Gordon Ramsay’s baked Alaska is layers of sponge cake and ice cream sealed inside glossy Italian meringue, torched golden on the outside and frozen solid in the centre. The whole thing takes about 30 minutes to assemble, plus freezing time.
Ramsay has made this on The F Word and in his Christmas special, calling it “the perfect alternative to Christmas pudding.” The secret, he says, is the Italian meringue: “this is not like the normal dry crispy meringue, this is called an Italian meringue, a little bit more luxurious and a meringue that’s great for freezing.”
What makes his version work is the meringue’s stability. He boils sugar and water into a syrup, then streams it into whisked egg whites so the hot syrup cooks the whites as they whip. The result is so firm he says “I can hold that up there to New Year’s Eve and it’s not going to come out.” That stability is why the ice cream stays frozen while the outside gets torched.
Gordon Ramsay Baked Alaska Recipe
Course: DessertCuisine: BritishDifficulty: Medium4
servings30
minutes520
kcal2 hrs 30
minutesGordon Ramsay’s baked Alaska from his Christmas special and The F Word. Italian meringue made with boiled sugar syrup wrapped around ice cream and sponge cake, glazed with a blowtorch. Can be made two days ahead and frozen.
Ingredients
- For the Italian meringue:
180g (6.5 oz) caster sugar
100ml (3.5 fl oz) water
3 large egg whites
Few drops of lemon juice
- For the assembly:
1 shop-bought syrup cake or ginger sponge
500ml (1 pint) good vanilla ice cream
2 tbsp cognac or Grand Marnier (optional, for soaking)
Directions
- Shape the ice cream: Line a ramekin or small bowl with cling film. Pack the ice cream firmly inside, pressing out any air gaps. Cover and freeze for at least 2 hours, or overnight. It needs to be rock solid.
- Make the sugar syrup: Put the caster sugar and water in a saucepan. Bring to the boil and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Watch for the bubbles getting bigger as the water evaporates. When you see big white balls of sugar flashing in and out, it is ready.
- Whisk the egg whites: While the syrup boils, put the egg whites and lemon juice in a stand mixer. Whisk to soft peaks on medium speed.
- Stream the syrup in: Take the syrup off the heat. With the mixer still running, slowly drip the hot syrup into the egg whites in a thin stream. Do not pour it all in at once or you will scramble the eggs.
- Whip to full volume: Turn the mixer to full speed and whip for 3 to 4 minutes. The meringue should be glossy, firm, and doubled in volume. It is done when you can hold the bowl upside down and nothing moves.
- Cut the sponge: Slice the syrup cake into layers, then cut circles with a round cutter slightly wider than your ramekin. You need two circles per serving. Soak in a splash of cognac if you like.
- Assemble: Place a sponge circle on the serving plate. Turn out the frozen ice cream dome on top using the warmth of your palms to release it from the mould. Press the second sponge circle on top to make a sandwich.
- Cover with meringue: Spread the Italian meringue all over with a palette knife, covering every surface so no heat can reach the ice cream. Run a fork through the surface for a ridged texture.
- Freeze or torch: Either freeze for up to 2 days until needed, or torch immediately. Glaze with a blowtorch until golden brown all over.
Notes
- Ramsay says this freezes brilliantly for up to two days. For a flambé version (from The F Word), skip the blowtorch and warm cognac in a pan, ignite carefully, and pour the flaming liquid over the meringue at the table. You can use Bailey’s ice cream or rum and raisin instead of vanilla.
FAQs
Why does Ramsay use Italian meringue instead of regular?
French meringue (the normal kind) is just sugar beaten into egg whites. It’s fragile. Leave it 10 minutes and it starts collapsing.
Italian meringue uses a boiled sugar syrup streamed into the whites while they whisk. The hot syrup actually cooks the egg whites, which is why the result is so much more stable.
Ramsay says this matters because Italian meringue is “great for freezing.” It holds its shape in the freezer for days without weeping or deflating. That’s the whole reason a baked Alaska works: the meringue seals tight, insulates the ice cream, and survives a blowtorch.
Why does Ramsay add lemon juice to the egg whites?
He drops “a touch of lemon juice” into the whites before whisking. The acid strengthens the protein structure of the egg whites, which helps them hold more air and reach a stiffer peak.
It also keeps the meringue bright white. Without it, the sugar syrup can give the meringue a slightly yellow tint. Just a few drops does the job.
How do you know when the sugar syrup is ready?
Ramsay watches the bubbles. At first they’re small and rapid. As the water evaporates, the bubbles get bigger and slower.
He says it’s ready when you see “nice big white balls of sugar flashing in and out” of the syrup. That happens after about 3 to 4 minutes of boiling. Don’t let it go further or it turns to caramel and the meringue will be yellow instead of white.
If you have a sugar thermometer, you’re looking for 118°C to 121°C. But Ramsay does it by eye in both videos.
Why does the ice cream stay frozen under a blowtorch?
The meringue is the insulator. When you spread it over every surface with no gaps, it creates an air-filled barrier between the torch and the ice cream. Meringue is mostly air, and air is a terrible conductor of heat.
That’s why Ramsay is specific about covering every surface with no holes or thin patches. One gap and the heat gets through, the ice cream melts, and you get a puddle on the plate.
The other protection is freezing the whole thing before torching. If the ice cream isn’t rock solid before the torch comes out, you’ll lose the race.
Can you make this ahead of time?
Yes, and Ramsay specifically recommends it. In his Christmas video he says “this can be done two days before Christmas and placed in the freezer, it freezes brilliantly.”
Assemble the full thing including the meringue, freeze it uncovered for an hour until the surface sets, then wrap loosely. When you’re ready to serve, torch it straight from the freezer. No need to thaw.
The same Italian meringue technique works on Ramsay’s lemon meringue pie too, so once you’ve nailed it here you’ve got two desserts covered.
What is the difference between Ramsay’s two versions?
He’s made baked Alaska twice on camera with different builds. On The F Word he uses ginger sponge, fresh raspberries with raspberry liqueur, vanilla ice cream, and finishes with a cognac flambé at the table.
In his Christmas special he uses bought syrup cake, Bailey’s ice cream, and finishes with a blowtorch instead of flaming alcohol. He also spreads the meringue with a palette knife and runs a fork through it rather than piping.
The Italian meringue technique is identical in both. The Christmas version is more practical for home cooks because exact quantities are given and there’s no open flame near the dinner table.
