chocolate hazelnut layered Baked Alaska

This is a sponsored post for HemisFares™ brand that is available exclusively at Kroger family of stores. All opinions are honest and 100% my own.

If you like gelato, you will LOVE this Chocolate Hazelnut Layered Baked Alaska! Stuffed with three different ice cream varieties and crowned with fluffy meringue, it's sure to be a showstopper.

Happy Thursday, lovely readers! It's almost time for the weekend! September just started and everyone is back in school, which means summer is officially wrapping up. Of course, living in Texas, that doesn't mean much because the temperatures are still in the 90s! To celebrate one last hurrah for summer, I made you this fabulous Chocolate Hazelnut Layered Baked Alaska. It combines deliciously creamy gelato from HemisFares with a homemade chocolate cake, and is crowned with light, fluffy toasted meringue for the ultimate dessert. Ice cream cake, who? Once you try baked Alaska, you'll be hooked!

Baked Alaska is one of those mythical desserts that you often hear about but never see. It's something that sounds so fancy and complicated that it might not even be worth a try. I am happy to say that I totally debunked that myth! There is definitely some planning and time management that goes into a baked Alaska, but it's truly not hard to make at all. When HemisFares suggested we focus on gelato for our second collaboration, I figured it was the perfect time to test the waters and see if this was a dessert that us home bakers can even make. If you can buy ice cream and whisk up egg whites, then you can definitely make this! 😉

The first step in any recipe is of course, the shopping. I headed to Kroger for all my necessities! I purchased a pint of chocolate gelato, one of hazelnut, and one of stracciatella, which is Italian vanilla with chocolate flakes! If you're keeping track of our HemisFares finds, these are no. 50, 55, and 52. I also grabbed some chocolate hazelnut spread, and plenty of eggs for the meringue.

Once I was home, I let the ice cream soften, then carefully layered it in a plastic-wrap lined bowl and let it freeze until solid for a couple of days. The day BEFORE I was going to assemble, I baked a single chocolate hazelnut cake to act as my base. And the day of, everything came together! The cake was topped with some chocolate hazelnut spread, and then my ice cream dome was carefully placed on top. I let that chill in the freezer some more until the meringue was ready, then the meringue was spread all over and toasted. And - here it is!

I PROMISE baked Alaska is a doable home dessert, all you have to do is plan ahead! Thanks to the delicious HemisFares gelato, your baked masterpiece is sure to be absolutely scrumptious. Impress your friends and family for any special occasion!

For more information on HemisFares, check out their website at HemisFaresFinds.com or find them on Facebook.com/HemisFares!

Check out my last recipe with HemisFares: Pinzimonio {Italian -Style Veggie Tray}

Print Recipe

5 from 2 votes

chocolate hazelnut layered Baked Alaska

Prep Time2 hours hrs

Cook Time20 minutes mins

Total Time2 hours hrs 20 minutes mins

Course: Cakes

Servings: 12

Author: Valentina | The Baking Fairy

Ingredients

• *for the cake*
• ¾ cups all-purpose flour
• ⅓ cups dark cocoa powder
• ¾ teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup whole milk
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 6 tablespoon unsalted butter softened
• ¾ cups sugar
• 1 egg + 1 egg yolk
• ¼ cup chocolate hazelnut spread + ¼ cup separated
• *for the ice cream layers*
• 1 pint HemisFares chocolate gelato
• 1 pint HemisFares hazelnut gelato
• 1 pint HemisFares stracciatella gelato
• *for the meringue*
• 6 egg whites
• 1 ½ cups white granulated sugar
• ½ teaspoon cream of tartar

Instructions

• First, prepare the ice cream dome. Line a medium bowl very well with plastic wrap (the widest part of the bowl should not exceed 8 inches).
• Spoon the pint of softened chocolate gelato into the bowl, then place in freezer for about 30 minutes until solid. Repeat with the hazelnut and stracciatella gelato, being sure to freeze in-between to keep the layers separate. Cover tightly with the plastic wrap, and freeze until completely solid (at least overnight).
• Next, make the chocolate cake. Preheat oven to 350F, line the bottom of an 8" cake pan with parchment, and spray with baking spray.
• In medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a measuring cup, mix together milk and vanilla.
• In a stand mixer, at low speed, beat butter and sugar till blended. Increase speed to high and beat for 2 minutes. Reduce speed to medium-low and add egg and yolk, beating well. Mix in ¼ cup of chocolate hazelnut spread.
• With mixer at low speed, alternatively add the flour mixture and the milk mixture, starting and finishing with the flour. Beat until batter is smooth, occasionally scraping bowl with a spatula.
• Pour batter into prepared pan and spread evenly.
• Bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 25-30 minutes.
• Remove from pan and let cool completely.
• When ready to assemble, place the cake on an 8" cardboard cake plate. Spread the extra ¼ cup of chocolate hazelnut spread on top.
• Carefully unwrap the prepared ice cream dome, and place on top of the cake. If the cake is wider than the ice cream, use a sharp knife and carefully cut the excess off.
• Place the ice cream cake in the freezer while you prepare the meringue.
• Place the egg whites and sugar in a heat-proof bowl (ideally your stand mixer bowl). Place over a small pot of water, and whisk often until the mixture is smooth and slightly warm to the touch. If you rub the mixture between your fingertips, it should be totally smooth with no sugar granules.
• Transfer the bowl to a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, sprinkle in the cream of tartar, and beat on high until fluffy meringue forms. It should hold stiff peaks, meaning if you dip the whisk in the meringue and flip it upside down, it should hold its curl shape.
• Remove ice cream cake from the freezer, and spread the meringue evenly all over the surface.
• Using a kitchen torch, carefully broil the meringue to give it a toasted look.
• If you do not have a kitchen torch, you can broil the baked Alaska at 500F for 2-3 minutes. Be very careful! Make sure you put the cake back in the freezer until the oven is ready (the cold does not affect the meringue).
• Serve immediately, and store leftovers in the freezer.

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