Ingredients

• For Browned Butter Cake:
• 275 gms - unsalted (sweet) butter
• 2 cups - sifted cake flour (not self-rising, sift before measuring)
• 1 tsp - baking powder
• 1/2 tsp - salt
• 1/2 cup - packed light brown sugar
• 75 gms - granulated sugar
• 4 - eggs
• 1/2 tsp - pure vanilla extract
• For Strawberry Ice Cream:
• Light cream- 300 ml
• Milk- 300 ml
• Egg yolks- 3
• Sugar- 200 g
• Corn flour-1 tsp
• Strawberries- 150 g (pureed)
• For Meringue:
• Egg whites- 2
• Sugar- 50 g

How to Make Baked Alaska

• For Browned Butter Cake:
• Preheat the oven to 160 degree C and put a rack in the centre.
• Butter and flour a 9 inch x 9 inch square pan.
• Place the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Brown the butter until the milk solids are a dark chocolate brown and the butter smells nutty.
• Pour into a shallow bowl and chill in the freezer until just congealed, 15-30 minutes.
• Whisk together cake flour, baking powder, and salt.
• Beat the brown butter, light brown sugar, and granulated sugar in an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
• Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well, and then the vanilla extract.
• Stir in the flour mixture at low speed until just combined.
• Scrape the batter into the greased and floured pan.
• Smooth the top with a rubber spatula and rap the pan on the counter.
• Bake until golden brown on top and when a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean, about 25 minutes.
• Cool in the pan 10 minutes. Run a knife along the edge and invert right-side-up onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
• For Strawberry Ice Cream:
• Beat the egg yolks, sugar and corn flour until thick and creamy.
• The sugar has to completely dissolve in the mixture.
• Combine the milk and cream together and heat it just under boiling point.
• At this stage immediately pour the milk into the egg mixture little by little whisking continuously.
• Once it's well combined, return the mixture to the heat again and heat it in medium to low heat, whisking continuously until the mixture coats the back of the spoon.
• Remove it from heat and let it cool down completely. Then add the pureed strawberries and stir well.
• Churn in the ice cream machine according to your machine instructions.
• Allow it to set in the freezer until required.
• For Baked Alaska:
• Cut a circle out of the cake using a tea cup. Line the inside of the tea cup with a cling film, add a piece of cake at the bottom, fill with ice cream and then top with another piece. Freeze it completely.
• Take the ice cream after it's completely frozen, pull the cling film out and remove it from the cling film and flip it upside down.
• Meanwhile, make the meringue layer.
• Whisk the egg whites until soft peaks forms, add the sugar little by little and keep whisking until stiff peaks form.
• Spread the meringue layer on top of ice cream layer using a spatula or using a piping bag.
• Bake it in the preheated oven at maximum temperature until it's slightly brown on top.
• Serve immediately.
• Recipe Courtesy: Taste of Pearl City