Preheat oven to 200°F.

Cover 2 (17 x 14) baking sheets with parchment paper on each of which you have drawn two 8-inch circles. You only need three meringue rounds, but make an extra one in case one breaks when assembling. You can grease and flour the sheets instead and draw the circles in the flour.

In bowl of stand mixer, beat egg whites on medium speed (#4 or #6 on a 10-speed mixer) with balloon whisk to soft peaks. One tablespoon at a time, add the ¾ cup sugar. Continue beating until meringue is very stiff and dull. The sugar should be completely dissolved.

Remove bowl from mixer and fold in the ½ cup sugar, being careful not to deflate the whites. Put meringue into a pastry bag fitted with a #3 pastry tip or a 5 ⁄ 16-inch plain tip.

Starting in the center of a circle on your marked parchment paper, make circles until space is filled. Pipe out all four circles.

Bake the meringue in preheated 200°F oven for 15 minutes and let the meringues rest in oven for at least 4-5 hours or overnight. If time is short, leave meringues in 200°F oven for 40 minutes altogether.

Combine egg yolks, sugar, and lemon zest and juice into a heavy non-reactive saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking slowly all the time until mixture shows the first signs of coming to the boil.

Remove from heat and add the butter. Stir until melted and smooth. Immediately put in a storage container with plastic wrap directly on the surface of the curd to prevent a skin from forming, and chill in the refrigerator.

Trim meringues against an 8-inch metal quiche tin bottom. Lift them up and trim with a knife being careful not to break them.

Whip 2 cups heavy whipping cream until very stiff. Fold in the chilled lemon curd. Place one meringue on counter or dish. Put a little less than half the cream on it. Spread out to the edges then place another meringue on top. Press down slightly, but don’t break it. Add most of the rest of the cream spread then add the third meringue upside down (flat side up).

Dump the rest of the cream on the top. Spread the top and sides smooth. If this has turned into a messy runny nightmare, which sometimes happens, put the whole thing into the freezer and give it 30-40 minutes to firm, then bring it out and straighten it up.

Before it is completely set, scrape off feathers of white chocolate using a small, straight-edged knife. Scrape off the chocolate aiming it at the cake sides and top until it is completely covered and evenly loaded. Use an oven mitt on your non-dominant hand for protection as it is easy to cut yourself while doing this. Carefully place in a large plastic bag and freeze. Can be done several weeks ahead.