Baked Alaska Wasn't Invented Anywhere Near Alaska

Baked Alaska is a decadent dessert made with cake and ice cream covered in meringue that conjures feelings of opulence and celebration. But where did it originate? Funny enough, it wasn't Alaska or anywhere near it. While there are differing opinions, the creation of the treat is most often credited to the French-trained pastry chef Charles Ranhofer who debuted the "Alaska, Florida" at New York City's Delmonico's restaurant in 1867. Prior to this invention, there was a similar dessert in France referred to as "Omelette Norwegge" made after American scientist Sir Benjamin Thompson discovered that meringue has an insulating effect. 

It's possible that Ranhofer learned this technique while training in France and launched his spin on it in the States. It's thought that he named it "Alaska, Florida" because of the chilly ice cream that's cold like Alaska (likely inspired by the 1867 purchase) and warm toasted meringue that's hot like Florida. His rendition and clever name stuck when British food writer George Augustus Sala wrote about Delmonico's baked "Alaska" in his book "Living London: Being 'Echoes' Re-Echoed." A similar confection called the "German Steamer Baked Ice-cream" was also referred to in 1876 by Mary Foote Henderson in her book "Practical Cooking and Dinner Giving," referring to a dish that she enjoyed as she traveled across the Atlantic.

You can still taste chef Charles Ranhofer's version of Baked Alaska today at Delmonico's, located in the financial district of Manhattan. While he initially made it with vanilla-flavored biscuit cake, banana and vanilla ice cream, apricot marmalade, and meringue, it's now served with walnut cake, apricot jam, banana gelato, and covered with rigged dollops of caramelized meringue. This show stopper has been enjoyed by New York City's finest over the last 150 years.

Another establishment famous for Baked Alaska is Antoine's Restaurant in New Orleans. As the oldest family-run restaurant in America, and also the creator of oysters Rockefeller, it's a must visit if you're in the Bayou. Its Baked Alaska is made with butter pound cake, vanilla ice cream, and hot fudge sauce. Baked Alaska is also known to be flambéed table-side. Go to Smith and Wollensky to have yours torched right in front of you. This version is made for two people with rum raisin ice cream. 

Since the dessert is such a quintessential example of gilding the lily, it seems fitting that well-known chefs have fun with its theatrics. And you can too! Next time you entertain, you can also try making it yourself with Alton Brown's party baked Alaska with a ridiculously large torch or light it on fire with these liquors.