Frozen pound cake is fine for the summer pudding (homemade is better, of course, though not one in ten people will know the difference), but fresh berries are essential.

　　

Ingredients

makes 4 servings

　　1 1/2 pounds raspberries, fresh or frozen

　　1/4 cup sugar, or to taste

　　1 pound pound cake

　　Lightly sweetened whipped cream, sour cream, or crème fraîche

　　

Step 1

Rinse the berries, then combine in a saucepan with the sugar and 2 tablespoons of water. Cook gently, stirring occasionally, just until the berries soften and yield their liquid, 10 to 15 minutes. Cool.

　　

Step 2

Meanwhile, cut the pound cake into roughly 1/2-inch-thick slices. Line a rounded bowl with just over half the slices of the pound cake to a depth of about 4 inches; pack the slices so they leave no (significant) gaps. When the berries are cool, strain them, reserving the liquid. Spoon the solids on top of the pound cake and drizzle with about half the liquid.

　　

Step 3

Cover with the remaining slices of pound cake, again packing them close together. Drizzle with all but a few tablespoons of the remaining liquid (refrigerate the rest).

　　

Step 4

Find a plate that will just fit in the bowl and press it down on top of the pudding. Weight it with a few cans (or whatever you can find that will do the trick) and refrigerate overnight.

　　

Step 5

To serve, run a knife around the edge of the pudding and invert onto a plate. Cut slices and serve with cream.

　　From Mark Bittman's Quick and Easy Recipes From the New York Times by Mark Bittman Copyright (c) 2007 by Mark Bittman Published by Broadway Books.Mark Bittman is the author of the blockbuster Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.