska is a dessert made of ice cream on top of slices of sponge cake or Christmas pudding and covered with meringue. The whole dessert is then baked in a very hot oven for just long enough to cook the meringue.

What desserts should you not freeze? ›

Custard or meringue-based desserts

According to the National Center for Home Food Preservation, pies or baked goods with cream or custard fillings (such as coconut or chocolate cream pies) are prone to separating and turning watery or lumpy.

What to do with leftover baked Alaska? ›

Wrap leftover slices of baked Alaska in a layer of plastic wrap followed by a layer of aluminum foil, then freeze for up to 1 month.

Can baked Alaska be refrozen? ›

And the best thing about a baked Alaska is that you can freeze it until you need it, so can easily make it ahead of time, or just whip it out nightly as needed and then pop back into the freezer once you've had your fill.

Is baked alaska a bombe? ›

While the two terms are sometimes used interchangeably, Bombe Alaska is slightly different form Baked Alaska.

Why do they call it baked Alaska? ›

Baked Alaska is filled with ice cream, so it just makes sense. The name “ baked Alaska “ was supposedly coined at Antoine's , a restaurant in New Orleans , Louisiana , US by its Chef de Cuisine Antoine Alciatore in 1867 to honour the acquition by the United States of Alaska from the Russian Empire on March that year .

What is baked Alaska strain? ›

Baked Alaska is a cross of a Northern Lights female and the Grape Cream Cake F2 male used in all of TerpWizard's 2020 projects. Both phenotypes offer vibrant, cerebral, and clear highs that make them compatible with anytime use.

What is the opposite of baked alaska? ›

Frozen Florida. The Frozen Florida, a dessert that emerged during the 1960s, is the inverse of Baked Alaska: hot liquor encased in a frozen meringue shell. This creation was actually the result of the newly invented microwave oven.

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