Ginger Baked Alaska

Baked Alaska is well described by Mary Berry as a showstopper. Wickedly indulgent and somewhat complex - though infinitely manageable if you prepare elements ahead of time - it is sure to impress a crowd, even if, like mine, there was a little leakage! The recipe is gathered together from various places, the ginger cake by Tom Dolby, the ice cream improvised, the caramel ginger sauce from Rosa Ross and the meringue from Mary Berry's classic baked alaska recipe. Of course, if you wanted a different flavoured pudding, replace the components for equivalents of different types. Serves 10-12.

Ingredients:

For the cake

  • 225g self-raising flour
  • 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 1 tsp ground mixed spice
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tbsp ground ginger
  • 115g butter, cubed
  • 115g dark brown sugar
  • 115g black treacle
  • 115g golden syrup
  • 250ml milk
  • 85g finely chopped / grated preserved stem ginger in syrup

For the ice cream

  • 1 litre tub vanilla ice cream
  • 60g crystallised ginger, finely chopped

For the meringue

  • 3 egg whites
  • 175g caster sugar

For the caramel sauce

  • 150ml double cream
  • 2 tsp finely chopped / grated fresh ginger
  • 200g sugar - we used a mixture of caster and light brown
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • approx 100ml milk

Method:

For the cake

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celsius and butter and flour a round 20cm, fairly deep cake tin

 

2. Mix the butter, flour, bicarb and spices in an electric mixer (or rub in with fingertips) until they resemble breadcrumbs

 

3. Heat the sugar, treacle, syrup and milk in a saucepan over a medium heat until just below a boiling point

 

4. Stir the flour and stem ginger into the treacle mixture until well combined

 

5. Beat in the egg and pour into the prepared tin

 

6. Bake for 45 mins-1 hour, until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean

 

7. Leave to cool (This stores well and can be frozen for up to a month so can be made well in advance)

 

For the ice cream

1. Soften the vanilla ice cream in the microwave

 

2. Stir in the ginger pieces

 

3. Freeze

 

For the meringue

1. Whisk the egg whites until they form stiff peaks

 

2. Slowly whisk in the sugar

 

For the sauce

1. Simmer 120ml cream with the ginger in a small saucepan for about 10 minutes and then set aside to infuse

 

2. In another saucepan, cook the sugar with the lemon juice over a low heat for about 10-15 minutes, stirring constantly

 

3. Remove from heat and stir the remaining 30mls cream into the sugar 

 

4. Strain the cream from the ginger and whisk into the caramel

 

5. Stir in enough milk to reach your desired pouring consistency (None if you want a thick sauce)

 

Assembly

1. Heat up the oven to about 200 degrees celsius

 

2. Place the cake onto a heatproof serving plate

 

3. Place scoops of ginger ice cream to cover the top of the cake and form a mound

 

4. Use the meringue mixture to completely cover the ice cream and cake

 

5. Freeze if you wish for up to 1 hour (Perhaps while you eat the main course of the meal?)

 

6. Bake in the hot oven for 3-4 minutes (more if frozen) until the meringue is golden and just set

 

7. Serve immediately with warm caramel sauce