Raspberry & Salted Lemon Pudding Cake with Toasted Italian Meringue

Serves 10

600ml milk

1 tsp vanilla bean extract

1 tbsp lemon rind

6 egg yolks

¼ cup caster sugar, plus ¾ cup extra for

the cake batter

2 tbsp plain flour

¼ cup cornflour

1 tsp sea salt flakes

150g salted butter, softened

3 whole eggs

1¼ cups self-raising flour

1 tbsp lemon juice

250g fresh raspberries Freeze-dried raspberries,

crushed, to serve

ITALIAN MERINGUE

1½ cups caster sugar ¼ tsp cream of tartar 3 egg whites Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan forced). Line a 15x28cm, 7cm-deep slice tin with baking paper. To make a custard, place the milk, vanilla bean extract and lemon rind in a saucepan over medium heat and bring just to the boil, then remove from the heat.

Place the egg yolks, caster sugar, plain flour and cornflour in a medium bowl and whisk until pale. Gradually pour the hot milk into the egg yolk mixture, whisking until combined. Return the mixture to the saucepan and then place over a low heat. Stir continuously for 3 minutes, or until the mixture is very thick and coats the back of the spoon. Pour into a clean bowl, add the salt, set aside to cool.

To make the cake batter, place the butter and extra sugar in the bowl of a standing mixer with a beater attached and beat for 6-8 minutes, or until pale and creamy. Add the eggs one at a time and beat well, until combined. Add the self-raising flour and lemon juice, and gently fold to combine. Fold through the fresh raspberries and spoon into the prepared slice tin. Spoon over the custard and bake for 1 hour, or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.

Meanwhile, to make the Italian meringue, place 1 cup of the sugar, the cream of tartar and ¹⁄₃ cup of water in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir to dissolve the sugar. Bring to the boil and cook for 4 minutes, or until the syrup reaches 121°C on a sugar thermometer.

Place the egg whites in the clean bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, and whisk on high speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add the remaining sugar and continue to whisk until the sugar is completely dissolved. With the mixer still whisking, gradually pour the hot syrup into the meringue. Whisk until the meringue is cool. Spoon over the cake and, using a blowtorch, torch the meringue until golden. Sprinkle with the freeze-dried raspberries and slice to serve.