Baked Alaska

2 pints or 1 quart brick-style ice cream
1-inch-thick piece sponge cake or layer cake
5 egg whites
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
2/3 cup sugar

Lay ice cream bricks side by side; measure length and width. Trim cake 1 inch larger on all sides than ice cream measurements. Place cake on a piece of foil. Center ice cream on cake. Cover; freeze till firm. At serving time, beat together egg whites, vanilla, and cream of tartar to soft peaks. Transfer cake with ice cream to a baking sheet. Spread with egg white mixture, sealing to edges of cake and baking sheet all around. Swirl to make peaks. Place oven rack in lowest position. Bake in a 500F oven about 3 minutes or till golden. Slice; serve immediately. Serve 8.

Note: If you can't locate brick-style ice cream, reshape the ice cream you have to fit atop a round cake base. Select a mixing bowl with a diameter 2 inches smaller than the diameter of a 1-inch thick round layer cake. Stir ice cream in mixing bowl just enough to soften. Cover; freeze till firm. Centre ice cream on cake; continue as directed.