National Baked Alaska Day

Categories:: Food & Beverage
Tags:: Dessert Ice Cream Sweet Food
Where:: United States
Date change rule:: Every February 1
Holiday emoji:: 🍦

National Baked Alaska Day invites everyone to indulge in this unique dessert every February 1. This culinary marvel combines frozen ice cream, delicate sponge cake, and a fluffy meringue topping, dramatically browned with a torch. Celebrate by trying a new recipe, visiting a local bakery, or sharing your creation online.

History
Timeline
FAQs
Importance
Celebrate
Related

History of National Baked Alaska Day

National Baked Alaska Day invites you to indulge in this delicious ice cream–topped sponge-cake dessert.

Baked Alaska is made by placing slices of sponge cake at the bottom of a pie pan, filling it with your favorite ice cream flavor before covering it completely in whipped meringue mixture, and baking for 3-10 minutes. It is baked in the oven at a very high temperature of preferably 500°F to allow the meringue to solidify slightly, and brown.

The story behind its existence is that In 1867 there was a heated public debate over the agreement to purchase Alaska from Russia for $7 million by Secretary of State William Seward that led Chef Charles Ranhofer of Delmonico’s Restaurant in New York City, who was already notorious for naming new and old food after public figures, to capitalize on the uproar by introducing what we now know as Baked Alaska to Delmonico’s menu.

The frozen-hard ice cream covered with meringue on a base of warm sponge cake is what gives this dessert its unique characteristic of drastic temperature contrast.

On National Baked Alaska Day everyone is expected to enjoy a sweet bite of this yummy retro dish that is often served in flames.
Serving cream and cake together dates back to the Renaissance. The cooks of the era were considered the first to decorate their baked food with a whipped topping.

National Baked Alaska Day timeline

1867

The U.S. Agrees to Buy Alaska

Baked Alaska is invented to capitalize on the controversy that ensues after Secretary of State William Seward agrees to purchase Alaska from Russia for $7 million.

1867

It Is Named After Alaska

Baked Alaska dessert is dubbed so by a chef at the famous Delmonico’s restaurant in New York City to celebrate Alaska’s annexation.

1959

Alaska Become a State in America

Alaska’s statehood is confirmed when it was admitted into the Union.

2005

The World’s Largest Baked Alaska

In 2005, Ben & Jerry’s created the world’s largest Baked Alaska, weighing 1,140 pounds and measuring 4 feet tall, to protest the drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

National Baked Alaska Day FAQs

When is National Baked Alaska Day?

In 2027, National Baked Alaska Day is observed on Monday, February 1. This date offers a sweet way to kick off the work week or to plan a special dessert for an evening gathering.

What is the origin of Baked Alaska?

Baked Alaska gained significant fame after its creation at Delmonico’s, where it was initially called ‘Alaska, Florida.’ The name reflected the dessert’s contrasting temperatures: frozen ice cream and hot, torched meringue.

How popular is Baked Alaska today?

The dessert enjoys a resurgence in popularity, especially among home bakers and gourmet restaurants seeking nostalgic flair and a visually impressive centerpiece. Social media often showcases creative new interpretations of the classic.

Why is it called Baked Alaska?

Its evocative name stems from the dessert’s unique hot-and-cold contrast. The frozen ice cream represents the cold of Alaska, while the torched meringue topping, which insulates the ice cream, represents the ‘baked’ or warm element.

National Baked Alaska Day Activities

Make a Baked Alaska
How else can we celebrate Baked Alaska Day if not by making one? Place slices of sponge cake at the bottom of a pie pan, filling it with your favorite ice cream flavor, before covering it completely in whipped meringue mixture, and baking.
Profess your love on social media
Help people grow a love for Baked Alaska to celebrate National Baked Alaska Day! Celebrate the distinct taste and contrast in temperature we all love in Baked Alaska, with tasty pictures to drive people to long for it. Use the hashtag #BakedAlaskaDay.
Take a trip to Alaska
Adventure in Alaska! Aside from the fact that this dessert is named after it, the state is full of food troves and natural wonders waiting to be discovered! One way to observe National Baked Alaska Day is to take a trip down to Alaska

5 Things You Should Know About Baked Alaska

The key ingredient
American physicist Benjamin Thompson's discovery of meringue is what gives Baked Alaska its unique characteristic of a contrasting hot top layer and cold base.
It wasn't always meringue
This dessert, in its early versions, used pie crusts instead of meringue.
Jean Giroix's Influence
Giroix, a chef at Hotel De Paris, Monte Carlo, popularized the dish in 1895.
It’s also known as Norwegian Omelette
Baked Alaska’s lesser-known name, Norwegian Omelette or Omelette Norvegienne, also gives tribute to this dessert’s appearance as a cold, snow-covered mountain.
It was first named Alaska Florida
Baked Alaska was originally named Alaska Florida when it was first invented by Chef Charles Ranhofer of Delmonico's restaurant, New York City.

Why We Love National Baked Alaska Day

It’s delicious!
Baked Alaska is yummy! It sometimes consists of delicious homemade vanilla or chamomile ice cream with a yummy lemon sponge underneath and a thick, fluffy layer of meringue that engulfs the entire cake in a blanket of shiny, sugary, stiffly whipped peaks. Oh, delicious!
It reminds us of Alaska
Yes! Alaska holds a sacred place in our hearts for its beautiful animals and incredibly amazing landscape. It’s only right that we love the yummy dessert more when we remember Alaska.
The story behind its invention
We love the story of the invention of Baked Alaska! Already notorious for naming dishes after famous people and events, Chef Charles Ranhofer capitalized on the heated controversy surrounding the purchase of Alaska from Russia by naming this desert after it, and we love it.