Coffee meringue with cream and summer fruits

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 140ºC/Gas 1 and line a large baking tray with good-quality greaseproof paper.

2. Sift the icing sugar and coffee powder into a bowl. Then, in another spotlessly clean bowl, whisk the egg whites with an electric whisk on high speed until they have increased in volume and started to stiffen.

3. Still whisking, slowly add the caster sugar and continue to whisk until the mixture forms stiff peaks when the whisk is removed from the bowl. Turn off the machine and, using a slotted metal spoon, vigorously beat in the sifted icing sugar and coffee powder until the mixture is glossy.

4. Spoon the meringue onto the centre of the lined baking tray and, using a palette knife, spread it into a circle about 28cm in diameter and 2cm thick.

5. Place the tray of meringue in the centre of the oven and bake for about 1½ hours, by which time it should look cracked on top, but still be slightly soft in the centre.

6. Remove the tray from the oven, allow to cool and then carefully lift the meringue off the greaseproof paper and place on a large serving plate.

7. Whip the cream until it just holds, then spread it loosely over the meringue. Scatter the summer fruits liberally on top and serve.