bombe alaska cupcakes

These babies aren’t only yummy, they’re rummy! Hahaa! But seriously, there’s definitely some rum action going on in these cupcakes. It’s not so intense that it overwhelms the other flavours but it’s definitely noticeable.

I made these cupcakes as an entry into Scoopalicious and Cupcake Project’s annual ice cream cupcake competition. The flavours were inspired by a coconut ice cream with pumpkin sauce recipe I found on the fabulous Australian Gourmet Traveller website. Gourmet Traveller also inspired the Bombe Alaskian element because I’ve always wanted to make the gorgeous meringue they use for their Bombe Alaskas!

In between two layers of chocolate-rum cake, I put a layer of coconut ice cream and a layer of pumpkin ice cream. The pumpkin ice cream had quite a bit of cinnamon and nutmeg and I think those spices were a little bit too much for the delicate flavour of the coconut ice cream. Coconut and pumpkin might seem like a weird combo but never fear as they’re brought together quite nicely by a common ingredient – rum.

I had no idea about this competition until a couple of days ago so these cupcakes are very last minute and very much on a 'beginner' level - I've definitely learnt a lot about using ice cream in cupcakes!

Bombe Alaska Cupcakes

Chocolate-Rum Cake

Adapted from Australian Gourmet Traveller

If putting ice cream into the middle of the cakes, make sure they’re baked into the same cupcake liners/tins you’ll assemble the cupcakes in – it’ll make it easier to get nice layers.

225g chocolate, 50% cocoa

1/4cup dark rum (I used Coruba)

2 large eggs (67g each), separated

60g butter, melted

40g all-purpose flour, sifted

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon salt

35g caster sugar

Preheat an oven to 190C.

Melt the chocolate and rum together over a very low heat, stirring all the while so that the chocolate doesn't burn. When the chocolate is smooth and glossy, remove from heat and cool to room temperature.

Stir the egg yolks, butter, flour, vanilla, and salt into the chocolate. Meanwhile, whip the egg whites into soft peaks. Add the sugar to the whites and whip until stiff peaks form.

Fold 1/3 of the whites into the chocolate mixture until thoroughly mixed in. Gently fold the rest of the whites into the chocolate. Spoon the batter into cupcake moulds about 5mm from the top and bake until a skewer inserted into the cupcakes comes out clean and the tops are all cracky.

Coconut Ice Cream

Adapted from David Lebovitz via Leite’s Culinaria

The rum was of course added.





Pumpkin Ice Cream

Adapted from Karen DeMasco via David Lebovitz

This needed less cinnamon and nutmeg when used alongside the coconut ice cream. Again, rum was definitely used.

Very Lovely Meringue for Lighting on Fire

Adapted from Australian Gourmet Traveller

The whites and sugar mix doesn’t need to be perfectly stiff peaks because the corn flour and vinegar thickens it up.

4 egg whites

1 cup (220g) caster sugar

2 tablespoons cornflour, sifted

2 tablespoons white vinegar

Whip the whites into soft peaks. While still whipping, slowly pour the sugar into the whites and continue to whip them until stiff peaks form. Whisk in the corn flour and vinegar.

To Assemble

Using a ruler, measure and cut a 1cm base off each chocolate cake. Cut another 1cm off the top of the cakes*. Soften coconut ice cream (until just workable, not until melty!) and smooth a heaped teaspoon onto the base – it needs to be about 1cm high. Freeze the ice creamed base until the ice cream is solid. Soften the pumpkin ice cream and smooth a 1cm high layer of it onto the coconut ice cream. Put the cake top onto the pumpkin ice cream and freeze it again until the pumpkin ice cream is solid. Smooth the meringue onto the cupcakes in nice peaks and use a chef’s blow torch to caramelise the meringue a little (aka set it on fire!). Eat immediately because that ice cream’s gonna melt!

*Eat the middle parts mixed all through coconut ice cream.