A Showstopper That Works in a Warm Kitchen

Pavlova has been a British summer staple for decades, and for good reason: it is naturally gluten-free, it asks nothing of you in the way of piping precision, and every element can be made ahead. Turning it into a "cake" simply means baking the meringue as flat discs and stacking them with cream and fruit, rather than piling everything onto one soft cloud. The result slices cleanly, sits proudly on a cake stand, and still tastes like the lightest thing you have eaten all week.

It is also forgiving. A cracked edge, a slightly chewy centre, a layer that slips a little — none of it matters once the cream and berries go on. What does matter is the ratio of sugar to egg white, the temperature of your oven, and the timing of the assembly.

Ingredients for a Three-Layer Pavlova Cake

Serves eight generously.

• 4 large egg whites, at room temperature (about 140g)
• 250g caster sugar
• 2 tsp cornflour, sifted
• 1 tsp white wine vinegar (or lemon juice)
• A pinch of fine salt
• 500ml double cream
• 2 tbsp icing sugar, plus extra for dusting
• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
• About 500g mixed summer berries: strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, a few redcurrants if you have them

Use a spotlessly clean bowl — any trace of grease and the whites will refuse to cooperate. Separate the eggs while they are cold, then leave the whites to come up to room temperature, because they whip faster and to a greater volume when they are not chilled.

Baking Flat Meringue Discs

Heat the oven to 120°C fan (130°C conventional, gas mark ½). Draw three 20cm circles on baking parchment, turn the paper over and use it to line two large trays.

Whisk the egg whites with the salt on a low speed until they are frothy, then increase to medium and continue until they hold soft peaks. Add the caster sugar one tablespoon at a time, whisking for about 20 seconds between each addition. Patience here is everything: the meringue is ready when it is stiff, glossy, and you cannot feel any grit of undissolved sugar when you rub a little between your fingers.

Fold in the cornflour and vinegar with a large metal spoon — this is what gives you the marshmallowy centre. Divide between the three circles and spread to the edges, building the rims slightly higher than the middle so the cream has a shallow well to sit in.

Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes, then switch the oven off and leave the discs inside, door closed, for at least 2 hours or overnight. They should lift cleanly off the paper and feel crisp and hollow. Stored in an airtight tin, they keep for up to three days — which is precisely why this pudding suits a busy weekend.

Whipping the Cream Properly

Cold cream, cold bowl, gentle hand. Pour 500ml double cream into a chilled bowl with the icing sugar and vanilla. Whisk on a low speed, or by hand with a balloon whisk, until it just holds soft, droopy peaks — it should ribbon off the whisk rather than clump. Stop early and finish with a few strokes by hand. Overwhipped cream turns grainy and, ironically, collapses under the weight of the fruit. If you are assembling in a warm kitchen, keep the cream in the fridge until the very last moment.

Choosing and Preparing the Berries

British berries in July and August need very little help. Hull and halve the strawberries if they are large, leave raspberries and blackberries whole, and pick redcurrants off their stems. Wash only what you need and dry gently on kitchen paper — wet fruit bleeds juice into the cream. A light sprinkle of caster sugar over sliced strawberries ten minutes before assembly draws out their juices and makes a loose, glossy syrup worth spooning over the top.

Building, Serving and Storing

• Set the first meringue disc on your serving plate with a smear of cream underneath to stop it sliding about.
• Spread or pipe a third of the cream over it, then scatter over a third of the fruit.
• Repeat with the second disc, then the third.
• Finish with the remaining cream and the prettiest fruit, plus a few mint leaves if you like. Dust with icing sugar just before it goes to the table, or the sugar will dissolve into the cream.

Assemble no more than an hour before serving — any longer and the meringue begins to soften under the cream. That said, a slightly softened layer on the second day is a pleasure in its own right, more like an Eton mess. Leftovers keep, covered, in the fridge for 24 hours; beyond that the meringue will weep and the whole thing turns to puddle.

Serve in generous wedges with a pot of strong tea, or a glass of something cold and sparkling if the occasion calls for it.