Featuring layers of chocolate and peppermint ice cream wrapped inside a rich, chocolatey base and topped with snowy, toasted meringue, this dessert is crafted to delight guests and elevate any holiday celebration. It’s elegant, memorable, and the perfect centerpiece for a season filled with sweet moments.
Once those first few snowflakes start to fall, that’s my cue to pull out all my favorite, cozy recipes. The soups, the cookies, and especially the breads! But the Baked Alaska Christmas Tree is, without a doubt, the one that gets requested the most. It looks impressive on a table, but once you get past the shape and the time commitment, it’s really just ice cream, cake, and meringue layered together in a way that makes people stop and say, “Wait… you made that?”
I love recipes like this because they’re great for holiday gatherings and don’t require a full day in the kitchen. You can build the ice cream portion ahead of time, leave it in the freezer, and finish the meringue right before serving. Plus, the inside has that chocolate–peppermint combination that just feels right for December. If you’ve been wanting a dessert that’s fun to make and even more fun to slice into, this is the one.
Other Christmas-Inspired Recipes
Eggnog Custard Tart
The holidays are here, and there’s no better way to celebrate than with a dessert that’s both elegant and festive. The crust is made from a Pumpkin Cake Roll which pairs beautifully with the eggnog filling and enhances its blend of holiday flavors. Topped with sugared cranberries, rosemary sprigs, and a few gingerbread cookies, this tart is a decadent addition to your traditional holiday spread.
Christmas Petit Fours
These delicious treats are made from a mixture of moist, rich red velvet cake and smooth cream cheese filling, coated in white buttercream, and topped with rosemary sprigs and red pearl sprinkles. Simple to make and beautiful, Christmas Petit Fours add a thoughtful, homemade touch to all your holiday gifts.
Winter Wonderland Cake Roll
This stunning creation is filled with classic holiday flavors and decorated to look…well…like a winter wonderland! The rich, velvety red cake roll, cream cheese filling, buttercream frosting, and intricate decorations come together to make this holiday treat a real showstopper.
What You’ll Need
- Manila file folder
- Tape
- Scissors
- Parchment paper
- Tall pot
- Food processor
- Medium-sized mixing bowl
- Heat-proof stand mixer bowl
- Saucepan
- Stand mixer with whisk attachment
- Pastry bag fitted with a large round tip
- Kitchen torch
Storage Information
You can freeze your assembled Baked Alaska Christmas Tree for up to 3 days before you add the meringue. Then, you can make, pipe, and torch the meringue right before serving for the best texture and appearance.
Once you’ve piped on the meringue, but before you’ve cut the Baked Alaska Christmas Tree, you can store the dish in the freezer for up to 24 hours. However, we recommend waiting to torch it until serving time.
Any leftovers can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and placed in the freezer for up to 1 month. Before serving, let the slices thaw in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes.
Tips for Making a Baked Alaska Christmas Tree
- Use fully softened ice cream to build your Baked Alaska Christmas Tree. The ice cream should be scoopable but not melted to make layering easy.
- Pack your layers! Fewer air pockets = cleaner slices.
- It is vital you keep everything cold during assembly. If your ice cream begins to melt while you’re building your tree, pop the cone in the freezer for a few minutes before continuing.
- Work quickly when piping your meringue. Warm hands and a warm kitchen can cause your meringue to soften. If this happens, chill your mixing bowl in the refrigerator until it stiffens back up.
How to Make a Baked Alaska Christmas Tree
Baked Alaska Christmas Tree
Course: DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Hard8
servings800
kcal8
Featuring layers of chocolate and peppermint ice cream wrapped inside a rich, chocolatey base and topped with snowy, toasted meringue, this dessert is crafted to delight guests and elevate any holiday celebration. It’s elegant, memorable, and the perfect centerpiece for a season filled with sweet moments.
Ingredients
- Ice Cream Tree
1 pkg. Oreo cookies
3 pts. chocolate ice cream, softened
2 pts. peppermint ice cream, softened
1 Dutch Apron® Bakery Chocolate Crème Cake Roll, thawed
- Meringue:
8 large egg whites
1 1/2 c. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
Directions
- Build Your Ice Cream Cone Mold
- Open a standard manila file folder. Roll it into a cone with about an 8-inch diameter and tape securely.
- Trim the wide end so the base is flat. It should end up measuring roughly 7 1/2” across.
- Roll a similar-sized piece of parchment paper and fit it inside the cone.
- Stand the cone tip-side down inside a tall pot to keep it upright during assembly.
- Make the Base Layer
- Let your Chocolate Crème Cake Roll thaw at room temperature for 30 minutes. Once softened, remove the cake roll from its packaging. Cut into slices.
- Place the cake roll pieces into a food processor. Pulse until crumbled into fine crumbs. Place the crumbs in a medium-sized mixing bowl.
- Pulse the entire package of Oreos in a food processor until finely crumbled. Add 1 1/2 cups of Oreo crumbs into the bowl with the cake roll crumbs. Mix until well combined.
- Reserve the remaining Oreo crumbs for later.
- Layer the Ice Cream
- Spread a 1-inch-thick layer of softened chocolate ice cream around the inside of the cone, leaving the center hollow. Freeze for 15 minutes.
- Fill the center with peppermint ice cream, pressing gently to eliminate gaps.
- Pack the cake-crumb mixture firmly on top to form the tree’s base.
- Freeze upright, tip-down, for at least 8 hours or up to 3 days.
- Unmold the Ice Cream Tree
- Invert the frozen cone onto a serving plate. Remove the outer file-folder mold and inner parchment carefully.
- Let it stand for 5 minutes to soften slightly. Pat the remaining Oreo crumbs all over the outside of the tree.
- Return to freezer while preparing the meringue.
- Make the Meringue
- In a heat-proof stand mixer bowl, whisk together the egg whites and sugar.
- Place bowl over simmering water, whisking constantly until the sugar dissolves and mixture is warm, about 3-4 minutes.
- Move bowl to stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Whip on low, gradually increasing to medium-high until foamy.
- Add 1 tsp. salt and whip until stiff, glassy peaks form.
- Fold in 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract.
- Transfer meringue to a pastry bag filled with a large round tip.
- Decorate the Tree
- Starting at the bottom of the tree, hold the piping bag so the tip is perpendicular to the tree.
- Pipe short upward pulls to create snowy, teardrop shapes – like branches.
- Continue working upward until the entire tree is covered in “snow”.
- Lightly brown the meringue using a kitchen torch for a toasted, wintery effect.
- Keep frozen until ready to serve.
Baked Alaska Christmas Tree Recipe Video
Notes
- Storage Instructions: You can freeze your assembled Baked Alaska Christmas Tree for up to 3 days before you add the meringue. Make, pipe, and torch the meringue right before serving for the best texture and appearance. Any leftovers can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and placed in the freezer for up to 1 month.
- Special Tools: Manila file folder, tape, scissors, parchment paper, tall pot, food processor, medium-sized mixing bowl, heat-proof stand mixer bowl, saucepan, stand mixer with whisk attachment, pastry bag fitted with a large round tip, and kitchen torch.
- The Ice Cream: Use fully softened ice cream to build your Baked Alaska Christmas Tree. The ice cream should be scoopable but not melted to make layering easy.
- Piping the Meringue: Work quickly when piping your meringue. Warm hands and a warm kitchen can cause your meringue to soften. If this happens, chill your mixing bowl in the refrigerator until it stiffens back up.
About the Author:
Katelyn Helgevold has been the Product Line Manager and editor for Dutch Apron® Bakery since 2019. In her role, she manages the introduction of new products to our portfolio, ensures each and every item meets our strict customer and quality standards, and uses her much-loved English degree to make sure every marketing piece is just as immaculate as our baked goods. In her spare time, Katelyn enjoys touting the benefits of the Oxford comma, spending time with her cat Merlin, and listening to way too many true crime podcasts.
