Ingredients

• 8 free-range egg whites
• 400g/7oz white caster sugar
• 4 lemons
• zest and juice
• 110g/4oz butter
• 175g/6oz caster sugar
• 4 free-range eggs
• beaten
• 500ml/18floz double cream
• 50g/1¾oz physalis (Cape gooseberries)
• 2 passion fruit
• seeds only
• 50g/1¾oz cherries
• 50g/1¾oz redcurrants

Directions

• For the meringue
• preheat the oven to 150C/300F/Gas1.
• Whisk the egg whites in a bowl until soft peaks are formed when the whisk is removed.
• Gradually add the sugar and continue to whisk until soft peaks are formed again. Spoon into a piping bag fitted with a small plain nozzle.
• To make a template
• draw four 20cm/8in diameter circles onto baking parchment and place on a baking sheet.
• Starting in the centre of each circle
• pipe the meringue in a spiral to fill the circle
• keeping the meringue height as low as possible.
• Cook in the oven for 20 minutes.
• Turn the oven off but leave the meringues in there for at least two hours. When crisp
• remove from the oven and leave to cool.
• For the lemon curd
• place the lemon zest
• juice
• butter and sugar into a bowl set over a pan of simmering water. (Don’t let the bowl touch the water).
• Whisk occasionally until the sugar is completely dissolved then beat in the eggs and whisk until thickened and cooked through.
• Remove from the heat and allow to cool completely.
• Whisk the double cream in a large bowl until soft peaks form when the whisk is removed
• then fold in the lemon curd and mix gently.
• Spoon into a piping bag and snip the end off
• giving a width of about 1.5cm/½in.
• To assemble the cake
• place a meringue disc onto a serving plate.
• Pipe the lemon curd cream in a spiral onto the meringue to cover totally.
• Place another meringue disc on top and repeat with the cream.
• Repeat with the remaining meringue and cream
• finishing with meringue on top.
• Decorate with the fruit and serve in wedges.