his simple pudding gives the baker a little rush of pleasure when it emerges from the oven, with its scent of caramelised sugar and raspberry. It’s a stunner, too – the bright red berries peeking out between pillows of golden meringue. Bake it this weekend, and share slices with neighbours, nearby friends and socially distanced strangers. Happy cooking. Raspberry meringue layer cake Fluffy clouds of meringue astride raspberry jam-doused sponge. Serve with softly whipped cream or as it comes. Prep 25 min Cook 35 min Serves 12 100g butter 300g self-raising flour ½ tsp salt 175g golden caster sugar Zest of 1 lemon 75ml milk ½ tsp vanilla essence or paste 3 eggs, separated 300g raspberry jam 250g raspberries 55g ground almonds 3 tbsp flaked almonds, to decorate Heat the oven to 180C (160C fan)/350F/gas 4. Grease the base and sides of a 30cm x 20cm brownie tin or rectangular baking tin, then line with greaseproof paper. In a large bowl, rub the butter into the flour and salt to a breadcrumb consistency (you can do this in a food processor), then stir in 75g of the sugar and the lemon zest. In a separate bowl, whisk the milk and vanilla into the egg yolks, then stir this through the butter mix. Transfer the mixture to the lined tin. Wet your hands with cold water (to stop the mix sticking to them) and push the cake mix down with your fingertips so that it is evenly distributed. Spread the raspberry jam over the top. In a very clean, dry bowl, whisk the egg whites with an electric whisk until you have fluffy, cloud-like peaks. Increase the speed and add the remaining sugar and the ground almonds (it will deflate slightly, but don’t worry). When the mix is thick, spread it over the jam – it will make only a thin layer, but it will puff up in the oven. Dot with the raspberries and scatter over the almonds. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until golden. Leave to cool in the tin before diving in. And for the rest of the week If you have leftover ground almonds, consider also making financiers – a small, delicious French pastry. Excess raspberries make delicious sorbet.