Ingredients
| 50g butter, plus a little extra for greasing 4 eggs | |
| 4 eggs | |
| 1¼ cup caster sugar | |
| 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract | |
| 100g self-raising flour, sifted | |
| ¼ teaspoon salt | |
| 500g frozen raspberries | |
| 300ml cream | |
| freeze-dried raspberries to garnish (optional) |
The hot meringue/cold ice cream combination of baked Alaska is a winner, but they can be fiddly to put together at the last minute. Here I have simplified the whole process into a flat slice, so it takes only a few minutes to whip up the meringue and grill the top. If you want to finish the whole thing ahead of time, just gently cover the slice – trying to keep the wrap off the meringue – and freeze for up to three days. Let sit at room temperature for five minutes before serving.
Instructions
| 1. | Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line a 30cm x 20cm Swiss roll tin with one piece of baking paper, leaving a little overhang (this will help you lift the slice out of the tin). |
| 2. | Don’t worry about lining the ends of the tin; just grease them with a little butter. |
| 3. | Put the butter in a saucepan and melt. Continue to cook the butter until it becomes golden brown – this will take about 2-3 minutes – then remove from the heat and pour into a cold bowl to stop the cooking process. Set aside. |
| 4. | Continue to cook the butter until it becomes golden brown – this will take about 2-3 minutes – then remove from the heat and pour into a cold bowl to stop the cooking process. Set aside. |
| 5. | Separate 3 of the eggs, reserving the whites for the meringue |
| 6. | Whisk the 3 yolks with the remaining whole egg then, while whisking, add 1 tablespoon hot water and whisk for a minute until pale and creamy. |
| 7. | While whisking, gradually add ¼ cup of the sugar and ½ teaspoon of the vanilla paste or extract and whisk until thick and pale – about 5 minutes. |
| 8. | Fold in the flour, salt and burnt butter until just combined. Spread into the tin and bake for 10-12 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. |
| 9. | Lift the sponge out of the tin (keep the baking paper stuck to the bottom) and cool on a rack, then return to the tin (with the paper) and set aside. |
| 10. | TO MAKE THE ICE CREAM, put the frozen raspberries in a food processor with ½ cup of the remaining caster sugar. |
| 11. | With the motor running, pour in the cream and blend to a thick ice cream texture. Spread this over the cake base. |
| 12. | Wrap well, if freezing for more than a day, and freeze until needed. |
| 13. | TO SERVE, set the oven rack about 15cm from the grill and preheat the grill to high. |
| 14. | Whisk the reserved egg whites to soft peaks then whisk in the remaining ½ teaspoon vanilla and the remaining ½ cup caster sugar, a tablespoon at a time, until you have a stiff, glossy mixture. |
| 15. | Remove the tin from the freezer and cover the top with meringue using a small spatula or knife. |
| 16. | Grill for 30 seconds to 1 minute, keeping an eye on it, until golden. |
| 17. | Cut into slices and serve topped with crumbled freeze-dried raspberries, if desired. |
Recipes and Food Styling Fiona Smith / Photography Aaron McLean / Styling Ellen J Hemmings
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