Preheat your oven to 300°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Draw a 9-inch circle on the parchment as your guide—this helps keep the meringue shape consistent. Make sure your mixing bowl is completely grease-free (any oil will sabotage your egg whites), so wash it with hot soapy water and dry it well.

Pour your room-temperature egg whites into the clean bowl and start beating on medium-high speed. Once they're foamy, add cream of tartar and continue beating until soft peaks form—this takes about 3 minutes. I always grab a whisk to check: when you lift it, the peaks should curl over slightly at the tip.

Still beating, gradually add the caster sugar one tablespoon at a time over about 5 minutes. Keep going until the meringue is glossy and stiff peaks form—when you lift the whisk, they should stand straight up. Once you reach stiff peaks, gently fold in vanilla extract and lemon juice using a spatula (don't overmix or you'll deflate all that air).

Sift together cornstarch into your finished meringue and fold it in gently until completely combined. Spread the meringue onto your parchment circle, creating a slightly higher edge (it'll sink a little during baking). Use the back of a spoon to make it rustic and pretty—imperfect edges actually look more elegant, I find.

Bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes at 300°F until the meringue is pale golden and crispy on the outside. Don't open the oven door to peek—I learned this the hard way when my first pavlova collapsed because I couldn't resist checking on it at minute 45. The inside should still feel slightly soft when you gently tap it, not rock-hard.

Remove from the oven and let the summer berry pavlova cool completely on the baking sheet at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. While it cools, whip your heavy cream with powdered sugar until stiff peaks form—this takes about 2 minutes with an electric mixer. Fold in your orange zest for a subtle citrus flavor that brightens everything.

Once ready to serve, transfer the meringue to your serving platter and top generously with the whipped cream, fresh mixed berries, mint leaves, white chocolate shavings, and a light drizzle of honey. This is the fun part—arrange berries however you like. Serve immediately so the meringue stays crispy on the outside while that center stays cloud-soft.