Baked Alaska is a showy dessert that consists of a layer of cake, a layer of ice cream and a snowy meringue coating. The dessert is popped into a very hot oven to brown the meringue just before serving. This results in what seems to be magic, the ice cream does not melt. Tiny air bubbles beaten into the egg whites for the meringue provide the perfect insulation from the heat of the oven. Be sure that the ice cream is completely covered with meringue. Store-bought cake can be substituted for easier preparation.