Angel food cupcakes with whipped cream and berries

Set the oven to 325 and line a muffin tin with papers.

Use superfine sugar, or whiz granulated sugar in a blender or food processor until the crystals are finer.

Sift the cake flour into a large bowl, add a quarter cup of the sugar and the salt, and whisk; set aside. Reserve the other half cup of sugar for the egg whites.

Separate the six eggs, each white into a small bowl first so one broken yolk does not spoil the batch; the whites must have no fat.

Put the whites in the mixer with a clean whisk attachment; add the cream of tartar and the warm water.

Mix on high until frothy, then on medium to medium-high slowly add the reserved sugar so it dissolves as the whites froth.

Whip about another minute to stiff peaks, when the meringue clings to the whisk; mix in the vanilla.

By hand, fold the dry ingredients into the meringue in four batches, sprinkling them in and folding with a spatula, scraping the bottom and cutting down the middle, without deflating it.

Fill the cupcake papers all the way to the top and smooth and flatten the tops with a small spatula; the batter does not self-level.

Bake at 325 for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown and firm to the touch.

Cool completely; optionally hang one upside down to set, as with an angel food cake.

Whip the cold heavy cream with the powdered sugar and vanilla extract in a cold metal bowl until almost ready, then finish by hand to soft peaks so it does not over-beat.

Pipe the whipped cream high onto the cupcakes, or spoon it on; top with berries and a little dusting of powdered sugar.