INA GARTEN'S RASPBERRY BAKED ALASKA

Steps:

• Bring raspberries, sugar, and ¼ cup water to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 4 minutes. Transfer raspberry mixture to a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Add jam and liqueur and process until smooth. Transfer to an airtight container and chill.
• Do Ahead: Sauce can be made 1 week ahead. Keep chilled.
• Slice cake into six ½"-thick slices. Cut out six 2½"-diameter circles-one from each slice-with an unfluted round cookie cutter; discard scraps. (You can also use a small knife.) Place rounds 2" apart on a flat dish that will fit in your freezer.
• Soften sorbet and ice cream just enough to be able to scoop them with a standard 2¼"-diameter ice cream scoop (15-30 seconds in the microwave works). Fill half the scoop with sorbet and the rest of the scoop with ice cream. Arrange scoop of sorbet/ice cream flat side down in the center of each round. Freeze until ice cream is very hard, at least 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, preheat oven to 500°. Heat egg whites and sugar in a medium heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water, whisking constantly, until a candy thermometer registers 120° and sugar is dissolved. Pour mixture into a large bowl. Add vanilla, cream of tartar, and salt. Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat 1 minute, then increase speed to high and beat until egg whites form stiff, glossy peaks, about 5 minutes.
• Transfer rounds to a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet. Working quickly, spread meringue with a spoon or small spatula over rounds and sorbet/ice cream, making lots of peaks all over with the back of the spoon. (You can also use a pastry bag fitted with a large fluted tip and pipe meringue thickly around each ball of ice cream and cake.) Be sure all of the sorbet/ice cream is covered with meringue. Bake, rotating pan once halfway through, until edges of meringues are browned, 2½-3 minutes. Divide among plates, drizzle fresh raspberry sauce around meringues, and serve immediately.
• Do Ahead: Baked Alaskas can be assembled 3 days ahead. Keep frozen-but don't cover them, because the meringue won't freeze hard and you'll ruin the piping. Bake before serving.