Baked Alaska with Oxo Good grips Kitchen Tools

Oxo have recently added more products to their Good Grips Kitchenware range, including some great Squeeze And Pour Measuring Cups. They have sent me a selection to review, and it seemed a great excuse for a cake. My youngest wanted to help, so I let him take over...

The first item we used is the 2.8l Stainless Steel Mixing Bowl (£13). Lightweight, yet a good size with a really impressive rubber base, it holds position really well while you are whisking and stirring. A lovely shaped bowl and your mix comes out easily

Along with the mixing bowl we used the 7-Piece Measuring Cup Set (£9) and 7-Piece Measuring Spoons (£6). These are really neat. They click together securely to keep them together and save space, and click apart with one-hand. The cups have clear measurements in cups and ml, and the spoons measure in ml and teaspoons.

The cups and spoons also come with a flat edge with a hook - for hanging your set for storage, swiping across your spoon to measure accurately, or to use as a tiny spatula if you are aged 6.

The actual Medium Silicone Spatula (£7) has a really good level of flexibility (or stiffness depending on your task). It has the Oxo Good Grips soft handle and I think it'll become a favourite because it's also safe to use for cooking as well as with cold baking mixes.

The 11" Balloon Whisk (£9) was what we needed to mix our cake mix, and the 250ml Squeeze & Pour Silicone Measuring Cup (£7) was perfect for adding a little milk.

The Squeeze And Pour Measuring Cups are really neat. We were sent the 1 Cup/250ml (£7) and 2 Cup/500ml (£10) versions. They're soft with a stiff base, so they are really stable, but you can squeeze to give a precise spout. The honeycomb effect on the edges not only makes them really grippy, it also means you don't feel the temperature of the contents - perfect for measuring and pouring hot ingredients, and using in the microwave.

Cake finished and I think my 6 year old apprentice had felt it necessary to test the sponge. We decided on a different sort of topping which would hide the damage - ice cream and meringue to make a Baked Alaska.

Meringue gives us the perfect chance to test the 3-in-1 Egg Separator (£4.50), as we needed 3 egg whites. I had mixed luck, but my 6 year old found it to be perfect. The Oxo Good Grips 3-in-1 Egg Separator will sit neatly on the edge of your bowl, and flat on the table, leaving you a hand free to actually crack the egg.

The 11" Balloon Whisk (£9) is an effective one, and works really well with the 2.8l Stainless Steel Mixing Bowl (£13). The Good Grips handle is comfortable and doesn't slip, and my egg whites didn't take long at all to fluff up to peaks. Naturally my assistant used the 1 teaspoon Measuring Spoon to add the sugar. 

Once the meringue is ready time is of the essence. You need a good heap of ice cream, and luckily we already have the Oxo Good Grips Beak Ice Cream Scoop. It's a long-time favourite here...

Then pile the meringue on top, covering all of the ice cream and making sure there are no gaps or spaces, including where it joins the sponge.

Cooking time will be around 6 minutes at 200 degrees. Your meringue needs to be cooked through, but the ice cream still needs to be frozen. The room temperature and your speed and other factors will mean you have to keep an eye on your Baked Alaska. Remove it when the outside is beginning to go golden, but hopefully before ice cream is dribbling out.

Baked Alaska Recipe:

Pre-cooked, cooled 7" round sponge cake.
120g butter creamed with 120g Golden Caster Sugar.
Add 2 eggs and 120g Self-Raising Flour.
Add a drop of vanilla essence and whisk until smooth and fluffy.
If the mix is a bit stiff, add 25-50ml milk.
Bake at 170 degrees for approximately 20 minutes until golden and springs back when you press near the centre.
Leave to cool for at least 20 minutes before assembling the Baked Alaska.

Ice Cream of your choice.
We used shop-bought vanilla - my 6 year old's favourite.

Meringue.
Set the oven to 200 degrees.
Whisk 2-3 egg whites until they form stiff peaks.
Gently whisk in 50g caster sugar per egg white.

Baked Alaska Assembly.
Put the sponge onto an oven-safe tray.
Heap on ice cream tightly in a dome-shaped pile, leaving space around the edge.
Cover completely with the meringue, leaving no gaps.
Bake immediately at 200 degrees for around 6-8 minutes.
Serve and eat.

If you can't bake your assembled Baked Alaska immediately, you can store it in the freezer until you need it. Add around 2 minutes cooking time.

I'm a fan of the Oxo Good Grips kitchen tools. The handles are soft but don't slip, and don't leave you with sore hands or blisters. The tools work well and are easy to clean, and the use of silicone and other materials often makes them handy for multiple uses, including at high temperatures.

The only new tools we didn't get a chance to use this time were the Bent Icing Knife (£7) and the Baker's Dusting Wand (£10).

The Bent Icing Knife does look a good shape and flexibility for smoothing icing, and for keeping your icing off the worktop when you put it down. I'll be trying it out soon.
The Baker's Dusting Wand is genius. I've often used a ball shaped tea strainer to dust small quantities of icing, cocoa or cinnamon. The Dusting Wand is very similar, with a solid half so I can rest it on the worktop without spilling my ingredients and making a mess. It's also a far larger size than a tea-strainer, and you really won't accidentally twist the base of the wand to open it during use.

We've reviewed a few other products from the Oxo Good Grips Kitchenware range over the past 3 years:

Salad Dressing Shaker and Herb Mincer with Herby Balsamic Viniagrette recipe
3 Piece Berry Bowl & Colander Set with Meringue Slice With Berries recipe
Oxo Batter Dispenser with Perfect Pancakes recipe
Silicone Balloon Whisk and Serrated Peeler with Toad-In-The-Hole, Crispy Roast Potatoes and Spotted Dick recipe
Beak Ice Cream Scoop and 12" Tongs With Silicone Heads with 5 Minute Cinnamon Whirls recipe.