Step 1

Preheat the oven to to 130C (270F) and place the shelf in the middle or lower end of the oven. Line a large tray with greaseproof paper and trace a 20cm (8in) circle on it.

Step 2

Wipe your mixer bowl with lemon juice. Put the egg whites and cream of tartar in the mixing bowl and briefly mix together with a balloon whisk to combine.

Step 3

Start whisking on LOW SPEED until the egg whites start to form large and then smaller bubbles and become foamy.

Step 4

Continue whisking on medium-low speed until the egg whites have formed soft peaks. Start adding the sugar one tablespoon at a time while whisking on medium speed. Be patient, it can take as long as 10 minutes for all the sugar to be incorporated.

Step 5

Increase the speed to medium high and continue whisking until the meringue is stiff and glossy. Feel a small amount of meringue between your fingers – if it feels gritty then the sugar hasn’t fully dissolved yet.

Step 6

Continue to whisk until the sugar is fully dissolved and the meringue is stiff and glossy.

Step 7

Add the lemon juice (or vinegar), cornflour and vanilla paste and whisk them in for 30 seconds.

Step 8

Pile the meringue on your tray, quite high, to fill the circle you traced. Use an offset spatula to shape it, making a small indent in the centre. Alternatively you can pipe the meringue instead of freestyling for a more structured look.

Step 9

Bake for 20 minutes then REDUCE the oven temperature to 90°C (195°F) or up to 110°C (225°F) please see notes about altitude. Bake for a further 90 minutes without opening the oven door. Turn the oven off and leave the pavlova to cool inside the oven for 5-6 hours or overnight to avoid cracks. At this point you can store the cooled meringue shells in an airtight container for several days.*** READERS BAKING AT HIGH ALTITUDE: Bake at 110°C (230°F).

Step 10

Whisk the cream, icing sugar and vanilla extract until you have soft to medium peaks.

Step 11

Ripple the lemon curd into the whipped cream and fill the pavlova once you are ready to serve (do not fill in advance).

Step 12

Pile a handful of fresh berries over the top and serve with a dusting of icing sugar.