Strawberry baked Alaska

This showstopping strawberry baked Alaska features a soft Madeira sponge base topped with creamy strawberry ice cream and enveloped in glossy Italian meringue. A quick strawberry sauce adds fresh fruitiness while the torched meringue creates a dramatic golden exterior. This nut-free, vegetarian dessert delivers restaurant-quality presentation with make-ahead convenience for stress-free entertaining.

Prep: less than 30 mins

Cook: 15 to 20 mins

Serves: Serves 2

Dietary: Nut-free, Vegetarian

By Matt Tebbutt
From Saturday Kitchen Recipes

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This strawberry baked Alaska recipe gets a Nutri-Score E rating, reflecting its indulgent nature as a special occasion dessert. The combination of sponge cake, ice cream, and Italian meringue creates a high-calorie treat rich in sugars and fats. However, the strawberries provide some vitamin C and fibre.

Per serving: approximately 685 kcal, 28g fat, 98g carbs, 72g sugars, 2g fibre, 12g protein. Enjoy this strawberry dessert as an occasional treat.

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Equipment

• Blender →
• Stand mixer →
• Sugar thermometer →
• Cook’s blowtorch
• Sieve
• Small saucepan
• Knife
• Chopping board
• Bowl
• Spatula
• Measuring spoons
• Measuring jug
• Serving plates

Method

1. Make the strawberry sauce (10 minutes)
   Place the hulled strawberries and icing sugar in your blender and blitz until completely smooth. Pass the mixture through a sieve into a bowl to remove any seeds, creating a silky strawberry sauce. Taste and add lemon juice as needed – you want a bright, fresh flavour that cuts through the sweetness of the baked Alaska. Set the sauce aside in the fridge until ready to serve. This fresh strawberry sauce complements the rich Italian meringue beautifully.
2. Prepare the sugar syrup (5-8 minutes)
   Put the caster sugar and water in a small saucepan and heat gently, stirring until the sugar dissolves completely. Once dissolved, bring to the boil and insert your sugar thermometer. Cook until the syrup reaches 115-120C – this precise temperature is crucial for perfect Italian meringue. CAUTION: boiling sugar is extremely hot, so handle very carefully and keep children away. This hot syrup will cook the egg whites safely while creating that glossy meringue texture.
3. Whisk the Italian meringue (8-10 minutes)
   While the syrup heats, put the egg whites in your stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Whisk to soft peaks – they should hold their shape but still look slightly glossy. With the mixer running on medium speed, gradually pour in the hot sugar syrup in a steady stream down the side of the bowl. Keep whisking until the meringue becomes thick, glossy, and holds stiff peaks. The meringue should feel cool to the touch when ready. This Italian meringue is more stable than regular meringue, perfect for your strawberry baked Alaska.
4. Prepare the sponge base (2 minutes)
   Cut your Madeira sponge cake to an 8cm (3¼in) round if not already sized. Spread the strawberry jam evenly over the top of the sponge – this adds moisture and extra strawberry flavour to your baked Alaska dessert. Place the jam-covered sponge on a freezer-safe plate or board. The sponge provides a lovely textural contrast to the creamy ice cream and airy meringue in this nut-free vegetarian dessert.
5. Assemble the baked Alaska (5 minutes)
   Remove the strawberry ice cream from the freezer briefly to soften slightly. Place a generous portion on top of the jam-covered sponge, shaping it into a dome. Spoon the Italian meringue over the ice cream, ensuring it’s fully covered with no gaps – this meringue layer insulates the ice cream during torching. Use a spatula to create decorative swirls and peaks in the meringue. Work efficiently but carefully to keep the ice cream frozen. You can freeze the assembled baked Alaska at this stage if making ahead.
6. Torch the meringue (2-3 minutes)
   Just before serving, use your cook’s blowtorch to colour the meringue beautifully. Keep the flame moving constantly so the meringue colours evenly, creating golden-brown peaks and valleys. Don’t hold the flame in one spot or it will burn – you want an even, attractive colour all over the Italian meringue. The meringue should look glossy and caramelised. This dramatic torching step transforms your strawberry dessert into a proper showstopper.
7. Serve immediately (1 minute)
   Transfer the torched strawberry baked Alaska to serving plates and serve immediately with the chilled strawberry sauce drizzled around or on the side. The contrast between the hot meringue exterior and frozen ice cream interior is what makes this baked Alaska recipe so special. Don’t delay serving, or the ice cream will start to melt. This vegetarian, nut-free dessert is perfect for dinner parties and special celebrations.

Recipe tips

• Make the Italian meringue ahead and pipe it over the ice cream, then freeze until ready to torch – this makes entertaining much easier
• Keep the flame moving when torching the meringue to achieve even, golden colouring without burning your strawberry baked Alaska
• Work quickly when assembling to prevent the ice cream from melting – have everything ready before you start
• The sugar syrup must reach exactly 115-120C for perfect Italian meringue that holds its shape on your baked Alaska dessert
• Use good-quality strawberry ice cream for the best flavour in this nut-free vegetarian dessert recipe
• Serve immediately after torching for the best hot-cold contrast that makes this Italian meringue dessert so impressive
• If you don’t have a blowtorch, you can brown the meringue under a very hot grill for 1-2 minutes, watching constantly