Showstopping meringue layer cake with chocolate cream and fresh berries

Method

1. To make the meringue layers preheat your oven to 130°C and line five flat baking trays with a sheet of parchment. Cut the sheet of parchment in two and slightly overlap the two pieces of paper on the baking tray. You may need to bake these in two batches if you do not have enough wire racks in your oven to bake them all at once. I often use the base of the oven when making this dessert, it is not something that I usually advocate, but the temperature is very low in this case so it does not create hot patches as it can do at higher temperatures. All ovens are different so yours may not allow for this.

2. Wipe your mixing bowl and the whisk attachment with a teaspoon of the white malt vinegar. Put the egg whites and salt into the clean mixing bowl. Whisk lightly until the colour begins to change then add half of the caster sugar and whisk until stiff.

3. Turn the speed on the mixer down and add the rest of the sugar a tablespoon at a time. Add cornflour and vinegar and beat them in.

4. Divide the mixture between the five sheets of parchment, flatten the mixture into a circle of about 8 inches in diameter.

5. Bake for 10 minutes at 130°C , then reduce the heat to 120°C . Cook for about an hour. Watch carefully through the oven door so it does not get too brown, try not to open the oven door, particularly for the first 45 minutes.

6. To make the filling whip the cream to stiff peaks and set aside. Melt all of the chocolate in a bowl, over a saucepan of boiling water. Remove from the heat and fold it into the whipped cream. Place into the fridge for at least an hour.

7. Spread a layer of the chocolate cream on the top of each layer of meringue, dot some puffed cranberries, blackberries and red currant into the cream. Place the layers gently on top of each other. Finish off with the cherries on the stalk and some more fruit.