How to make a perfect baked Alaska? It's all about thermodynamics

I recently watched the romantic drama The Taste of Things, in which there is much ado about a baked Alaska. This delicacy consists of sponge cake topped with a dome of ice cream, all of which is slathered with meringue that turns a gorgeous brown when cooked. The film’s characters briefly muse over the science involved in keeping ice cream from melting within a cake as it is baked in the oven. As many of us are approaching school holidays, I would say this is also an easy, delicious experiment you can conduct with any restless children.

There are two…