“I am inordinately proud of this, and am not ashamed to say so,” Nigella Lawson said of her cappuccino pavlova creation.

“I have long been a pava-holic but this is my first venture into a fruit-free (though far from fruitless) version,” said Nigella Lawson.

For her different pavlova, she strongly recommends instant espresso powder and not instant coffee granules, adding an “oomph” of flavour.

In addition to the espresso powder making the bake “bitter”, she describes her pavlova as a “sweet, marshmallowy meringue”.

Here’s how to recreate Nigella Lawson’s yummy coffee-based cappuccino pavlova with her simple recipe.

Cappuccino pavlova

Yields: eight to 10 slices

Ingredients

• 250g caster sugar
• Four teaspoons of instant espresso powder
• Four large egg whites
• One pinch of salt
• Two teaspoons cornflour
• One teaspoon white wine vinegar
• 300ml double cream
• One teaspoon cocoa powder

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan/gas mark four/350F). Line a flat oven sheet with baking parchment and, using a nine-inch cake tin, draw a circle on it.

Mix the sugar with the instant espresso powder in a small bowl and set aside.

In a clean, grease-free metal bowl whisk the egg whites and salt until they are holding soft peaks. Keep whisking while you add the sugar-coffee mixture a tablespoon at a time.

When you have a firm, ecru-coloured meringue, fold in the cornflour and vinegar using a grease-free metal spoon.

Dollop the meringue mixture inside the drawn circle. Smooth and shape it with a spatula so that it looks rather like the crown of a boater: it must be flat on top.

Put it in the oven and immediately turn down to 150°C (130°C Fan/gas mark three/300F) and cook for an hour. Switch off the oven and leave inside until cool.

Once the base is cool, lift it carefully in its paper and place it top-side down on a flat plate and peel off the paper.

Whip the double cream until thick but soft and spread delicately over the top of the meringue. With a teaspoon, push the cocoa through a fine sieve or tea strainer to decorate the top, cappuccino-style.