NEXT UP: Firing Up a Baked Alaska

I knew that the dessert, Baked Alaska, involved placing ice cream in the oven, but I had no idea just how much this dessert could get fired up.

When my friends and I spotted Baked Alaska on the dessert menu at a restaurant recently, we were all intrigued. Having never tried it before, I asked the waiter if the whipped cream-topped, ice cream-filled cake was lit on fire.

He echoed my question: "Lit on fire?"

I nodded.

"Oh, just you wait."

Several minutes later he wheeled out a cart with the four desserts on it. He placed two sauce pourers upside down over an open flame to heat the tools.

He then placed Kahlua into one pourer and began letting the liquid flow back and forth between the two pourers.

As he continued pouring, the Kahlua heated up to the point that a blue flame surrounded the liquid. It was mesmerizing. He then poured the hot concoction over the cakes.

The finished product was a Kahlua-topped, dreamy puff of deliciousness. I'm not a big ice cream person (blasphemy, I know), but I loved this dish. The contrasts between the hot sauce, vanilla cake, and creamy, cold ice cream was unique. While it would have tasted great without the Kahlua, it was so entertaining to watch the process. 

Have you ever had a Baked Alaska? Would you rather order a cake-y dish or ice cream for dessert?


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