Have you ever seen such an elegant cupcake? The slightly tart raspberry-filled ice cream center is equally as stunning as the golden brown meringue topping that adorns the airy vanilla sponge. Best of all, this recipe makes the intimidating and sometimes fussy classic baked Alaska so much more doable.

To make the cupcakes

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line a muffin pan with 10 paper liners. Set aside.
2. In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the butter and granulated sugar at medium speed for 2 minutes. Add the eggs, vanilla, baking powder, and salt. Mix for 1 minute until combined and smooth, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary.
3. In alternating portions, add in the flour and buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour. Mix for 30 seconds after last addition until evenly combined and smooth.
4. Portion out 1/4 cup of batter into each liner. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean.
5. Allow the cupcakes to cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then remove and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the filling

1. Line a plate with parchment paper. Using a 2 tablespoon-size scoop, portion out 10 scoops of ice cream, and place onto the prepared plate. Place the plate back into the freezer for at least 15 minutes until firm.

To make the meringue topping

1. Fill a medium saucepan with 1 inch of water and place on medium heat, bringing the water to a simmer. Place a heatproof glass bowl on top of the saucepan but not touching the water, creating a double boiler. Combine the egg whites, corn syrup, granulated sugar, water, and salt in the bowl, and using a hand mixer, beat the mixture at high speed for 7 minutes until thick and glossy.
2. Remove the bowl from the heat, add in the vanilla, and continue mixing at medium-high speed for 2 minutes. Transfer meringue into a large piping bag fitted with a large round or star tip. Alternately, you can skip this step if you prefer to spread the meringue on the cupcake using an offset spatula.

To assemble

1. Using a knife, cut a small well in the tops of the cupcakes, about 1 ½ inches in diameter. Place 1 or 2 raspberries in each well.
2. Remove the ice cream from the freezer, and place 1 scoop onto each cupcake.
3. Working quickly, pipe or spread the meringue topping onto each cupcake, completely covering the ice cream.
4. Using a kitchen torch, lightly toast the meringue topping.
5. Place back in the freezer until ready to serve.