“What do you think of a log cabin bombe alaska honey?” I asked Mr NQN one night. He looked at me like I was speaking pygmy. “I have no idea what you’re talking about” he answered. At least he was listening I thought, he could have said “That’s fine whatever you say” which he has been known to say on occasion.
I should preface this story with a little history. I’ve never made bombe alaska in my life so to want to make one shaped like a log cabin was either: a) foolish b) crazy or c) fraught with disaster. I should have taken his hesitation as a warning really. Sometimes when I get so excited about trying a new recipe I let my imagination run wild where it should be firmly locked up in a mental institution and medicated.
The inspiration for this log cabin bombe alaska was the toasted meringue outer. I thought of the kind of place where one would toast marshmallows. It would be in a log cabin in front of the fireplace with snow falling outside. And didn’t they have log cabins in Alaska? Or if you’re in Sydney, Australia where log cabins and snow are both scarce, next to a grill. OK the original idea is much more romantic.
It was ok until it came to the time to torch the meringue. I stood back and fired up the blowtorch.
Nothing.
I tried again, perhaps the child proof lock had confounded me (not the first time).
Nothing.
I quickly shoved the cake in the freezer and ran to the computer. The traditional way to do it is in the oven but would sticking ice cream in the oven seem kind of against logic? I had no choice. I turned on the oven full blast to 260C and shoved it in and crossed my fingers. I let it bake for three minutes until I saw that a little ice cream had leaked out the side. Ahh that’s why the instructions say to cover all of the ice cream and cake. I whipped it out and assessed the damage. We wouldn’t have to rebuild thankfully and whilst I think I prefer the untorched version, the torched version thankfully survived the fire and I learnt a lesson, check your tools before you build!
So tell me Dear Reader, do you ever get weird looks when you tell people your ideas?
Log Cabin Bombe Alaska
Blog-checking lines: The August 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Elissa of 17 and Baking. For the first time, The Daring Bakers partnered with Sugar High Fridays for a co-event and Elissa was the gracious hostess of both. Using the theme of beurre noisette, or browned butter, Elissa chose to challenge Daring Bakers to make a pound cake to be used in either a Baked Alaska or in Ice Cream Petit Fours. The sources for Elissa’s challenge were Gourmet magazine and David Lebovitz’s “The Perfect Scoop”.
Brown Butter Pound Cake
19 tablespoons (9.5 oz) (275g) unsalted (sweet) butter
2 cups (200g) sifted cake flour (not self-rising; sift before measuring) (See “Note” section for cake flour substitution)
1 teaspoon (5g) baking powder
1/2 teaspoon (3g) salt
1/2 cup (110g) packed light brown sugar
1/3 (75g) cup granulated sugar
4 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1. Preheat the oven to 325°F/160°C and put a rack in the center. Butter and flour a 9”x9” (23cmx23cm) square pan.
The browned butter process
2. Place the butter in a 10” (25cm) skillet over medium heat. Brown the butter until the milk solids are a dark chocolate brown and the butter smells nutty. (Don’t take your eyes off the butter in case it burns.) Pour into a shallow bowl and chill in the freezer until just congealed, 15-30 minutes.
3. Whisk together cake flour, baking powder, and salt.
4. Beat the brown butter, light brown sugar, and granulated sugar in an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well, and then the vanilla extract.
5. Stir in the flour mixture at low speed until just combined.
The lighter batter once beaten
6. Scrape the batter into the greased and floured 9”x9” (23cmx23cm) square pan. Smooth the top with a rubber spatula and rap the pan on the counter. Bake until golden brown on top and when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 25 minutes.
7. Cool in the pan 10 minutes. Run a knife along the edge and invert right-side-up onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
Vanilla Ice Cream
1 cup (250ml) whole milk
A pinch of salt
3/4 cup (165g) sugar
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise OR 2 teaspoons (10ml) pure vanilla extract
2 cups (500ml) heavy (approx 35% butterfat) cream
5 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon (5ml) pure vanilla extract
1. Heat the milk, salt, and sugar in a medium saucepan until the liquid steams. Scrape out the seeds of the vanilla bean with a paring knife and add to the milk, along with the bean pod. Cover, remove from heat, and let infuse for an hour. (If you do not have a vanilla bean, simply heat the milk, salt, and sugar in a medium saucepan until the liquid steams, then let cool to room temperature.)
2. Set up an ice bath by placing a 2-quart (2 litre) bowl inside a large bowl partially filled with water and ice. Put a strainer on top of the smaller bowl and pour in the cream.
3. In another bowl, lightly beat the egg yolks together. Reheat the milk in the medium saucepan until warmed, and then gradually pour ¼ cup warmed milk into the yolks, constantly whisking to keep the eggs from scrambling. Once the yolks are warmed, scrape the yolk and milk mixture back into the saucepan of warmed milk and cook over low heat. Stir constantly and scrape the bottom with a spatula until the mixture thickens into a custard which thinly coats the back of the spatula.
4. Strain the custard into the heavy cream and stir the mixture until cooled. Add the vanilla extract (1 teaspoon [5ml] if you are using a vanilla bean; 3 teaspoons [15ml] if you are not using a vanilla bean) and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, preferably overnight.
Lining the tin to make the ice cream “roof”
5. Remove the vanilla bean and freeze in an ice cream maker. If you don’t have an ice cream maker, you can make it without a machine. See instructions from David Lebovitz: http://www.davidlebovitz.com/archives/2007/07/making_ice_crea_1.html. Using the same tin that you baked the cake in, line the tin at one side and clear the freezer space to allow the tin to freeze at an angle. You will be making the roof out of ice cream so you want it to freeze so that you get a V shaped roof of ice cream.
Making the roof with the tin on an angle
Meringue (For the Baked Alaska)
4 large egg whites
1/4 teaspoon (1.5g) cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon (1.5g) salt
1/2 cup (110g) sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa, sifted
Desiccated coconut and lollies to decorate
Beat the egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt on high speed in an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Beat in the sugar gradually in a slow stream until stiff peaks form.
1. Level the top of the brown butter pound cake with a serrated knife or with a cake leveler. Cut into equal halves and place one on top of another. You can sandwich it together with jam too.
2. Place frozen ice cream on top. Place in freezer.
3. Make the meringue (see above.)
The ice cream “roof” on top of the house
4. Unwrap the ice cream “cups” and invert on top of a cake round. Trim any extra cake if necessary. I filled it with jam. Just because I wanted to and I thought it might do with some moisture in the middle.
Spreading with a base layer of meringue
5. Pipe the meringue over the log cabin. Firstly I put a layer of rough meringue which I used to smooth over the holes and gaps.It is important that none of the ice cream or cake is exposed. Then I piped “logs” onto the side and tiles on top and a door on both sides (just in case one side looked better than the other). Then I took a skewer and drew woody patterns on the logs. Freeze for one hour or up to a day.
Piping the meringue logs
6. Burn the tips of the meringue with a cooking blow torch. Or, bake the meringue-topped Baked Alaska on a baking tray with sides in a 500°F/260°C oven for 5 minutes until lightly golden. Serve immediately.
Drawing “log lines”
7. Decorate with desiccated coconut.
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112 Comments | Add your own
Oh, wow, wow, wow…!!! I am absolutely speechless!! That looks gorgeous, Lorraine!! Looks like a gingerbread house. I am planning to make one this Christmas…!
You are amazing, that’s adorable!
You are so talented!! This is a true work of art! Congratulations!
I’d never even heard of one until now! But the log cabin is soo cute!
Lorraine, this is stunning and so so creative! I’m so glad I got to see it, and only wish I could’ve tasted it as well. Great job on this challenge.
Oh my goodness! What a work of art! I’ve never made a bombe alaska, and I’m astounded you’d try this as a first attempt..then again, maybe I’m not that surprised…hehe.
Love the idea of burnt butter cake too…thanks!
Hahaha that first dialogue is exactly like me and my bf! How funny! You did such a great job with this Lorraine, it looks adorable with the little bows!
Maria x
This is amazing. Its things like this that really inspire me to try things outside my box a bit (something i don’t normally do).
Hubby doesn’t give me weird looks for my ideas, he is super encouraging and always tries to help me
*kisses* HH
What a creation Lorraine – I am very impressed it truly is a really daring challenge. Like a meringue ginger bread house!
This is amazing Lorraine! You are so creative!!
That is well impressive, Lorraine. I’ve never seen a log cabin bombe alaska, but man it looks good.
OMG it is so pretty! you’ve really outdone yourself! That is a fantastic creation.
Cheers,
Rosa
Putting in my order. Bombe Alaska if my favourite cake, and growing up in the 70′s I would request it year after year….
I must say the meringue piping is nothing short of dedicated!! Fabulous x
Oh wow! This sounds easy, and looks delicious! So adorable too
Wow. Okay that’s impressive!
it turned out fabulous, even with the torch snafu.
i get plenty of weird looks, not so much for my ideas, but for the questions i ask.
OMG this is so pretty! and the little ribbon bows….so cute!
lorraine, this is perfect. i couldn’t have done a nicer job with non-perishable ingredients! i love the bows most of all.
that is AMAZING
What happened to the 4 teacups of icecream, last seen at spet 4 sitting on rounds of cake?
Lol! Mr NQN must think you are a nutter sometimes!!
I think I’ll have to attempt this for my grandma one day who LOVES bombe alaska! loooks amazing!!
Wow Lorraine!! That is awesome. That is one epic recipe and it looks fantastic. Something like that would take me a week to do!
It is gorgeous – are they rainbow pasta bows!!? so pretty. And YES constantly – what can I say, I’m an ideas woman
That is ridiculous. You could give Zumbo a run for his money!
Ridiculously good I must specify!
Fantastic effort Lorraine. I’ve never tackled bombe alaska either, but if I did I’d use my homemade Roasted Almond and Cinnamon Rum icecream. Cheers Di
Lorraine, this looks amazing! Mr NQN was wrong to doubt you! Frank tends to just nod and say “yes dear” when I tell him my ideas. He’s learned not to express any doubts…
Bravo! This beats any gingerbread house, that’s for sure. I keep staring at the photos, marveling at your creation.
This is actually really amazing – so creative and wonderful. It looks beautiful and would taste absolutely incredible too.
That looks amazing, even though it was a little charred! Hope it tasted great!
It’s perfect! Another triumph, NQN! Why can’t *I* ever think of things like this ?! xxx
I think it is the most gorgeous Christmas idea I have seen for ages!
Like Cooking Gallery I will start thinking late november for trial runs.
just wonderful
Annie
You are so brilliantly creative! I’m sure they have log cabins in Alaska (and if they don’t they should, with little stripey bowties on the door!)
Now that is very clever – two thumbs up
WOW!! You’ve really outdone yourself this time. What a brilliant idea, well done for the perfect execution.
This is ingenious!!! How on earth did you go from bombe alaska to log cabin?!!
But it’s outstanding, my dear! I especially love how you made the ice-cream roof for the house! 
and I’ll confess to you that I’m utterly terrified of our blowtorch. I actually stand far away when Soy uses it and I still haven’t attempted to use it myself 
Impressive! And Cute!
What an excellent idea!! very quaint and pretty!
Seriously impressive stuff, I’m always a touch awe-struck with Bakers achievements, I mean… this is so cute & you’ve managed to achieve this with broken tools. Its beautiful.
Lorraine, can I order one please? this looks gorgeous!!!
SO WHIMSICAL!! I now WANT to do!
Of a log cabin bombe alaska, I never knew!
Re THOSE looks from friends, get them ALL the time, TRUE!
As LOVE experimenting with recipes and ingredients, techniques new!
I think I’m in love — this is pretty much the cutest thing ever, Lorraine! Your creativity is always inspiring! (And I too have trouble with child-proof locks…and medicine bottles, come to think of it, lol!)
Looks great, Lorraine.Yum I want to dive in & eat it.
OMG.. u’re crazy.. for a first bombe alaska this is way above and beyond! I’m soooo jealous!!!
Lorraine,
Beautiful job with that bombe there! So tasty and my son is drooling with envy
As for funny looks from my compadres when it concerns me… I worry when I DON’T get funny looks from them because it means that they too, are joining me on the Dark Side.
WOOT! \m/
That’s just brilliant! The one time I made bombe alaska it was browned in the oven – not all of us have blowtorching, working or not, on hand
I love the farfalle bows – gorgeous!
Well done, Lorraine, I do admire your tenacity!!
Nothing is more frustrating than when the tools fail us.
So clever!!!! And crazy!!!! I think Heston was copying you on his show last night with a edible house
I stuck with the safe option for my first DK challenge!
Holy cow!!!
Wow! I have always been fascinated by the bombe alaska, but it seems so impossible to me! Meringue and I are not always friends… well done – I love the log cabin idea!
You never cease to amaze with your creativity!
Wow beautiful! Love your baked alaska log cabin! It’s so original!
You are such a clever girl! Very cute, despite your tool crisis. xoxo Mum
that looks amazing! I would never have the courage to attempt something like that.
WOWZERS!! That’s amazing! well done you
What a clever idea and a intepretation. Love it!
Wow, I’m impressed! You have the best interpretation of the Bombe Alaska so far. Your mind must still be holidaying in Canada for you to come up with a log cabin…good job!
That is hilarious! Your inner child obviously has a great sense of humour to match her talent.
Oh, that’s pretty! And I loved the way you used those choc-topped “mushroom” biscuits to decorate.
(As for my ideas and other people? I always get weird looks! I have no idea why, but I’m surrounded by a lot of closed-minded people, alas.)
Cute!!
SO, SO adorable!! I was sad to miss out on this month’s challenge, but yours is so creative!
Wow, that definitely took some time! I’m surprised that your ice cream didn’t melt while you piped the roof and sides of the cabin. So, did you ever figure out what was wrong with the blowtorch? Nice job on the challenge!
No waaaay! Your creativity is awesome! You made a house ZOMG.
My housemate was scared when I proposed adding a blowtorch to the kitchen appliances. I get a little overzealous, he he he.
mmmmm yum …… looks very impressive Lorraine
Wow You’ve realy gone the ‘whole log’ with this challange (sorry sounding resist) it looks sensational.
Awesome Lorraine! I too prefer the baked method.
HOLY COW!!! That is amazing I’ve always wanted to make an Alaska, but did not have the guts. You are just SO cool. So so so so soooo cool.
Now that is taking things to another level. I love quirky ideas like this, and I hope you fix your blowtorch soon. I have a chefs blowtorch that I never use, because I use a hugmungus industrial size one instead. The other day I couldn’t find it because my husband had snuck it outside and was welding up our water heater!
You have incredible imagination. You always bake such stunning things…
I think your baked alaska log cabin takes the prize this month! What a wonderful idea.
Oh yes, my family has given up on me as a nut case when it comes to my “brilliant” food ideas.
Gorgeous. Funnily enough, bombe alaska was one of the cool dishes my sister first mastered when we were kids. She would whip it out, to much applause, whenever there was a special occasion. I’ve been too scared to try the recipe myself – like you, I worry the whole lot will either end up melted and ruined, or I may set myself and the house on fire!
Wow Lorraine,
You have out done yourself this time!! That looks incredible AND chocolate meringue! Delicious.
Just wonderful! a superlative creation! Congrats!
Oh why am I not surprised that you took such a challenge and turned it into something so cute? Love the cabin! And yum roasted marshmallows! And yes, I always get weird looks with my ideas. I am used to it by now.
What a lovely idea! I am always trying to think of creative interpretations for Daring Bakers Challenges but I never come up with anything like this… (probably because I am always up late on the last night of the challenge trying to get it finished – tonight is no exception!!)
Ten points for thinking ‘outside of the square’
Omg that is brilliant!! And again – you claim you’re not crafty & then you pull off something like this!
You totally knocked it out of the park Lorraine. WOW. Am speechless.
Too cute Lorraine! And the bows are so sweet – are they icing? Or pasta?
Your work is beautific!!!
the log cabin is so sweet(no pun !)
I applaude you for taking on and tackling such a task so masterfully.Great step by step pics.
I am new to your blog and love it!and was wondering what camera you use i have a EOS T 1 Canon and would love to get the same effects you do – since i am always (sadly – no life)taking food/restaurant pics.
You are a brave woman! It looks fantastic.
Such a charming cabin…and now I am craving toasted marshmallows! I do get weird looks for some of my ideas, but it never causes me to change them.
I love the pasta bows……..just furnished my store cupboards with a couple of packs!And the log looks delish…..oh I get strange looks all the time when I share thoughts/ideas, esp with colleagues. I just comfort myself with being a lateral thinker!
YOU ARE DA BOMBE Lorraine, you really are. You pulled this one off brilliantly, what fabulous inspiration! I get wierd looks ALL THE TIME! You are so fortunate that Mr NQN was listening!!
Wow, this is stunning!!! I’m so impressed!
This literally took my breath away when I saw it on the forum. Creative, innovative, and seriously stunning.
WOW, that is really all I can say
just incredible!
This is gorgeous, and reminds me a bit of the gingerbread house challenge. Very creative!
So beautiful Lorraine! Makes me to miss my childhood in Finland and our family’s log house in the forest by the lake!
WOW! An amazing creation!!!
loos awesome~~ i wanna eat that lil house now ^^
This is just SO inspirational! How beautiful it is, and you’ve shown such creative flare using the pasta as coloured bows. Beautiful beautiful, I’m touched!!
Ps. The last image showing the layers of the cake is so tempting for me to try this monumental recipe. Well done on the amazing amount of work you put into this.
You always come up with the cutest presentation ideas for the Daring Bakers challenges.
What an absolutely brilliant presentation. Just beautiful!
You are crazy Lorraine! The idea is crazy genius and the bombe looks crazy fantastic. Beautiful job.
You are hilarious. Feeling a little Christmassy already, perhaps?
wow this looks so cute – what great vision you have to imagine such culinary flights of fancy – I only tasted my first bombe alaska yesterday at taste of melbourne and it was possible the best dish of the day – but I was surprised at how little cooking the meringue got
Who would have thought!… you…of course! Fantastic! I’m speechless! I absolutely LOVE your Baked Alaska! Well done! But should I ever have doubted? I never did!
How inspired and original!The finished Alaska is briliant.
Holy sht, that looks AMAZING!
Oh that looks amazing!!! Beautifully done!!
Great job Lorraine!
That is absolutely beautiful! You are an amazing cook, thanks for sharing your recipes. Very inspirational!
Nice work Lorraine! I would have panicked and just poured melted chocolate over the whole thing, hehe.
So cute and clever! I love how you think outside the box or outside the bombe, as the case may be!
Absolutely adorable and amazing and delicious looking! Wonderful job!
Wow, I’m pretty speechless at this point…fabulously done!
Okay, you WIN for the CUTEST and MOST CREATIVE baked Alaska ever!
The ABSOLUTE coolest, most unique, gorgeous Baked Alaska I have ever seen in my life! I’m in awe, Lorraine..can’t stop showing people this entry
I’m speechless! Soooo want to recreate this, but think I need to practice my piping first
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