Norwegian Omelettewith homemade vanilla ice cream
Norwegian Omelette with homemade vanilla ice cream, sponge cake, and toasted meringue: organize freezing and cover the ice cream without gaps.
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Also known as baked Alaska, this dessert combines a cake base, firm ice cream, and a quickly browned meringue topping. Here, the ice cream is made from custard and the meringue is heated in a double boiler. The work is divided between preparation and freezing; the finishing is brief and done close to serving.
Ingredients
Ice cream, cake, and meringue
Ice cream
Ice cream, cake, and meringue
Ice cream
Cake
Preparation
Cook the ice cream base
Heat the milk with the vanilla. Mix four egg yolks with 110 g sugar, gradually incorporate the milk and return to low heat. Stir until 82–84 °C, without boiling. Strain over a bowl in an ice bath, remove the vanilla pod and mix in the fresh cream. Refrigerate for 4 hours.
20 minutesWhip and freeze the ice cream
Process the cold base in an ice cream maker according to the equipment, generally for 20 to 30 minutes. Line a 22 by 10 cm loaf pan with food-grade film, place the ice cream, smooth it out and freeze for at least 6 hours until firm. An ice cream maker is necessary for the texture of this version.
30 minutesBake the cake base
Preheat the oven to 180 °C. Line a 22 by 20 cm pan with parchment paper and grease with 5 g butter. Heat the three whole eggs with 80 g sugar in a double boiler, stirring, just until warm. Beat off the heat until tripled and ribbon stage. Incorporate the flour in two additions, then the 15 g melted and warm butter mixed first with a spoonful of batter. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes and cool completely.
35 minutesJoin cake and ice cream
Cut the cold cake into two 22 by 10 cm rectangles. Place one over the firm ice cream, press lightly, cover and freeze for another 2 hours. Unmold onto a heatproof serving dish, remove all the film and place the second cake rectangle on top of the ice cream. Keep in the freezer until ready to cover.
10 minutesPrepare Swiss meringue
Mix the four reserved egg whites with 200 g sugar in a bowl over hot water without touching the water. Stir continuously until reaching 71 °C and no sugar grains are felt. Remove and whip until firm, glossy, and completely cold meringue forms.
15 minutesCover and toast
Cover the ice cream and all sides with a continuous layer of meringue at least 1.5 cm thick, joining to the base without gaps. Form waves with a spatula. Quickly toast the surface with a culinary torch in motion, without heating a single spot. Cut and serve immediately.
10 minutes
Substitutions
Store-bought ice cream can shorten preparation, but its ingredients, cost, and nutrition differ from this homemade version. Do not substitute egg yolks with whole eggs in the custard.
Storage
Keep the cake base and ice cream well wrapped in the freezer. Apply and toast the meringue close to serving; do not refreeze portions that have melted.
Approximate shelf life: Base without topping up to 7 days frozen at −18 °C; finished dessert for immediate consumption.
Nutrition values are estimates and may vary by brand, substitution and actual yield.
Frequently asked questions
How to recognize the correct point?
Warm meringue melts the ice cream. Whip until the bowl cools and remove the base from the freezer only when everything is ready.
How to store after preparation?
Keep the cake base and ice cream well wrapped in the freezer. Apply and toast the meringue close to serving; do not refreeze portions that have melted. Base without topping up to 7 days frozen at −18 °C; finished dessert for immediate consumption.
