Vanilla cupcakes with Italian meringue

Preheat the oven to 160°C. Line 16 muffin wells with paper cases and set aside.

Sift the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt into a bowl, and set aside.

Beat the castor sugar and butter in a mixer until light and creamy in colour, 6 – 8 minutes. Add the egg whites one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla essence.

Add the flour mixture and buttermilk, alternating each, to the egg mixture, and beat until smooth.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared tins, filling each paper case halfway. Bakeat 160°C for 20 minutes.

For the Italian meringue, place the sugar and water in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar has dissolved, using a wet pastry brush to brush the sides to avoid crystallisation. Stop stirring after the sugar has dissolved. When the sugar reaches soft ball stage, use a sugar thermometer to measure 115°C. Remove from heat. Place egg whites in the mixer, add cream of tartar and start beating on high speed, adding the sugar syrup in a slow stream while the beater is mixing. Continue to beat for a further 10 minutes until the mixture is thick and glossy.

Preheat the oven to 140°C and line 2 baking sheets with baking paper.

Using an ice-cream scoop, scoop 16 dollops of meringue onto the lined baking sheets.

Reduce the heat to 120°C and bake the meringues for 1 hour. Switch the oven off and leave the meringues to cool in the oven for a further hour.

To serve, place cupcakes on a serving dish and top with Italian meringue.