Classic baked Alaska is turned on its head with these individual desserts from Elizabeth Falkner of San Francisco's Citizen Cake. Coconut, pineapple, passion fruit, and a rum-soaked sorbet lend a tropical twist. To save time, use store-bought pineapple sorbet.
Ingredients
Makes 6 servings
Coconut cake:
Pineapplebrown sugar sorbet:
Salt-and-sugar-roasted macadamia nuts (optional):
Meringue:
Assembly:
Special Equipment
For cake:
Step 1
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 13x9x2" metal baking pan with parchment paper and grease with butter. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl to blend. Whisk egg yolks, 1/2 cup sugar, oil, and 1/2 cup water in a large bowl. Beat in flour mixture. Stir in coconut. Using an electric mixer fitted with clean, dry beaters, beat egg whites in another medium bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in remaining 1/4 cup sugar. Fold into batter just to blend. Pour into prepared pan and bake until puffed, lightly golden, and a tester inserted into center of cake comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Let cool in pan on rack (cake may fall slightly).
For sorbet:
Step 2
Set a strainer over a large bowl; set aside. Combine pineapple, sugar, and 3 cups water in a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Purée in a blender until smooth. Pour through strainer; press on solids to extract as much liquid as possible; discard solids. Stir in rum and lime juice. Process in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions.
For macadamia Nuts (if using):
Step 3
Preheat oven to 325°F. Combine sugar, salt, and 3/4 cup water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and stir in nuts. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Strain, then transfer nuts to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Cook until golden and roasted, 10-12 minutes. Let cool.
For meringue:
Step 4
In a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat egg whites with cream of tartar on low speed until foamy. With machine running on medium speed, gradually add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time. Add rum and xanthan gum (if using); continue beating until firm peaks form.
For assembly:
Step 5
Invert cake onto a work surface; peel off parchment. Using a ramekin as a guide, cut cake into 6 rounds, so that each will fit into an 8-ounce ramekin.
Step 6
Working with 1 ramekin at a time, spoon 3/4 cup sorbet into ramekin; smooth top and place 1 cake round over, pressing to adhere; immediately transfer to freezer. Repeat with remaining ramekins. Freeze for 4 hours.
Step 7
Run a thin knife around 1 ramekin. Invert onto a work surface. Spread 1 scant cup meringue over top and sides of cake with an offset spatula. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet and freeze for 30 minutes. Repeat with remaining cakes and meringues; add each to rimmed baking sheet in freezer. DO AHEAD:Assembled cakes can be made 3 days ahead. Cover and keep frozen.
Step 8
Preheat oven to 450°F. Transfer cakes on sheet pan to oven. Bake until meringue is toasted, 1-2 minutes. Using a large spatula, transfer cakes to plates. Spoon passion fruit juice and pulp around plate. Sprinkle lime zest over meringue. Garnish with macadamia nuts, if using.
Leave a Review
Reviews (6)
Back to TopThought these were spectacular although they did turn out a bit too big. I think you can cut them in half. Loved that most of the steps could be done ahead of time. I made 2 substitutions: used store-bought mango sorbet (couldn't find coconut and didn't have the time to make the recipe); and I used GF baking flour in the cake.And I skipped the suggested garnish and made a fresh blueberry puree instead. When I doubled the recipe, I ended up with too much meringue. In my oven, it took 5 minutes to brown at 450; in my friend's high-powered oven, it took just 2.
jsbjk
Winnetka, IL
4/24/2023
I’ve just made this on a locked-down Boxing Day and it was the perfect festive treat. I made it as per the recipe and it worked very well and was easier to achieve by making it in stages, some components days ahead. My pineapple for the sorbet was not very sweet so I added a few drops of pineapple essence to intensify the flavour and that was a good move, on balance with all the elements. A very delicious and impressive result, great fun for a party.
susiestenmark
Sydney, Australia
12/26/2020
This recipe has really fun and tasty flavor combinations! Btw, regarding the other posts, the passion fruit is listed under “assembly” (apparently that person didn’t actually read the recipe), and if you follow the recipe’s instructions and bake the cakes after covering them in meringue, everything comes out as the right temperature in the end. A fantastic recipe by a great chef that’ll I’ll definitely make again!
heathtastic
the state of the literate
2/12/2019
I Found a Great site to purchase Hawaiian Island Favorites at www.hawaiianfoodonline.com www.hawaiianfoodonline.mobi
keithevanovich
Las Vegas
1/18/2016
我不得不把这个因为我中意它since it was published. Despite the two reviews, which both seem a little imbecilic to me, this was a great dish. I'm surprised more haven't tried it, but in a way it points to the sad absence of baked Alaska in modern cooking. Adapting it for an island tropical flavor is BRILLIANT...perfect for a small dinner party on a lazy warm weekend. I opted to make the sorbet...DO THIS! It's great, and really only takes ten minutes of active time. The rest is freezing and allowing to set. Note - I made the sorbet as instructed, but used 2/3 fresh pineapple and 1/3 mango. It's what I had, and I felt it really mellowed the sorbet into an irresistible tropical medley. The cake is a very French meringue cake (albeit with coconut). I followed the recipe exactly, but when I make this again I'll try to concoct something to slightly soak the cake with...as the French like to do. Perhaps something with coconut, rum and lime undertones. It was pretty easy to make these, the real challenge being getting them formed and out of the molds (biscuit cutters would be better to freeze these in, since you can then pop them out easier). But after a little effort, BAM. Just cook them long enough so that the sorbet just begins to melt, and you'll have the perfect dessert. Cold and warm, creamy and cakey, tropical, sweet and oh-so-awesome.
davey1107
Los Angeles
5/19/2012
Where is the passion fruit?
Anonymous
New York
3/24/2012
Lot of work.....and the end result was not very tasty, plus it's totally frozen....not sure how to make it work.
PrincessDi
1/2/2012
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