Summer Berry Baked Alaska Bars

This Summer Berry Baked Alaska Bars recipe couldn’t be easier, and it’s perfect for a celebration! Made with delicious vanilla cake, berries ice cream, and toasted swiss meringue, everyone will love it!

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“Girl, it doesn’t look like a Baked Alaska” I know, but trust me it has all the good parts of a perfect Baked Alaska!
These Summer Berry Baked Alaska Bars combine delicious vanilla cake with vanilla berries ice cream and topped with toasted meringue that covers the entire dessert. Those three components are built in a baking dish, so you don’t need to worry about the meringue sliding off the ice cream. If you’re looking for a dessert to feed a crowd in this summer weather, this recipe is perfect for you!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe >

Ingredients Needed & Notes >

Equipment You’ll Need >

Step By Step Instructions >

Baking Tips >

Serving & Storage >

Recipe Card >

WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE

1. The ice cream is loaded with berries, so fresh and perfect for summer.
2. Made in a baking dish, so you don’t need to worry about the meringue to slip and slide with the ice cream.
3. Various textures in one bite. From the vanilla cake to the cold and melty ice cream and smooth toasted swiss meringue.
4. Feel free to use your favorite store-bought cake.
5. Perfect to feed a crowd! You can cut it up to 16 slices.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED AND NOTES

Flour – You’ll need all-purpose flour to make the vanilla cake.
Baking powder
Vanilla extract – Pure vanilla extract, not imitation. You’ll use this to make the cake and the swiss meringue.
Sugar – I use caster sugar (superfine sugar) for the meringue and granulated sugar for the berry compotes.
Sour Cream – This adds moisture without thinning your cake batter.
Eggs – You’ll need 4 large eggs to make the cake and the swiss meringue.
Berries – I use blueberry and raspberry to make these baked alaska bars, but feel free to use your favorite berries!
Vanilla Ice Cream – You’ll 2 pints of vanilla ice cream to make this recipe.
Vinegar – This acts as a stabilizer for the meringue, allowing it to hold its shape once whipped up.

EQUIPMENT YOU’LL NEED

1. 9inch baking dish or baking pan
2. Stand mixer or hand mixer
3. Kitchen torch
4. Large bowls
5. Saucepan
6. Rubber spatula
7. Parchment paper
8. Plastic wrap

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS TO MAKE THIS SUMMER BERRY BAKED ALASKA BARS

(Be sure to check the recipe card below for the full ingredients list & instructions)

STEP 1 – Make the Vanilla Cake

Preheat your oven to 350F. Line a 9-inch square baking dish with parchment paper, and spray with cooking spray, or grease with butter.

Using a handheld or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat unsalted butter and sugar until smooth on medium speed, then add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Reduce the mixer speed to low. Add sour cream, and vanilla extract, then mix until well combined. Slowly add the dry ingredients (flour, salt, baking powder). Mix the batter until combined, and no more dry flour is visible. Do not over-mix the batter!

Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and smooth the top of the batter. Bake for about 25 minutes, or until the top is brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

STEP 2 – Make the Berries Compote

To make the blueberry compote, put the fresh blueberries in a large colander, gently rinse and wash them with cool water. (If you’re using frozen blueberries, do not thaw them)
Combine all the ingredients in a medium saucepan (add an extra 1/2 teaspoon of cornstarch if you’re using frozen blueberries). Bring to a boil over medium heat, stir constantly for about 2 minutes. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 8 minutes until the blueberries are thick and jammy. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely.

Repeat the same steps to make the raspberry compote.

STEP 3 – Prepare the Ice Cream

You’ll need 2 pints of vanilla ice cream, then divide the ice cream into 3 bowls. 3/4 pint to bowl A, 3/4 pint to bowl B, and 1/2 pint to bowl C.

Let the ice cream soften at room temperature for about 10 to 15 minutes until it’s easy to scoop and fold. Then, pour 3/4 cup of the room temperature or chilled blueberry compote into bowl A, and 3/4 cup of the raspberry compote into bowl B. Mix and fold each flavor until well combined.

STEP 4 – Assemble the Cake and Ice Cream

Remove the vanilla cake from the baking dish, peel the parchment paper, and place the cake back into the baking dish.

Then, transfer the ice cream with a medium or small ice cream scoop into the baking dish, alternating with each flavor, and keep going until you’ve reached the top. Smooth the ice cream into an even layer, cover it with plastic wrap, and freeze for several hours, until it is firm. This can be done days in advance of serving it.

STEP 5 – Make the Swiss Meringue and Serve

When you’re ready to serve this Summer Berry Baked Alaska Bars, fill a medium saucepan with water about an inch, then simmer over medium-low heat.

Combine egg whites, caster sugar, and salt in the stand mixer bowl, then place the bowl over the simmering water. Stir the egg mixture with a rubber spatula until warm and all the sugar has dissolved, this takes around 4 minutes. Make sure you don’t cook the egg whites, just heat the egg whites until warm.

Remove from the heat, then place the bowl onto the stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Add the vinegar and beat the egg mixture on high speed until smooth, glossy, and stiff peaks. Then, add the vanilla extract and continue to mix until incorporated. The mixture should still be very stiff, it won’t budge if you flipped it upside down.

Take the ice cream out of the freezer, and remove the plastic wrap. Spread or pipe the meringue over the ice cream, covering it in an even layer and ensuring no bits of ice cream are exposed. Using a kitchen torch, roast the meringue all over until evenly brown, then set in the freezer for at least one hour, before serving.

TIPS FOR MAKING THE BEST SUMMER BERRY BAKED ALASKA BARS

1. Let the cake cool completely and remove the parchment paper.
2. Makes sure your berry compotes cool completely (preferably chilled for about 2 hours). Be sure to let it fully cool before working with it, or it’ll melt your ice cream.
3. A little yolk in the egg whites will make whipping up the meringue difficult. So be careful when separating the eggs, I recommend separating the egg yolks and egg whites one at a time in a separate bowl, so if you break one yolk, you don’t ruin the whole batch.
4. Makes sure you’re using caster sugar to make the swiss meringue. Caster sugar has small grains, so it dissolves easily in the foamy mixture and makes the meringue smooth.
5. Whip the swiss meringue into stiff peaks. If the meringue is too soft, it will be impossible to create those pretty piping works.
6. Don’t try to rush the process. The ice cream needs to be rock solid before you spread the meringue on top, so the meringue will stick nicely and not wet.

HOW TO SERVE AND STORE

To serve this Summer Berry Baked Alaska – After browning the meringue with a kitchen torch, freeze it for at least one hour, before serving. The ice cream will melt quickly, so don’t leave Baked Alaska out of the freezer for more than 30 minutes.
To Store the leftovers – Wrap the leftovers in plastic wrap or place it into a freezer-safe container, and freeze it for up to 1 month.

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If you try this recipe, I’d love to hear what you think! Send me a message or write a comment below.
Also be sure to snap a picture and tag me on your social media posts with #thejobaker
Happy Baking!