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Brownie Baked Alaska

posted by Liz Berg on September 22, 2019 (updated 3/29/23)

A Brownie Baked Alaska is an exquisite twist on the classic meringue-topped dessert named after Alaska was purchased by the United States in the late 1800s.

This out-of-the-ordinary Baked Alaska Recipe is truly a show stopper with the massive topping of toasted meringue.

Why You Must Make

This baked Alaska dessert my version of an iconic recipe.
The chocolate twist using a brownie instead of a cake base is perfect for chocoholics.
You can shake it up with any favorite ice cream flavor. Peppermint stick, toffee, coffee or even chocolate ice cream would all be delicious!
My oldest, Tom, joked as he was eating this tonight, “This can’t be good for you.” That’s a huge compliment!

Ingredient Notes

Kitchen Staples – Sugar (regular granulated sugar works, but superfine sugar dissolves more easily)
Brownie Recipe – Homemade or a box mix, baked in a pie dish and cooled (I’ve linked the recipe I used)
Ice Cream – 2 pints premium ice cream. I used Graeter’s Vanilla with Chocolate Chips
Egg Whites – Separate your eggs when cold so the yolks are less likely to break. Beat when at room temperature for the most volume.
Cream of Tartar – Helps stabilize the egg whites. An equal amount of lemon juice is a good substitution.

Slice of brownie baked Alaska on a white dessert plate.

How to Make

Bake the brownies in a pie plate. If you use a box mix, you most likely won’t need all the batter.
If the top isn’t level after it bakes, just gently press down on the top.
Cool to room temperature.
Remove the ice cream from the container and cut into slices and cover the brownies with the rounds.
Fill holes in the ice cream layer with some of ice cream wedges and pile the remainder in the center of the pie plate.
Freeze.
Preheat oven to 375°.
Make the meringue.
Remove the ice cream base from the freezer and mound the meringue over it, spreading it to edge of the plate to cover the ice cream completely.
Bake until golden brown, then serve immediately.

Recipe Tips

Instead of the typical sponge cake base, there are endless options for cake flavors or even brownies, like with my recipe. The base is made in a pie plate, though, instead of the classic round cake pan.
If you use a box mix, you most likely won’t need all the batter.
Like the base, the ice cream layer can vary as well. Vanilla is always appropriate, but any flavor will do as long as the flavor is complementary to the cake layer.
The meringue topping is added only after the cake and ice cream layer have been frozen for up to an hour. This prevents the ice cream from becoming a melted mess while the meringue is browning in the oven.
A huge pie of meringue topping this dessert is the classic finishing touch. The original recipe used 6 egg whites which made a massive meringue topping. Decreasing the amount to 4 egg whites still made a beautiful, fluffy mound of meringue. If you haven’t made a meringue before, there are a few tips to be successful.
PRO-Tip: Use room-temperature egg whites for the most voluminous meringue.
PRO-Tip: Whipping up a meringue is an easy process, but your egg whites, beaters, and bowls have to be free from any grease, oils, or egg yolk contamination or the whites will not beat properly.
It behooves you to separate the eggs one at a time into separate dishes before adding the whites to your mixing bowl. If you don’t and get a dribble of yolk in your bowlful of whites, you’ll have to toss them all. Also, make sure your bowls, etc. have been run through the dishwasher for the best chance that they’re 100% clean.
PRO-Tip: You can make the recipe up to the point of making the meringue. Cover and freeze up to 2 days. Top with the meringue and bake as directed, extending the baking time if needed.

Overhead view of Brownie Baked Alaska recipe.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Baked Alaska Made Of?

Typically a baked Alaska is made of a sponge cake base, followed by an ice cream layer, and finished off with a billowy meringue topping. The bottom two layers are frozen before the whipped meringue is added and toasted briefly in the oven.

Why is This Dessert Called Baked Alaska?

Baked Alaska purportedly got its name when Charles Ranhofer, a New York chef for Delmonico’s is said to have created the dessert to commemorate Seward’s purchase of Alaska in 1867. First called the Alaska-Florida because of the contrast between the hot and cold elements, shortly after it was known only as Baked Alaska.

Though Ranhofer may have been the first to coin the name, there are also there are undocumented claims that Antoine Alciatore of New Orleans’ Antoine’s restaurant may have actually been the originator of a baked Alaska, also after the sale to the US.

This frozen dessert was not new to the world when first baked up in those two restaurants. It was known overseas as omelette norvégienne, omelette surprise, or omelette sibérienne. If you want to douse your baked Alaska in rum and ignite, it’s then called a Bombe Alaska.

How Do You Slice a Baked Alaska?

Cutting through a meringue topping can be challenging. The meringue wants to stick to the knife, ripping through the meringue instead of gliding.

To help slice, dip the knife into boiling water, drip it off, then slice through the meringue. Alternatively, take the sharp point of a knife and pierce along the line where you plan to slice. Next, slice along that line. These “dots” provide controlled slicing.