Preheat oven to 265°F. Wipe your bowl and whisk with vinegar or lemon juice to remove any grease, as egg whites will not whip properly if any fat is present.

Whisk egg whites on medium-low speed until soft peaks form.

Slowly add the superfine sugar, one spoonful at a time, waiting 20–30 seconds between additions to help the sugar dissolve and prevent a gritty meringue.

Continue beating until stiff, glossy peaks form and the sugar feels dissolved when rubbed between your fingers.

Add lemon juice and vanilla, then gently fold in the cornstarch.

Spoon the meringue onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, forming a 4–6 inch high round. Create a shallow crater in the center for the whipped cream and swirl the sides for texture.

Bake for 10 minutes at 265°F, then reduce the oven temperature to 210°F and bake for 90 minutes.

Turn the oven off and let the meringue cool completely inside the oven, at least 1 hour or overnight.

Bloom the unflavored gelatin in 2 tablespoons of cold water and set aside.

In a saucepan, combine the frozen strawberries, granulated sugar, and water and simmer until the berries are soft, about 5–7 minutes.

Stir the bloomed gelatin into the hot strawberry mixture until fully dissolved.

Blend the mixture until smooth, then strain through a fine-mesh strainer to remove seeds. Chill until set and thickened.

In a mixing bowl, beat the heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla until stiff peaks form.

If the whipped cream looks grainy or overwhipped, add a splash more cream and gently beat until smooth again.

Just before serving, fill the crater in the cooled meringue with whipped cream.

Drizzle with strawberry sauce and pile fresh berries on top.

Slice the pavlova like a cake and serve immediately.