Pavlova Recipe (Video)
Total Time
4 hours
Prep Time
30 minutes
Cook Time
2 hours
Rating
4.8 out of 5 stars
(5)
Ingredients
10 servings
- 4 large eggs- at room temperature
- pinch of salt
- 1 cup sugar, fine (see notes)
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar (or 1 teaspoon of vinegar – see notes)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla (optional- it will darken the pavlova a little)
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 tablespoon sugar (your choice here on sweetness, add more if you like)
- lemon zest or Meyer lemon zest is lovely but optional
- 1 tablespoon berry jam (or lemon curd)
- 1 pint of fresh berries (blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, currants, whatever you fancy!)
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Preparation
Step 1
Set oven to 350F
Step 2
Draw an 8-9′ circle on a piece of parchment. Flip the parchment so the writing is on the underside against the tray. Or just skip this and eyeball it.
Step 3
Separate the eggs
Step 4
. Cold eggs separate better and room-temperature egg whites whip better. Separating the eggs while cold helps avoid yolk leaking into the whites. Let the whites come to room temperate once they are in a bowl. Speed this up by setting the bowl of whites over another bowl of warm water, creating a kind of double boiler effect. (The egg yolks will not be used here and can be saved for another recipe.)
Step 5
Whip the whites
Step 6
. In a stand mixer with an ultra-clean and dry bowl, pour in egg whites and start whipping on medium until foamy. Add cream of tartar. (If substituting vinegar add later with the vanilla.) Beat whites on medium-high until soft peaks form.
Step 7
Start adding the sugar one tablespoon at a time, letting them whisk in between each addition until all the sugar has been spooned in. Switch the mixer a couple more notches higher and beat until glossy and stiff. Test the whites by rubbing a little between your thumb and finger, making sure the sugar has dissolved and there is no grittiness, whip a little longer if needed until the meringue is smooth.
Step 8
Once the peaks are stiff, add the pinch of salt and vanilla and whip in for another 30 seconds. Make sure it is stiff! If not, beat more, checking after each minute for stiff peaks.
Step 9
Shape the Pavlova
Step 10
Very gently, scoop the stiff egg white mixture out onto the parchment. With a cake knife spread in a circle working from the center, building a bit of an outside edge and an indent in the center. Smooth up the sides.
Step 11
Bake
Step 12
Place in the center of the 350F preheated oven. Turn the oven down to 200F and bake for 120 minutes or until it feels dry to the touch. Turn the oven off and allow the pavlova to cool in the oven for at least 2 hours or overnight. Cooling slowly keeps the pavlova sturdy and crisp.
Step 13
For the whip cream
Step 14
Whip together the cream, sugar and zest to medium-soft peaks. Fold in a tablespoon of jam, if desired.
Step 15
Assemble
Step 16
just before serving. Top the pavlova with whip cream and fresh berries! You can macerate the berries with a little sweetener to make them juicy if desired. Serve immediately!
Step 17
Save recipe for the next time?
