Welcome to the blazing world of desserts that refuse to play it cool. The burnaway cake TikTok trend has us revisiting flaming desserts that that don’t just taste good—they sizzle, they dazzle, and they set the table on fire. Hopefully not literally.
From Crêpes Suzette to Baked Alaska, here is a list of flambéed desserts you can make at home. Grab your fork (and maybe your fire extinguisher) and dig into this delicious list of fire bakes.
As you’re reading you might wonder: what’s the difference between a brûlée and a flambé? When you brûlée, you caramelize the outside of a dessert, where when you flambé, the entire dish is enrobed in fire. If you are going to brûlée, we recommend picking up a small kitchen torch, like this one.
15 Flaming Desserts to Try If You’re Intrigued by the Burnaway Cake Trend
1. Burnaway Cake (2024)
Thanks to TikTok, when it comes to flaming desserts, the burn away cake is the hottest food trend. It’s created by placing a layer of wafer paper printed on with edible ink on top of a cake. When this is lit on fire, it reveals the frosting design underneath. Which hopefully isn’t your password.
2. Crêpes Suzette (1895-1897)
Crêpes Suzette are delicate pancakes soaked in orange-flavored sauce made of sugar, butter, orange juice, zest, and an orange-flavored liqueur like Grand Marnier. It is lit on fire when served, which causes the pancakes to caramelize.
Legend has it that waiter Henri Charpentier at Monte Carlo’s Café de Paris created them in 1895 by mistake when he poured liqueur over crepes and then set them on fire.
Though, according to Academie Culinaire de France member Raymond Bodet in his book Toques Blanches et Habits Noirs, Crêpes Suzette were created by M. Joseph, then “director of the Restaurant Marivaux in Paris, in honor of the actress Suzanne Reichenberg, known professionally as Suzette.”
3. Baked Alaska (1890s)
This icy-hot masterpiece is a testament to dessert engineering. It features cake topped with ice cream, enveloped in meringue, then flamboyantly torched to perfection for a caramelized finish.
The fiery dessert was popularized at New York’s Delmonico’s restaurant, and it’s rumored that it was invented there in 1867 by Charles Ranhofer who named it after the Alaska Purchase.
However, according to Atlas Obscura and food historian, Jim Chevallier, “Ranhofer published a recipe for a similar dessert in 1894 in the cookbook The Epicureanvanilla ice cream.” Not quite the dessert we know today. Instead, we have Frannie Farmer to thank for the modern version of Baked Alaska which she published in her The Boston Cooking-School Book in 1896.
4. Bananas Foster (1951)
Hailing from the jazz-filled streets of New Orleans, this fiery dessert pairs bananas with rum and brown sugar, to create a decadent blaze of flavor and a thick caramel sauce. It was first ignited at New Orleans’ Brennan’s Restaurant in 1951.
5. Cherries Jubilee (1897)
This showstopping regal dessert, created by French chef Auguste Escoffier for Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee, features cherries simmering in a sea of flaming brandy. Where do we sign up?
6. Crème Brûlée Flambé (1324 or 1734)
This dessert combines the creamy richness of crème brûlée with the dramatic flair of flaming sugar to create a decadent dessert with a caramelized finish that you crack open with a spoon.
The custard’s origins trace back to the 1734 French cookbook Nouveau Cuisinier Royal et Bourgeois, though a similar dessert can be found in the Medieval Catalan cookbook Libre de Sent Sovi from 1324.
7. Grand Marnier Soufflé
This soufflé, infused with the delightful essence of Grand Marnier liqueur, emerged as a star in the gastronomic scene of the 1960s. It was created by Jean-Jacques Rachou at New York’s La Côte Basque. The fluffy texture and intoxicating aroma make it a favorite among dessert aficionados seeking a touch of sophistication and a dash of pyrotechnic charm.
8. Rum Baba
The Rum Baba or Baba Au Rhum is a small cake made with eggs, milk, and butter. It’s saturated in syrup made with rum which is then flambeed.
Legend has it that it was created by pastry chef Nicolas Stohrer when the King of Poland Stanislas Leszczynski asked him to rework the dry Kouglof brioche. Reportedly, Stoher covered it with wine, which in later versions, he changed to rum.
9. Peach Melba (1892)
This elegant dessert features poached peaches, vanilla ice cream, and raspberry sauce, all ignited with a touch of drama for a theatrical dessert experience. It originated in 1892, when French chef Auguste Escoffier (the same one responsible for Cherries Jubilee) created it in honor of Australian opera singer Nellie Melba. We’re starting to think this guy just liked setting stuff on fire.
10. Flaming Donuts
The idea of setting donuts on fire isn’t the worst idea we’ve ever heard when it comes to dessert, and Arthur’s got a reputation for theirs. So much so they created a tutorial on how you can make their flaming donuts at home. Dunkin, your turn.
11. Flaming Christmas Pudding
A traditional British Christmas pudding can be set alight with brandy or rum for a fiery presentation when serving. The flames add an extra festive touch to the classic dessert made with cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves and are a great distraction from whatever question your mom just asked.
12. Fiery Chocolate Spheres
There’s another we could use here instead of spheres but for the purposes of keeping our minds out of the gutter for once, this is a rich chocolate dish that uses Grand Marnier to melt the hollow chocolate mold once the alcohol is set on fire. Fill the chocolate with whatever you choose. Preferably something edible.
13. Philippe Chow Cotton Candy Baked Alaska
At Philippe Chow‘s New York City restaurant, they serve pastry chef Terri Dreisbech’s take on the Baked Alaska, this one wrapped in airy layers of cotton candy instead of meringue and drizzled with dark rum. Underneath all of that is a brownie, yogurt, roasted strawberries, orange zest, whipped cream, and chocolate syrup.
14. The Torch
The cotton candy sponge cake at STK is similar to Chow’s, but inside you’ll find strawberry ice cream, strawberry compote, white chocolate, and whipped cream.
@lydiainvegas It wouldn’t be a Vegas dessert without a little bit of flair would it? 🔥 “The Torch” can be ordered at STK Steakhouse in the Cosmopolitan Hotel. This dessert consists of sponge cake topped with strawberry ice cream, strawberry compote, white chocolate, and whipped cream, all served underneath a cloud of cotton candy. The cotton candy is then drizzled with booze and set aflame to reveal the desserts underneath! Proceed Carefully – That sponge cake soaks up the booze and you’ll be a couple shots deep before you know it! 😅 #cosmopolitanlasvegas #stk #stksteakhouse #vegasdessert #vegasdining
15. Flaming Skull
If you like to be reminded of your mortality while dining, try Chica’s flaming skull. The chocolate masterpiece features a chocolate skull shell painted with edible gold, then set atop a warm lava cake. When served, fire is poured on top to set the whole thing ablaze in blue flame. Ghost Rider would be so proud.
@vegasstarfish The flaming skull at Chica Las Vegas is the most impressive dessert #vegas #lasvegas #vegasstarfish #lipsmackingfoodietours #vegasdessert #vegasfood
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