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Cakes and bakes, Christmas, Desserts, Recipe, Vegetarian

Cherry and Chocolate Baked Alaska

by dylanchannon   ·  5 years ago  
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Parfait, ice-cream, cherry compote and fluffy meringue – topped with sparklers, if you wish – whether it’s a New Year or a new job you’re celebrating, this decadent twist on a classic baked Alaska is the ultimate party piece to bring to the table.

DETAILS
  • Serves: 8-10
  • Prep: 1 ½ hours, plus freezing
  • Bake: 15 minutes
YOU WILL NEED
  • 1.75-litre pudding basin, inside brushed with oil and lined with cling film
  • 300ml pudding basin, wrapped in cling film
  • 20cm cake tin, greased, then base-lined with baking paper
  • Large ovenproof serving plate; or baking sheet, greased, then lined
INGREDIENTS

For the parfait

  • 8 egg yolks
  • 150g caster sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla paste
  • 175g 70% dark chocolate, roughly chopped
  • 600ml double cream

For the cherry compote

  • 250g frozen or canned pitted cherries
  • 50g caster sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla paste

For the cake base

  • 2 eggs
  • 50g caster sugar
  • 40g plain flour
  • 20g cocoa powder

For the meringue

  • 5 egg whites, at room temperature
  • pinch of salt
  • 225g caster sugar
METHOD
  1. Make the parfait. Tip the egg yolks into a heatproof bowl. Tip the sugar into a small saucepan, add 4 tablespoons of water and place over a low heat, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar. Bring to the boil and cook on a high heat for about 1 minute, until syrupy. Pour the hot syrup over the egg yolks, whisking continuously until smooth.
  2. Set the bowl over a pan of simmering water. Add the vanilla paste and whisk for about 3 minutes, until doubled in volume, thick and mousse-like, and the mixture leaves a ribbon trail when you lift the whisk. Remove from the heat and plunge the bottom of the bowl into a sink of cold water to stop the cooking process. Leave to cool to room temperature.
  3. Meanwhile, melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water, or in the microwave on a low setting. Stir until smooth, then remove from the heat and leave to cool slightly.
  4. In a separate bowl, whip the cream to soft peaks.
  5. Weigh the egg mixture and divide it equally between 2 bowls, then cover and chill one of them. Add the melted chocolate to the unchilled bowl and mix until smooth. Fold in half the whipped cream until no streaks remain. Cover and chill the remaining cream.Spoon the chocolate parfait mixture into the lined pudding basin and press the smaller, wrapped bowl into the middle to make a parfait shell. Cover and freeze for 2 hours, until firm.
  6. Meanwhile, make the cherry compote. Combine the cherries, sugar and vanilla paste in a small pan over a low-medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Cook the cherries, allowing them to bubble gently for 20 minutes, untiljammy. Cool, then cover until needed.
  7. Make the cake base. Whisk the eggs and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk, on medium speed for 3 minutes, until combined. Increase the speed and whisk until tripled in volume, thick and mousse-like, and the mixture leaves a ribbon trail when you lift the whisk. Heat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/Gas 4.
  8. Sift the flour and cocoa powder into the bowl and, using a large metal spoon or a spatula, fold in. Spoon the mixture into the lined cake tin and level out. Bake for 10 minutes, until risen and firm to the touch. Remove from the oven and turn out onto a wire rack to cool.
  9. Meanwhile, make the vanilla ice-cream layer. Fold the reserved whipped cream into the remaining egg-yolk mixture. Remove the pudding basin containing the parfait from the freezer and carefully remove the smaller bowl. Spoon half the cherry compote into the hollow, then spoon the vanilla ice cream on top. Cover and return to the freezer for at least 6 hours, but preferably overnight, until frozen.
  10. Just before serving, heat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan/Gas 7.
  11. Make the meringue. Whisk the egg whites with the pinch of salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk until they form soft peaks. Add the caster sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time, whisking well between each addition. Whisk on high speed for a further 2 minutes, until the sugar has completely dissolved and the meringue is smooth, very stiff and glossy.
  12. Remove the bowl containing the parfait/ice cream from the freezer. Place the chocolate cake on the large ovenproof serving plate or lined baking sheet and spoon the reserved cherry compote into the middle.
  13. Working quickly, turn the parfait/ice cream out of the bowl onto the cake base and peel off the cling film. Spoon the meringue evenly all over the ice cream until completely covered, then, using a palette knife, make swirls in the meringue.
  14. Again working quickly, place the Alaska in the oven on the lower-middle shelf. Bake for 3-4 minutes, until the outside of the meringue is crisp, golden and starting to caramelise at the edges. Serve immediately (with sparklers, of course!).

Recipes adapted from The Great British Bake Off: Love to Bake with recipes by Paul Hollywood, Prue Leith & The Bakers (Sphere, £22).
Photography by Jamie Orlando-Smith.