Since I saw how participants on Masterchef had to make a Baked Alaska, I wanted to see if I could make my own dairy-free and healthier version. I made the cake and ice cream mix before Christmas but we only got a chance to eat it today as our family gathered for new year. I was so nervous it was either going to be too hard to cut or melt in the oven, but it turned out beautifully, phew! And so this was my piece de resistance – hope you enjoy… and happy new year!!

This is a recipe that requires a bit of thought and preparation, but the ice cream can easily be made well in advance so on the day it’s easily put together.

Ingredients

You need a half globe cake tin (I got one from Aveve, for cakes like hedgehogs or footballs…) or otherwise you can also put the cake into a bread tin.

For the ice cream:

150g cashews, soaked overnight

130g coconut cream

80g maple syrup

1 tbsp vanilla

3 tbsp raw cacao powder

1 tbsp chai spices (I used Yogi Tea mix, ground finely)

For the cake:

One full cake from the roulade

not rolled up but already cooked down

For the caramel:

20 dates

200ml water

For the meringue:

3 egg whites

225g sugar

90ml water

Instructions

First, bake the cake and let it cook down.

Then, make caramel sauce by putting dates and 100ml water in a blender. Add more water if the sauce isn’t liquid enough. It should have the consistency of a thick sauce.

Next, mix soaked cashews, coconut cream and maple syrup in a good blender (I use my vitamin) until it’s a smooth mix. Then divide the mix into 2 equal parts. Add vanilla to one half, and the raw cacao powder and Chai spices to the other half.

Now it’s time to start putting together the cake. Take the half globe cake tin, put plastic foil on the inside and add the first layer of ice cream mix (vanilla or chocolate). Then add a layer of cake (cut a piece out of the roulade cake the size of the tin) and out it on top of the ice cream layer. Then add a layer of caramel and some roughly chopped pecans.

Put the tin in the freezer for 20 minutes and add the next layers of ice cream, cake, and caramel. Put in the freezer again for 20 minutes. If you have cake and ice cream left, add more layers. But make sure you end on a cake layer. Leave in the freezer. My cake was frozen for 2 weeks before we used it so it stores really well.

When you want to eat the cake, take it out of the freezer while you prepare the Italian meringue. Preheat the oven to 220C.

Put the egg whites in the standing mixer on half strength and let them beat while you make the sugar syrup.

Put the sugar and water in a pot and let it heat up to 120C. When the mix reaches the required temperature, pour it into the egg mix slowly. When the mix is incorporated, beat for another 3-5 minutes until it has cooled down somewhat.

Then with a spatula put the meringue onto the cake in peaks until it is covered all over – at least for an inch all over.

Put the cake into the oven for 5 minutes or until the meringue becomes lightly browned.

Optional: sprinkle the cake with a little cognac and set it alight! Enjoy!