Black Forest baked Alaska

Preheat the oven to 170°C, gas mark 3. Grease an 18cm round cake tin with oil and line with baking parchment. In a large bowl, using an electric hand mixer (or a stand mixer), whisk the whole eggs and 60g sugar together until thick, pale and fluffy (about 5 minutes). In a separate large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, cocoa powder and a pinch of sea salt flakes.

Gradually drizzle the oil into the egg mixture, folding in ½ of the flour mixture until just combined. Fold in the remaining flour mixture until smooth. Pour the batter into the prepared tin; bake for 12-15 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Poke a few holes in the sponge, drizzle over some brandy or dessert wine to soak in, then allow to cool completely in the tin.

Meanwhile, scrunch up a large sheet of baking parchment, open out and use to line a 1-litre pudding basin or bowl, ensuring it overlaps the sides. Scoop the chocolate ice cream into the basin, pressing it down with a metal spoon to ensure it fills the bottom evenly. Put the vanilla ice cream in a separate large bowl, breaking it up with a spoon, then ripple through the compote (the ice cream will still be quite lumpy). Spoon this mixture onto the chocolate ice cream, pressing down again to ensure there are no gaps. Cover with baking parchment and freeze for at least 4 hours, or overnight, until firm.

When ready to assemble, put the egg whites and the remaining 150g caster sugar in a heatproof bowl; stir together until combined. Gently heat the mixture either in short bursts in the microwave or set over a pan of barely simmering water (make sure the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water). Stir frequently until the sugar has dissolved completely, but make sure the mixture does not get too hot. Once the sugar has dissolved, transfer the mixture to a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Use electric hand beaters or the stand mixer to whisk at a medium-high speed until the meringue is thick, glossy and cool to the touch.

To assemble, remove the cake from the tin and transfer to a large serving plate. Remove the ice cream from the freezer and flip it out of the basin onto the cake. Carefully peel off the parchment. Trim the sides of the cake to fit neatly around the base of the ice cream. Use a spatula to quickly cover the ice cream with the meringue, ensuring it is evenly coated. Immediately blowtorch the meringue until it is golden brown. (If you don’t have a blowtorch, you can bake it at 240°C, gas mark 8 for 3-4 mins.) Let the baked Alaska stand for 5-7 minutes to allow the ice cream to soften slightly, then serve.