To make the pavlova, draw 8-inch circle on a parchment paper and place it on baking sheet, ink side down. Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C).

In a small bowl, whisk together sugar, cocoa powder and cornstarch. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl with whisk attachment, or using handheld electric mixer, beat the egg whites until frothy. Stir in cream of tartar and salt and continue to beat on medium high speed. Add sugar mixture one tablespoon at a time, while mixer is running on medium high speed. Continue to beat the egg whites until hard peaks form. The mixture will look smooth and shiny. Add vanilla extract and white distilled vinegar, and gently fold the mixture with a spatula.

Transfer the batter onto the parchment paper and spread it inside the circle. Make a shallow well in the center.

Bake for 50 minutes. Turn the oven off and let it cool for at least 2 hours with oven door ajar. You can leave it overnight. While cooling, the cake will collapse and crack. This is totally normal.

To make the cherry sauce, place the cherries in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring it to a boil.

Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, mix together sugar, cornstarch and salt. Add sugar/cornstarch mixture, vanilla extract, almond extract and lemon juice into the boiling cherries. Mix well. Reduce the heat to low. Simmer the cherry mixture stirring constantly until thickened, for 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat and cool completely.

To make the whipped cream filling, beat the heavy cream with sugar and vanilla extract on medium speed until nice and thick. Keep a close eye on it. Don’t over-whip the cream, or you will start making butter.

When ready to serve, gently run a long offset spatula on the bottom of the cake to separate from the parchment paper. Using a large cake lifter, carefully transfer the cake onto a serving platter. Spread the whipped cream filling over the top of the cake and top with the cooled cheery sauce. Serve immediately.

Though this cake is best to serve right away, leftover can be refrigerated for 1 day.

To make ahead, bake the pavlova base the night before serving and keep it uncovered at room temperature. Make the cherry sauce and refrigerate. When ready to serve, make the whipped cream filling and assemble the cake.