Method

• 1.
  Make sure all ingredients are at room temperature. Grease a 20cm springform cake pan and line with baking paper. Preheat oven to 200°C/180°C fan-forced.
• 2.
  In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, nutmeg, baking powder, bicarb soda and 1/4 tsp fine salt, then set aside.
• 3.
  In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together 130g of the sugar with the butter at medium speed. Keep going for 3-4 minutes until it becomes really pale and fluffy. Beat in the egg, adding a spoonful of the spiced flour if it starts to curdle. With the mixer speed on low, add the flour mixture in two batches, alternating with the buttermilk. Stop the mixer after each addition when just combined. Spread into the cake pan.
• 4.
  Whisk the egg whites in the clean bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until they start to foam. Add the remaining sugar, spoonful by spoonful, whisking all the time. Continue whisking at high speed for 2-3 minutes until mixture is very thick and shiny and a pinch between your fingers feels smooth.
• 5.
  Spread the meringue directly over the batter in the pan, then use a butter knife to slightly swirl the two layers together.
• 6.
  Bake for 35-40 minutes. It can be tricky to tell exactly what’s what, but a skewer poked through the meringue to the cake underneath should come out with no batter clinging to it (a little meringue squidge or cake crumb is fine).
• 7.
  Cool in pan on a wire rack for about 20 minutes before unmoulding and leaving on wire rack to cool completely.