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Want to make a stand out dessert but with little effort? I have the perfect recipe for you. This Cheat's Ice cream Bombe Alaska is so much fun to create and is easily adapted to what you love. So come with me and let's make it together.

The Cheat's Bombe Alaska is plated on a ceramic cake stand surrounded by pomegranate's, a candle and a Christmas decoration. The bombe Alaska is covered in meringue and is studded with pomegranate seeds and chopped pistachios.

This purini pārekareka (fun dessert) is mainly made from store bought ingredients. I originally made this for an ad campaign promoting Fly Buys dollars a couple of years back. I look at this recipe now and it still makes me smile. It is great for an easy Christmas dessert or an alternative to a birthday cake.

More quick recipes to try:

Have you tasted my Chocolate Nut and Seed Slice? It is so quick to make and is full of delicious texture and flavours. Have you tried making your own māngohe (marshmallow)? I have you covered, try my Easy Vanilla Marshmallows or Raspberry Marshmallow.

INGREDIENT TIPS FOR THE Cheat's Ice Cream Bombe Alaska:

Two ice cream tubs are stacked on top of each other with a 6 pack of free range eggs, a packet of caster sugar and a whole pomegranate on a white bench. Pistachios are blurred in the background.

Ice cream: I used Cookies and Cream and Rocky Road but choose the flavours you love.
Sponge: An unfilled sponge roll from a supermarket bakery is perfect as it is not too thick. I found mine at New world. If you can't find an unfilled sponge roll, a thick sponge can work too. Just slice it in to 2 cm pieces and follow the recipe as per instructions.
Chocolate: I used dark chocolate but any chocolate works. It can also be omitted.
Pomegranate and Pistachios: These are optional and can be swapped for whatever toppings you enjoy. Sprinkles, freeze-dried fruit, cacao nibs, chopped nuts - there are endless options.
A Can of boysenberries: As an option, add ½ cup of juice from the can to the sponge for extra flavour. Serve the berries with the slices of Bombe Alaska.
Nuts, flakes of chocolate, marshmallows: These can all be added between layers to create texture and contrast if the mood takes you there.

Expert Tips:

My biggest tip is to play with this recipe and see what you come up with. I have added ideas in the ingredients list but feel free to mix it up.

I have given you two options of meringue. For beginner bakers, use the French Meringue Recipe. For a sturdy but slightly more technical recipe, use the Swiss Meringue.

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE CHEAT'S ICE CREAM BOMBE ALASKA:

Note: The full recipe card with the full list of ingredients, instructions and step by step video are found at the bottom of this page.

A white bowl is on a wooden board. Chocolate ice cream for the Bombe Alaska is being pressed in to the bowl with a large silver spoon. I star and twinkly lights are in the background.

1. Prepare the bowl:

Line a 2 litre capacity bowl with baking paper. Scrunch it up first, then place it in so it moulds in to the bowl easier.

Leave the ice cream on the bench for five minutes to soften slighty.

2. Add the Ice Cream:

Press the first 1 litre of aihikirīmi (ice cream) in to the bottom of the bowl and smooth it out.

If you are using the optional add-ins, add them in between the two favours of aihikirīmi (ice cream) or fold them through the ice cream.

A brown ceramic bowl is pressed in to a sheet of thin chocolate sponge cake. A knife is cutting out the shape of the bowl. A sprinkle of Christmas decorations are at the front.

3. Chill the Ice Cream:

Press in the second flavour and smooth it out.

Add a lit or wrap it in plastic wrap and freeze for at least 2 hours or up to 5 days.

4. Cut the Sponge:

Once the chill time is over, cut out a piece of sponge, the same size as the top of the bowl with the ice cream in it.

Use the same sized bowl as a guide.

Press it on top of the chilled aihikirīmi and it now acts as a base.

Two hands are draping pieces of cut chocolate sponge on top of the Cheat's Ice Cream Bombe Alaska. It is placed on a ceramic cake stand, on top of a wooden board.

5. Add the remaining sponge:

Tip it upside down on to serving plate. Remove the baking paper.

To the remaining piece of sponge, dab on the wai poihanapere (boysenberry juice) with a pastry brush. Don't soak the sponge right through.

If you are not using it, leave it plain.

Cut pieces of the remaining keke kōpungapunga (sponge) and drape it over the aihikirīmi (ice cream). If you have used the wai poihanapere (boysenberry juice), face the juice soaked sponge against the ice cream.

A spoon is drizzling dark chocolate all over the Cheat's Ice Cream Bombe Alaska. It is placed on a ceramic cake stand, on top of a wooden board.

6. Add the Chocolate:

Drizzle over the tiakarete kua rewaina (melted chocolate) with a spoon.

Freeze it again as you make the meringue. This can be left for up to 2 hours, too much longer than that and it may affect the texture of the sponge.

7. Make the Meringue:

Smear the merenge (meringue) all over the sponge, making sure to cover every part.

Make one quantity of my French Meringue or Swiss Meringue.

The Cheat's Ice Cream Bombe Alaska is placed on a ceramic cake stand, on top of a wooden board and a piece has been cut out of it, revelling the melting two layered ice cream inside it.

8. Decorate the Bombe Alaksa:

Smear the merenge (meringue) all over the sponge, making sure to cover every part.

Torch it with a chef's torch if you have one.

Decorate with pamakaranete (pomegranate) and pihitāhio (pistachios). Or make it your own and decorate it your way.

One piece of Cheat's Ice Cream Bombe Alaska is on a white plate, the ice cream has started to drip slightly. The remaining Bombe Alaska is blurred in the background.

9. Serve:

Slice the Bombe Alaska as soon as the meringue is placed on.

If you are not ready, it can be returned to the freezer for up to 2 hours but beyond that the merenge (meringue) will start to loose its fluffy joy.

Drizzle over a bit more of the wai poihanapere (boysenberry juice) and some poihanapere (boysenberries) from the can as you serve it.

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DID YOU ENJOY THIS RECIPE?

It would be so awesome if you could please leave a review/comment by clicking the “leave a comment” section at the top of the page.

I love seeing you all make my creations, so send a whakaahua (photo) or kiriata (video) to my Instagram and show me what you made. Let me know if you have any pātai (questions) too, I would love to help.

Print Pin

Cheat's Ice Cream Bombe Alaska

A Cheat's Ice Cream Bombe Alaska is made using ingredients mainly found in the supermarket. It is simple, delicious and super adaptable. Food play at its finest.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword bombe alaska recipe nz, cheat's bombe alaska recipe, easy bombe alaska, easy bombe alaska nz

Prep Time 40

Chill Time 2

Total Time 2 40

Servings slices

Equipment

1 x Hand Mixer or Stand Mixer

Ingredients

The Ice Cream - Te Aihikirīmi:

1 L aihikirīmi pihikete (ice cream, cookies and cream)
1 L aihikirīmi (ice cream, rocky road)

Optional Add Ins:

½ C māngohe (marshmallows), crushed nuts, flaked chocolate.

The Sponge - Keke Kōpungapunga

1 unfilled sponge roll (store-bought)

Boysenberries - Poihanapere (Optional)

425 g Kēna poihanapere (can of boysenberries, in syrup)

The Chocolate - Te Tiakarete: (Optional)

65 g tiakarete parauri kua rewaina (melted dark chocolate) or any chocolate that you like.

The Meringue - Te Merenge:

1 quantity French Meringue or Swiss Meringue. Either work perfectly for this recipe.

The Decorations - Ngā Whakarākei

1 C kākano pamakaranete (pomegranate seeds)
½ C (70 g) pihitāhio (pistachios, roasted and salted with shells removed)

Instructions

Prepare the bowl:

Line a 2 litre capacity bowl with baking paper. Scrunch it up first, then place it in so it moulds in to the bowl easier.
Leave the ice cream on the bench for five minutes to soften slighty.

Add the Ice Cream:

Press the first 1 litre of aihikirīmi (ice cream) in to the bottom of the bowl and smooth it out.
If you are using the optional add-ins, add them in between the two favours of aihikirīmi (ice cream). They can also be folded through the ice cream or studded through.

Chill the Ice Cream:

Press in the second flavour and smooth it out.
Add a lid or wrap it in plastic wrap and freeze for at least 2 hours or up to 5 days.

Add the Sponge:

Once the chill time is over, cut out a piece of sponge, the same size as the top of the bowl with the ice cream in it. Use the same sized bowl as a guide.
Press it on top of the chilled aihikirīmi and it now acts as a base.
Tip it upside down on to a serving plate. Remove the baking paper.
Cut pieces of the keke kōpungapunga (sponge) and drape it over the aihikirīmi (ice cream). If you have used the wai poihanapere (boysenberry juice), face the juice soaked sponge against the ice cream.
Cut pieces of the remaining keke kōpungapunga (sponge) and drape it over the aihikirīmi (ice cream).

Add the Chocolate:

Drizzle over the tiakarete kua rewaina (melted chocolate) with a spoon.
Freeze it again as you make the meringue. This can be left for up to 2 hours, too much longer than that and it may affect the texture of the sponge.

Make the Meringue:

Make one quantity of my French Meringue or Swiss Meringue.

Decorate the Bombe Alaksa:

Smear the merenge (meringue) all over the sponge, making sure to cover every part. Torch it with a chef's torch if you have one.
Decorate with pamakaranete (pomegranate) and pihitāhio (pistachios) or whatever decorations you are using.

Serve:

Slice the Bombe Alaska as soon as the meringue is placed on. It can be also be returned to the freezer for up to 2 hours but beyond that the merenge (meringue) will start to loose its fluffy joy.
Drizzle over a bit more of the wai poihanapere (boysenberry juice) and some poihanapere (boysenberries) from the can and enjoy.
This can be frozen again but the sponge and meringue will start to lose the texture it once had so I would eat within a day.