With more than 20 years of international experience, pastry chef Cherish Finden has helped establish The Langham as the top destination for afternoon tea in London. Her work at the hotel's Palm Court restaurant has ranged from creating irresistible menus inspired by the collections of top jewellery designers to developing magnificent showpieces, such as an entirely edible 1.5-metre tall Fabergé egg.

Here, Cherish shares her top tips on how to create the perfect pastries for a delicious afternoon tea...

1. Follow recipes exactly

Attention to detail is a crucial part of baking. For instance, at the Palm Court, we always ensure that a cake is removed from the oven the second the timer goes off. Factors like this may seem minor but they can make a world of difference to your final product.

How to create the perfect afternoon tea