Australian Pavlova Recipe
An Australian pavlova recipe is the perfect end to every Australian celebration, barbecue, or picnic. Pavlova is a light meringue based dessert that can be easily customised to suit your taste and available seasonal fruits.
Equipment
- stand mixer
- hand mixer
Ingredients
Pavlova Base (meringue)
- 6 large eggs (each egg 2oz/ 58g) room temperature
- 1½ cups caster sugar (superfine sugar)
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch (cornflour)
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
Pavlova Topping
- 1½ cups 35% fat heavy (thickened) whipping cream chilled
- 3 tablespoons confectioner's sugar (icing sugar)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 kiwifruits peeled & sliced
- 1 cup strawberries hulled & halved
- 1 cup mixed berries (blueberries, raspberries, red currants) or cherries
- ½ cup passionfruit pulp/ syrup (or lemon curd)
- 1 banana (optional)
- ½ lime (just the juice)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit (150 degrees Celsius).
- Ensure all equipment is 100% dry – includes bowls, whisk, spatulas, etc - and that your hands are dry. Any additional moisture can and will affect the outcome of your pavlova base.
- Cut parchment paper big enough to line your baking tray.
- Trace around a dinner plate on the back side of the parchment paper (approximately 8in/ 20cm in diameter).
- Line baking tray with parchment paper, with drawn circle side on the underside.
- Set aside for now.
- Separate the eggs. It is VERY important not to get ANY egg yolk in the mixture! My suggestion is to break each egg separately, and when you’re sure that there is absolutely no yolk that has leaked into the white, tip the egg white into a separate bowl. Do this for each egg individually. If you get ANY yolk in the egg white mixture, all will have to be discarded and you will need to start again, so please do be careful!
- Use an electric mixer just below a ‘medium’ setting to whisk the egg whites to form soft peaks. This occurs after about 8 minutes, or when you can lift the whisk out of the egg white mixture, and soft peaks form in the egg whites where the whisk was.If you have a 10 speed mixer (with 10 being the highest setting), use Speed 3.
- Add a tablespoon of the caster sugar and continue whisking. On when that spoonful has fully dissolved can you add another tablespoon. Continue until all the caster sugar has been added. Expect the process to take approximately 15 minutes. Remember that you need to patient and make sure that each tablespoon of sugar has completely dissolved before adding in the next tablespoon.
- Remember to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula periodically.
- To test if the sugar has dissolved, take a very small amount of the mixture between your thumb and forefinger and rub together. If it feels at all grainy (like sand), you will know that there is still undissolved sugar in the mixture and so you’ll need to continue whisking.
- In a separate bowl while the sugar is being whisked into the eggwhites, combine the cornstarch/ cornflour and cream of tartar with the white vinegar and ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract.
- Mix the cornstarch/ cornflour, cream of tartar, vinegar, and vanilla mixture well.
- Increase the speed on the mixer to ‘medium’ or just above (Speed 6 on a 10 speed mixer) and add in the cornstarch mixture until just combined.
- Remove whisk from the bowl. You don’t want to over-whisk at this stage.
- Using a perfectly dry spatula or spoon, scoop the pavlova mixture out onto your prepared parchment paper. Remember that the drawn-on circle will be face down, but you can see it through the paper. Use the circle as a guide to keep the pavlova mixture inside.
- Smooth the top and sides of the pavlova so that they’re as smooth as possible. However, also try to achieve a small shallow dip (or 'crater') in the top. If there are any high peaks, those bits are likely to brown in the oven.
- Put the pavlova into the oven BUT BE PREPARED TO NOT OPEN THE OVEN DOOR FOR AT LEAST 7.5 HOURS!!!
- Start the pavlova baking at the preheated temperature of 300 degrees F/ 150 degrees C.
- Bake for 10 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to 250 degrees F/ 120 degrees C.
- Bake for a further 1 hour and 15 minutes. DO NOT BE TEMPTED TO PEN THE OVEN DOOR! Not even a teeny-tiny-little bit for a very quick peek!
- After 1 hour and 15 minutes at 250 degees F/ 120 degrees C, reduce the temperature again - this time to 175 degrees F/ 80 degrees C.
- Bake for a further 15 minutes at 175 degrees F/ 80 degrees C.
- After 15 minutes, turn the oven off completely, but remember not to open the oven door!
- Leave the pavlova inside the oven while it cools completely - this may take about 6 hours. You can leave it in the cooling oven overnight as long as it is not longer than 8 hours, and as long as the kitchen won't get cold and damp overnight. An ambient temperature for 8 hours is fine.
- When the pavlova has completely cooled, transfer it to a serving plate if serving immediately. Alternatively, store in an air-tight container in a cool, dry place. (Please do not put your pavlova in the refrigerator or freezer! Pavlova are very susceptible to damp.)
- Just prior to serving, use an electric mixer to whisk the chilled cream in a chilled, medium sized bowl.
- Add the ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract.
- Add the confectioner's sugar (icing sugar) a little at a time until firm peaks form.
- Don't over-whisk the cream, or whisk it on 'high', because it can become too runny.
- Spoon the sweetened cream onto the top of the pavlova and spread out evenly.
- If using banana, peel and slice diagonally into a small bowl. Pour juice from half a lime over the banana slices, then turn them so each side is covered. Drain, then add banana slices decoratively and evenly to the top of the pavlova.
- Add the kiwifruit slices to the top of the pavlova.
- Evenly distribute the strawberries and mixed berries/ cherries to the top of the pavlova.
- Drizzle with passionfruit pulp/ syrup or lemon curd.
- Serve immediately.
Video
Notes
There are SO many variations available for this recipe! Please see 'options' below for some of my suggestions.