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Mint Chocolate Chip Baked Alaska is a fun, retro dessert that will be a hit at any summer dinner party. Wow guests with this fancy pants ice cream treat and top your summer with delicious eats.
As a kids, my siblings and I both loved and hated summer all at the same time. We loved it for the obvious reasons… getting ample time to read (something we all love) and participating in the summer reading program, getting to eagerly turn in our reading logs for the most coveted prize- a ticket to the local amusement park, then planing the most perfect day to the park.
We also looked forward to going to spend a good amount of time with our grandparents who took us to all sorts of museums and national parks. The summer meant we got to play outside, go to the pool, play with our dolls nonstop and watch as many movies as our Dad would allow. And then there was just the fact that we didn’t have to wake up early and go to school.
What made summers tough, was that my siblings and I spent a LOT of time together. This helped build life long memories of all these fun activities, as well as taught us patience, tolerance and forgiveness… since, well, we are siblings after all and bickering and annoying each other is what comes with having a sibling.
But, for the most part, all the fun outweighed the bickering and summer was always the best and the livin’ was easy!
And then, just like that, you become an adult, and while summer is still an anticipated time of year, it looses some of it’s magic, since for many, you still have work and other responsibilities that carry through to the summer. 
While summertime may feel a little different now that I am an adult, one thing does remain the same- it is H.O.T!! I think being a “grown up,” I now notice the heat more and desperately need things to help beat the heat.
This maybe by floating the river all day long with friends, or lazy Sundays by the pool, or may be in the form of a backyard cookout with friends in which, some how, at the end we all end up inside (in the AC) playing board games. 
The summer means we also keep our freezer STOCKED with ice cream! Ice cream, alone in a cone, dished up and smothered with toppings or transformed into a fun frozen dessert, is one of my favorite things. So, of course, after getting home from vacation several days ago, I had to make a late night run to Walmart to stock up on basic household supplies and groceries that we were out of. While wondering tiredly around my local Walmart with my list, I saw a huge display of Blue Bunny® ice cream while passing the frozen food section! There were so many fun and delicious flavors and the new clear packaging drew me in since I could see all the tasty swirls of flavors and ingredients! I immediately stocked up on Blue Bunny® Mint Chocolate Chip, Blue Bunny® Cookies & Cream and Blue Bunny® Super Fudge Brownie®! Of course, no ice cream run would be complete without grabbing a few bottles of Smucker’s ice cream topping, like Smucker’s Magic Shell Chocolate Fudge Flavored Topping and Smucker’s Hot Fudge Spoonable Ice Cream Topping, to add an extra special touch of fun (and chocolate!!) to that Blue Bunny® ice cream!
While I love enjoying just a bowl of ice cream, I realized the other day that I had only made ONE special ice cream treat this entire summer! Not even a milkshake or ice cream float has been made or consumed. With the summer quickly dwindling away, I knew I better get in the kitchen to whip up something cool and tasty to help beat the lingering summer heat!
That’s when I imagined a grandiose Baked Alaska! Baked Alaska is such a fun “retro” dessert that you don’t see as much these days. It is basically an ice cream cake topped with a fluffy meringue that is then toasted with the ice cream inside- in a hot oven! Yes, it may seem crazy, but if the ice cream cake is froze solid, the meringue is supposed to “seal” the ice cream inside and since it is only in the oven for a few minutes, come out amazing and is a fun dinner party dessert!
Today’s recipe is a fun twist on Baked Alaska and is for all those chocolate lovers! This Mint Chocolate Chip Baked Alaska recipe starts with my go to chocolate cake recipe, is topped with Blue Bunny® Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream and then is covered with that fluffy, sweet meringue. The key to a perfect Baked Alaska is patience and allowing the ice cream cake to freeze fully. So take your time and sit back and enjoy the summer vibes with a slice of Mint Chocolate Chip Baked Alaska!
- Chocolate Cake Layer:
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 6 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ¼ cup vegetable or canola oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup milk
- -
- Ice Cream Layer:
- 1 48-ounce carton Blue Bunny® Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
- -
- Meringue Layer:
- 4 large egg whites
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- To make the chocolate cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9-inch round cake pan. Place a round piece of parchment paper in the bottom of the greased pan. Grease parchment paper, then dust the pan with about 1 tablespoon flour shaking out any excess flour. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar, salt, baking soda, flour and cocoa powder. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, vegetable oil, vanilla and milk. Slowly whisk the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, mixing just until combined. Pour the prepared cake batter into the prepared cake pan.
- Bake cake in preheated 350 degree F oven for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow cake to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. Invert cooled cake onto a large serving plate and remove parchment paper.
- Spray a 9-inch round bowl with cooking spray and line with several pieces of plastic wrap, allowing enough plastic wrap to wrap around bowl. Spray the plastic wrap with cooking spray and fill the bowl with softened ice cream; smoothing ice cream into an even layer. Carefully place the piece of cake on top of the bowl of ice cream, and cover with more plastic wrap. Freeze until firm, at least 4-6 hours, preferably overnight.
- To make the meringue: Place the egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Whisk the egg whites on medium-high speed until foamy. Whisk in cream of tarter and continue whisking for an additional minute. Slowly add the granulated sugar and salt and continue whipping on medium-high speed. Once all the sugar has been added, add the vanilla extract. Turn the speed to high, and whip until the egg whites are glossy and form stiff peaks.
- To assemble and serve cake: Preheat oven to 500 degrees F. Remove frozen ice cream cake from the freezer and turn upside down onto a heatproof serving platter or plate. Remove plastic wrap and use an off set spatula to cover the cake completely with meringue. Bake the cake until meringue begins to brown, about 2-4 minutes. Alternatively, use a kitchen torch to brown the meringue. Serve immediately, by slicing with a large serrated knife, dipping knife into hot water and wiping dry between each cut.
Note: The assembled cake can be stored, wrapped in plastic wrap, in the freezer for up to one week.
Blue Bunny® Ice Cream is a great way to beat the heat! Not only does it come in over 20 flavors (all available at Walmart); the new clear packaging allows you to see all the delicious flavor swirls! For more information about Blue Bunny® Ice Cream click here and be sure to check out all these other tasty recipes! 
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