Pavlova

This Pavlova recipe makes a delicious treat for a hot summer day. Choose your own topping for this delight that tastes as dreamy as it looks!

If you’re holding a Summer soiree why not try my Sweet Peach Iced Tea recipe, or Erren’s Strawberry Cocktail to serve after dessert?

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Because of its impressive appearance, you might think that pavlova is difficult to make, but you’d be wrong! It only takes a handful of ingredients to make and the meringue base can be baked in advance, leaving just whipping the cream and preparing the fruit for the topping before serving.

Decorating is also quite simple as more often than not, pavlova’s shape is quite rustic and a few cracks are unavoidable, but these imperfections are very beautiful and all part of its appeal.

What is Pavlova?

Pavlova is a dessert that’s prevalent in Australia and New Zealand. It has a base made from egg whites and sugar (similar to Meringue cookies with a softer middle) and it’s served topped with whipped cream and fresh fruit.

Ingredient Notes

• Eggs – It’s best to use eggs that aren’t too fresh as older eggs fluff up better. Using week old eggs is a good rule of thumb. Just be sure to check the date on the carton when you buy them and plan accordingly.
• Sugar – I use super fine (aka caster sugar) as it dissolves easier, but granulated will work too.
• Vanilla – Use extract as the speckles from vanilla bean will show through on the base.
• Vinegar – white or apple cider vinegar are both good choices or you can use lemon juice as an alternative.
• Whipped cream – I use my stabilized whipped cream as I find it has good structure and doesn’t flatten out like store-bought will. If you use store bought, I suggest assembling right before serving.
• Fruit – Berries and tropical fruits such as kiwi and passion fruit are good choices as they’re not too sweet when paired with the meringue.

The Difference Between Meringue and Pavlova

Meringue cookies are dry and crunchy inside and out, while the meringue used in pavlova has a variety of textures with a crisp outer shell, marshmallow like interior, and a lovely chew where the two textures meet. With Pavlova, the sweetness of the meringue is balanced by the tartness of fresh fruit and cool whipped cream.

How To Make Pavlova (Step By Step Instructions)

Start with making the meringue by whipping raw egg whites and sugar to stiff peaks.

Fold cornstarch into the mixture with the vinegar and vanilla.

Draw a template for the meringues using using a pencil and a dessert plate on the baking paper. 

Then turn it over so it doesn’t bake on the pencil side.

Spread the meringue onto the template making a crater in the middle.

Bake in a low, cool oven until the outside is crisp. Then the oven is turned off, and the meringue is left to cool and dry out until the inside soft, but no longer wet.

Fill with whipped cream (You can use my recipe for homemade whipped cream).

Top with fresh fruit before serving.

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Let’s Make Pavlova

Finish your meal off with this impressive dessert, packed with whipped cream and fresh summer fruit.  A scrumptious treat for a hot summer’s day

4.67 from 15 votes

Prep30 minutes minutes

Cook1 hour hour

Total1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Cooling Time: 1 hour hour

Serves: 12 servings

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Ingredients

• ▢ 4 egg whites
• ▢ 1¼ cups superfine sugar
• ▢ 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• ▢ 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• ▢ 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract

For the fruit:

• ▢ 2 cups mixed fruit of your choice
• ▢ 2 tablespoons water
• ▢ 2-4 tablespoons caster/superfine sugar to taste

For the cream:

• ▢ 1¼ cup whipping cream
• ▢ 6-8 tablespoons powdered sugar
• ▢ 1 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ▢ 1 tablespoon skimmed milk powder

Equipment Needed

• ▢ parchment paper
• ▢ pencil

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 300F/150C
• Using a pencil, mark out the circumference of two dessert plates on parchment paper (about 3 inches apart from each other) for two Pavlovas or a dinner plate for one Pavlova. Flip the paper over so you are baking on the side without the pencil marks. You can see the circles through the paper.
• Whisk the egg whites with a mixer until they form stiff peaks, then whisk in the sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the meringue looks glossy.
• Whisk in the vinegar, cornstarch, and vanilla.
• Spread the meringue inside the circles, creating a crater in the middle by making the sides a higher than the middle.
• Bake for 1 hour, then turn off the oven and let the Pavlova cool completely inside the oven (they can even be left overnight)

For the fruit:

• When the meringue is cool, peel and cut the fruit (if needed). Add it to a medium bowl then add the water and sugar and mix to create juices.

For the cream:

• Add powdered sugar (to taste), skimmed milk powder (This is to help give the whipped cream structure so it doesn’t flatten out too quickly), and vanilla to the cream.
• Using a food processor, whip the cream until it thickens (this doesn’t take long at all so check often).
• Spread half of the whipped cream into the craters of each Pavlova and do the same with the fruit.
• My Pavlovas lasted two days in the fridge before going soft. However, each environment is different, so I recommend serving on the day of the assembly.

Nutrition Information:

Calories: 116 (6%)

Nutritional Data Disclaimer

Erren’s Kitchen is written and produced for informational intentions only. We are not certified nutritionists, and the nutritional information found on this site has not been assessed or authorized by a nutritionist or the FDA. The nutritional information found in our recipes is offered as an estimate and should not be considered a guarantee or fact. The estimated data is provided as a courtesy and calculated through a third-party online nutritional calculator, spoonacular API. Although we do our best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered rough estimates. Many factors, such as brands or products purchased and the nutritional fluctuations that naturally occur in fresh produce, can alter the effectiveness of the nutritional information in any recipe. Furthermore, various online calculators provide different results depending on their particular algorithms and nutrition fact sources. To obtain the most precise nutritional information in a provided recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the exact ingredients you are using when preparing the recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.

Author:Erren Hart

Course:Dessert

Cuisine:Baking

Keyword:dessert, summer

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Update Notes: This post was originally published in July of 2015, but was republished with new photos, step by step instructions and tips in July of 2021.