Can you freeze baked Alaska before baking?

* Baked Alaska relies on the shock of heat. The magic of Baked Alaska comes from the contrasting temperatures of the frozen ice cream and the scorching hot meringue. Freezing the entire dessert beforehand would eliminate this dramatic effect.

* The meringue won't set properly. Freezing the meringue before baking will prevent it from properly forming its characteristic crispy shell. It will be soggy and won't brown nicely.

* Ice cream will become too hard. Freezing the ice cream again will make it extremely hard, making it difficult to scoop and potentially affecting the texture after baking.

Instead of freezing the entire dessert, here's what you can do:

* Freeze the ice cream: Make sure the ice cream is well-frozen before assembling the Baked Alaska. This will ensure it stays cold and doesn't melt too quickly.

* Prepare the meringue: Make the meringue right before baking. This ensures it's fresh and fluffy.

* Bake quickly: Baked Alaska should be baked in a very hot oven (around 500 degrees F) for a short amount of time (about 5 minutes). This creates the quick browning and crispy meringue without melting the ice cream.

Enjoy your delicious and impressive Baked Alaska!