When was the last time you indulged in this kind of pie?
I can't even remember it was that long ago.
National Baked Alaska Day occurs annually on February 1 to celebrate and encourage everyone to treat themselves to the tasty dessert made of ice cream, sponge cake, and meringue. Baked Alaska was first called ‘Alaska Florida’ because of its contrast in temperature when it was first invented.
HISTORY OF NATIONAL BAKED ALASKA DAY
National Baked Alaska Day invites you to indulge in this delicious ice cream–topped sponge-cake dessert.
Baked Alaska is made by placing slices of sponge cake at the bottom of a pie pan, filling it with your favorite ice cream flavor before covering it completely in whipped meringue mixture, and baking for 3-10 minutes. It is baked in the oven at a very high temperature of preferably 500°F to allow the meringue to solidify slightly, and brown.
The story behind its existence is that In 1867 there was a heated public debate over the agreement to purchase Alaska from Russia for $7 million by Secretary of State William Seward that led Chef Charles Ranhofer of Delmonico’s Restaurant in New York City, who was already notorious for naming new and old food after public figures, to capitalize on the uproar by introducing what we now know as Baked Alaska to Delmonico’s menu.
The frozen-hard ice cream covered with meringue on a base of warm sponge cake is what gives this dessert its unique characteristic of drastic temperature contrast.
On National Baked Alaska Day everyone is expected to enjoy a sweet bite of this yummy retro dish that is often served in flames.
Serving cream and cake together dates back to the Renaissance. The cooks of the era were considered the first to decorate their baked food with a whipped topping.
