A Pavlova, in my humble opinion is the perfect way to end a meal! They’re light as air, crispy, and creamy with plenty of zing from fresh fruit. It’s hard to beat! I love that it comes together with only a few ingredients and you can make the meringue in advance so you’re able to whip up an amazing dessert in a few minutes on the day of.
How to Make a Pavlova
1. Start off by drawing a 7-8 inch circle onto a sheet of parchment paper. You can use a cake pan, bowl or plate. Turn the paper upside down so no pen or pencil marks transfer onto your meringue and place on a baking sheet then set aside.
2. Separate your egg whites one at a time into a small bowl. Transfer each egg white to the bowl of your stand mixer as you go. This process avoids contaminating the whole batch if you get a broken yolk or a bad egg.
3. Add the egg whites, cream of tartar, salt and vanilla to your stand mixer. Start beating on low then increase speed to medium-high.
4. Once the egg whites are frothy it’s time to add the sugar VERY slowly. Sprinkle the sugar in a tablespoon at a time allowing the sugar to be incorporated before adding the next tablespoon. Scrape the bowl down occasionally.
5. You want to reach the stiff peak stage, which means the meringue will be thick and marshmallowy in texture and hold stiff peaks that don’t flop over. Feel free to stop and check the consistency from time to time if you’re unsure.
6. Sift in the cornstarch and then use a spatula to fold it into the meringue.
7. Use a spatula or spoon to transfer the meringue onto the parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
8. Form the meringue into a disk shape with a slightly concave top. You can smooth the side, create vertical spools or leave it looking rustic. Place in the center of your preheated oven then immediately reduce the temperature and bake for about an hour and 10 minutes. The meringue will become a bit off-white and feel hard and dry when ready. Turn the oven off and leave the door closed for an hour. Crack the door open and allow the oven to slowly cool for another 30-60 minutes.
9. Just before you’re ready to serve your Pavlova whip the cold cream, powdered sugar and vanilla until soft peaks form. Cover the top of your cooled meringue disk with the whipped cream.
10. Place a generous amount of berries and or cut fruit on top of the whipped cream. Serve immediately.
Pro Tips for this recipe
- Superfine sugar is GREAT for pavlovas but you can either use regular sugar OR blitz the regular sugar in a food processor to decrease the grain size. If you’re using regular sugar make sure to add in VERY slowly.
- Assemble your Pavlova just before serving; the whipped cream and berries will dissolve the meringue.
- You cannot use pasteurized eggs from a carton to make meringue, save yourself the heartache!
- Do your best to make sure the bowl and whisk being used are super-clean. I wash my bowl just before using it or wipe it down with either lemon juice or vinegar. Fat is the enemy of meringue!
- Cracks in the meringue are completely normal and in no way mean you’ve done something wrong. Your Pavlova will be just as delicious.
- Be patient and leave your oven door closed after your meringue has finished baking. The residual heat in the oven will continue drying it out.
- Add whichever fruits you enjoy and are available.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make it ahead of time?
You can make the meringue for your pavlova a day or two in advance. Make sure to keep it in an airtight container as humidity will ruin it. Assemble a Pavlova just before enjoying as the whipped cream and fruits will dissolve the meringue and make a mess if left for any amount of time.
What is the difference between a meringue and a Pavlova?
Meringue is one of the components of a Pavlova. The meringue is combined with egg whites and whipped with sugar. The other two components are whipped cream and fruit.
What does it taste like?
A Pavlova has big notes of fresh fruits, slightly sweet whipped cream, and sweet baked meringue, which is crispy and crunchy on the outside but soft and marshmallowy on the inside.
How did it get its name?
This dessert was named to honor the famous Russian Ballerina Anna Pavlova during her tour of New Zealand and Australia in the 1920’s.
Are they from New Zealand or Australia?
Don’t ask! Both countries lay claim to the dessert, which was named to honor Anna Pavlova during her tour of the two countries. Meringue topped with cream and fruit is a dessert found in Australia dating back the the turn of the century.
IF YOU LOVE THIS RECIPE TRY THESE OUT!
If you’ve tried this Pavlova recipe then don’t forget to leave a rating and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
Pavlova
Ingredients
For the Meringue
- 4 egg whites
- 1 cup superfine sugar 225g
- 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
- 1 1/2 tsp corn starch
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 tsp vanilla
For the Whipped Cream
- 2 cups whipped cream
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
For the Topping
- 1 pint strawberries
- 1 cup raspberries
- 1 cup blackberries
- 1 sprig fresh mint
Instructions
For the Meringue:
- Set oven to 300F. Use a plate, bowl or cake pan to draw a circle between 7 and 8 inches (18-20cm) on a sheet of parchment paper. Place the paper drawn side down on a baking sheet and set aside.
- Separate the four egg whites into a small bowl. You can reserve the yolks for a batch of French buttercream, custard, or pastry cream.
- Add the egg whites, cream of tartar, vanilla, and salt to the bowl of a clean stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment and mix on medium-low. You can also use an electric hand mixer but if will require some patience.
- Once the egg whites are frothy you can begin sprinkling in the sugar a tablespoon at a time. The key is not to dump the sugar in but to add it very slowly. This gives you a very thick, glossy meringue with a marshmallowy texture.
- Sprinkle the cornstarch onto the meringue and fold in using a spatula
- Mix on high until stiff peaks form. Once you're getting close it's a good idea to scrape the bowl down so you don't have any less mixed bits at the bottom of your bowl.
- Transfer the meringue to your prepared baking sheet and use a spatula to shape it into a disk with a slight depression on top. You can use a small spatula to create vertical swoops on the side or leave things nice and rustic.
- Place your meringue into the oven preheated to 300F then immediately reduce the temperature to 250F and bake for about for 1 hr-1hr 15 minutes. The meringue will turn ever so slightly cream in color and feel dry and hard, the inside will remain soft however.
- When your meringue is done turn the oven off and leave the door closed for an hour. You can then crack the door open for an hour. You're trying to let the meringue come to room temperature slowly, in fact you can leave it in the oven overnight if you're concerned about humidity messing with things.
For the Whipped Cream:
- Add the cold cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract to the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (or use an electric hand mixer). Mix on high until softy peaks form. Don't over-mix the cream as it will curdle into butter!
For the Assembly:
- Place the meringue onto a serving dish then top with whipped cream and cut fruit. I like to add whatever is in season and looks good but really any fruit will work well.
Video
Notes
- Superfine sugar is GREAT for meringues but you can either use regular sugar OR blitz the regular sugar in a food processor to decrease the grain size.
- Assemble your Pav just before serving; the whipped cream and berries will dissolve the meringue.
- You cannot use pasteurized eggs from a carton to make meringue, save yourself the heartache!
- Do your best to make sure the bowl and whisk being used are super-clean. I wash my bowl just before using it or wipe it down with either lemon juice or vinegar. Fat is the enemy of meringue!
- Cracks in the meringue are completely normal and in no way mean yo've done something wrong, Your Pavlova will be just as delicious.
- Be patient and leave your oven door closed after your meringue has finished baking. The residual heat in the oven will continue drying it out.
- Add whichever fruits you enjoy and are available.
