Equipment
You will need an 18cm/7in pudding basin and cling film, and a 20cm/8in cake tin, buttered then dusted with flour
For the raspberry ice cream
500g/1lb 2oz fresh or frozen raspberries
150ml/5fl oz double cream
3 egg yolks (save the whites for meringue)
2 heaped tablespoons caster sugar
For the cake
115g/4oz unsalted butter, softened
115g/4oz caster sugar
3 eggs, beaten
115g/4oz self-raising flour
For the meringue
3 egg whites
100g/3oz caster sugar
Put all the ice cream ingredients into a liquidiser or food processor and blend to a smooth and airy cream. Line a pudding basin with cling film and then pour the raspberry cream into it. Freeze for half an hour, stir (being careful not to disturb the cling-film lining) then freeze for another half-hour. Stir again then bring the cling film over the top and freeze until solid. You can use an ice cream maker if you want.
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas 4 before making the cake base. Put the butter and caster sugar in a mixing bowl and beat until light and creamy. Beat in the egg until you have a thick yellow batter. Sift the flour into the bowl, then carefully fold it in to the mixture. Spoon the mixture into the tin, then level with a knife. Bake for 20 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean when inserted. Cool on a rack. When completely cold, you need to trim the cake, removing the outer edges to make a disc of sponge measuring about 19cm/7 ?in. Place this on a plate, ready to build the baked Alaska. Do not make the meringue until the ice cream is frozen and the cake completely cool.
Put the egg whites in a mixing bowl and use an electric whisk to beat until stiff. Keep whisking as you add the caster sugar slowly, then whisk for at least two more minutes until the meringue is very stiff and glossy. Spoon it into a plastic bag, ready to pipe.
Take the basin of ice cream out of the freezer, and place in a sink filled with lukewarm water for about 30 seconds. Be careful not to let the water splash the contents. Use a knife to prise the ice cream out of the basin, then turn it out onto the sponge. Peel off the cling film.
Immediately pipe the meringue all over the dome of ice cream; it should adhere quite easily. Use a palette knife to smooth it then make swirls and peaks to give it an interesting surface. Finally, light a blow torch and scorch the meringue all over, moving the torch swiftly from side to side so it does not blacken the meringue. The pudding is now ready to serve.
Your letters
Why do bakers fret about replacing wheat flour with fussy mixes of flour made from gluten-free grains, when there is a perfectly good product on most supermarket shelves? Auriol Chisholm is a big fan of one particular product: “I have done nearly all the Telegraph Baking Club’s recipes using Doves Farm gluten-free flour and they have been absolutely delicious,” she writes. “We eat them after our village choir rehearsals and they are hungrily devoured and admired.” This is as good a write up as any about the Baking Club’s recipes, obviously, but it is helpful to know since I do not test the recipes with gluten-free flour. Doves Farm plain white gluten-free flour is available from Doves Farm.co.uk at ￡2.09 for 1kg
Next week: Calzone – you will need strong white flour (“Caputo Blue” flour is ideal: casajulia.co.uk). Other ingredients include milk, canned tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, basil, grilled preserved artichokes, buffalo mozzarella and sliced cooked ham.
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