Photography: Con Poulos / Styling: Steve Pearce
On an occasion as special as Christmas day, you need a really special dessert. What could be more perfect than a bombe alaska with festive gingerbread flavours and a dash of whisky? With a delicate cake base, cold ice cream inside and toasted meringue peaks on top, it’s light, lip-smackingly yummy and a showstopper to set on the table as the climax to your Christmas feast.
What is a bombe alaska?
Bombe alaska is a classic Christmas dessert made with cake, ice cream, and meringue. It usually starts with a cake base, followed by a layer of ice cream and a thick layer of meringue on top.
The meringue-covered dessert is briefly blowtorched or baked in the oven to lightly brown the white peaks, while the ice cream inside is protected from melting. The result is an exciting-looking dessert with a warm, lightly toasted outer layer of meringue and a cold ice-cream centre.
The dessert is known for its contrasting textures and temperatures, making it a delightful treat for special occasions.
Ingredients
Method
Line a 2.5-litre-capacity (22cm diameter) bowl with plastic wrap, leaving a 4cm overhang. Lightly spray the plastic wrap with oil, sprinkle with biscuit crumbs and freeze until required.
For the cake, preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan-forced). Line a 24cm round tin with non-stick baking paper. Place the flour, baking powder, ginger, mixed spice and sugar in a large bowl and mix to combine.
Place the butter, golden syrup and honey in a small saucepan over low heat and stir until melted and smooth. Add the butter mixture, egg and milk to the flour mixture and whisk until smooth. Pour into the tin and bake for 40-45 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer. Turn out onto a wire rack and allow to cool completely.
Cut the cake into a 22cm diameter round and set aside. Crumble the remaining cake into 2cm pieces and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of whisky.
Fold the crumbled cake and caramel through the ice-cream. Spoon into the lined bowl. Brush the round of cake with remaining whisky and place on top of the ice-cream, pressing down slightly. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze for 6 hours.
Place the egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer and whisk on high speed until stiff peaks form. Gradually, add 1 cup (220g) of the sugar, a spoon at a time, whisking for 30 seconds before adding more each time.
Meanwhile, place water, cream of tartar and remaining sugar in a small saucepan over high heat. Bring to the boil, reduce heat to medium and cook for 4 minutes until syrupy. With the motor running, gradually add hot syrup in a thin, steady stream. Whisk for a further 6 minutes or until thick, glossy and cooled.
Turn the ice-cream dome out onto a large plate, removing the plastic. Spoon over the meringue. Using a kitchen blowtorch, lightly toast the meringue. Serve immediately. Tip: You can add the meringue and freeze it for up to 6 hours. To serve, blowtorch.
