Classic Pavlova Dessert for Spring
Crunchy, creamy and fruity, this Classic Pavlova Dessert is as tasty as it is impressive, topped with whipped cream, berries and sprinkles.
I’ve always loved seeing the very elegant Pavlovas you find online. Especially the kind that look like meringue bowls topped with whipped cream and perfectly arranged fruit.
But some days, elegant isn’t what you’re looking for. And today I wanted something that was also fun… maybe effervescen and a little rowdy–in a sprinkles and M&Ms kind of way.
Even better, thinking fun helped me let go of my nerves about tackling this dessert. Would my meringue bowl sink flat while baking? Would it crack into a million pieces when I started to decorate? Just do it, Inger!
I needn’t have worried! In the end it worked well, even if there were a couple cracks. And the flavor? If you’re a meringue lover, it’s to die for!
What is a Pavlova
Per Wikipedia “Pavlova is a meringue-based dessert. Originating in either Australia or New Zealand in the early 20th century, it was named after the Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova. Taking the form of a cake-like circular block of baked meringue, pavlova has a crisp crust and soft, light inside.”
I have added some fruit curd as well today to give it an extra burst of fruitiness in honor of spring!
Why You’ll Love This!
Delicious. The combination of sweet meringue (crunchy exterior, creamy interior), bright fruit curd, and lofty whipped cream, all topped with berries, sprinkles and spring M&Ms is a delight.
Impressive. This would be beautiful served for a spring event like Easter or Mother’s Day. Or for Christmas change up the shape and go with a Pavlova wreath!
Easier than you think. I am now brave enough to make this for company. And since I keep drooling as I write this, I think my husband and I are going to get another soon. Just for us!
What You’ll Need
Ingredient Notes
- Granulated sugar. This makes the meringue sweet and helps stabilize it.
- Egg whites. These make the meringue light and foamy.
- Cream of tartar or white vinegar. This helps to stabilize the meringue.
- Vanilla extract. This is used to flavor both the meringue and the whipped cream.
- Cornstarch. This helps to stabilize the meringue.
- Heavy cream. This is for the whipped cream topping.
- Powdered sugar. This sweetens and helps stabilize the whipped cream.
- Fruit curd, Berries, Sprinkles, Seasonal M&Ms. These add flavor and make the Pavlova festive. Raspberry or strawberry fruit curd is recommended.
Special Tools
- You’ll want to have
Step by Step Directions
Preheat the oven to 225 F.
Whir the granulated sugar in a blender to make it finer.
Place egg whites, vanilla and cream of tartar (or vinegar) into a large mixer bowl. Beat on medium-high until soft peaks form.
When soft peaks have formed, keep the mixer going and add the fine sugar a heaping tablespoon at a time. Stop beating when the meringue holds a shape well.
Line a baking sheet with parchment. Spread out the meringue into a 7 x 8 inch oval or 8 inch circle. Most people will draw their shape then turn the parchment upside down, but there are also silpats with an 8-inch circle drawn on them.
Form the sides of the meringue “bowl” by sweeping in an upward motion with a wide spoon.
When done, hollow out the center some, and re-sweep the sides a bit if needed.
Bake at 225F for 1 hour and 20 minues, then turn off the oven and let the meringue sit inside until fully cool, about an hour. You can also let it sit there overnight if needed.
Shortly before serving, move the meringue to your serving plate and prepare to fill it. There should be a “crater” in the center where the meringue has collapsed. You can “help” this along if needed by removing any stray pieces (I ate a couple).
Prepare your whipped cream. Whip the cream until very thicken, then add vanilla and powdered sugar. Spread the fruit curd inside the meringue on the bottom of the crater.
Then top with whipped cream.
Add berries and any other decoration to the top of the whipped cream.
Serve immediately.
How to Serve
This is a lovely dessert that can be adapted to any occasion. Go with pink and blue toppings for a baby shower. Or consider dying the meringue itself for a bigger pop of color.
Variations and Special Diets
I am a serious meringue fan so have a variety of options to offer you. Besides my previously mentioned Meringue Christmas Wreath, I have a recipe for the old Supper Club favorite, Strawberry Schaum Torte, which probably started my meringue love affair. Then there is a hugely Eton Mess Bar where guests dish up meringue stars, fruit, and whipped cream for the easiest, lightest, seriously popular Christmas Eve dessert ever.
Of course no dessert element is complete without going into a cookie. And here I have the festive Meringue Nests with Fruit Curd, Meringue Christmas Trees Two Ways, and the seriously fun Meringue Ghost Cookies. I even have a recipe for tasty Meringue Topped Chocolate Chip Bars!
And someday I’m going to try making meringue with allulose zero calorie sweetener since it bakes pretty well and is “structural” like sugar. Stay tuned if you’re interested!
Leftovers
You can make the meringue base 1-2 days ahead of time if you can keep it very dry (not a problem during cold weather in Wisconsin). Wait to top it until just before serving your guests. That’s because moisture is the enemy of meringues and can result in problems from damp beads of sugar sweat to dissolving.
We were surprised, however, to discover that our leftovers were still good the next day, though not as pretty. The biggest casualty was the M&Ms which had started to melt. But the meringue was crisp and intact despite spending 24 hours covered in fruit curd and whipped cream (see picture below).
I had refrigerated the leftovers in a domed cake storage container, and we polished it off the next morning–‘cause doesn’t everyone have leftover Pavlova for breakfast!
Tips & FAQs
Parchment is not the same as wax paper, which can’t handle oven temperatures. So be sure to use either parchment or an oven-safe silicon mat to line your baking sheet.
Egg whites freeze very well as long as they are kept airtight. Whenever I make something that uses just egg yolks, I pop the whites into the freezer for future use. Instead of having lots of 1 egg white containers I usually have one container that I add to until it gets too full. And I try to keep a running total marked on the freezer container.
A large egg white is about 1.25 – 1.5 ounces and if I don’t trust my total (or maybe I have 6 whites and I need 4) I will weigh them to get a “count.”
Just FYI, meringue has a standard sugar to egg ratio by weight that is between 1:1 to 2:1. More sugar makes it stiffer, but you do have some margin for error.
More Delicious Easter Dessert Recipes
- Easter Egg Surprise Cookies from Hezzi-D’s Recipe Box
- English Easter Biscuits (Lemon Currant Cookies) from That Recipe
- Frog Eye Salad from Palatable Pastime
- Italian Easter Bread from Jen Around the World
- Strawberry Icebox Cheesecake from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
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Classic Pavlova
Ingredients
Meringue:
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 5-6 egg whites about 7 ½ ounces
- ½ teaspoon cream of tartar or 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
Whipped cream:
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream
- ¼ - ½ cup powdered sugar to taste
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Other toppings:
- 6 ounces fruit curd raspberry or strawberry recommended
- 1 cup fresh berries bite-sized
- 1 Tablespoons spring-colored sprinkles
- 2-4 Tablespoons spring-colored M&Ms
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 225 F.
- Whir the granulated sugar in a blender to make it finer.
- Place egg whites, vanilla and cream of tartar (or vinegar) into a large mixer bowl. Beat on medium-high until soft peaks form.
- When soft peaks have formed, keep the mixer going and add the fine sugar a heaping tablespoon at a time. Stop beating when the meringue holds a shape well.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment. Spread out the meringue into a 7 x 8 inch oval or 8 inch circle. Most people will draw their shape then turn the parchment upside down, but there are also silpats with an 8-inch circle drawn on them.
- Form the sides of the meringue “bowl” by sweeping in an upward motion with a wide spoon.
- When done, hollow out the center some, and re-sweep the sides a bit if needed.
- Bake at 225F for 1 hour and 20 minues, then turn off the oven and let the meringue sit inside until fully cool, about an hour. You can also let it sit there overnight if needed.
- Shortly before serving, move the meringue to your serving plate and prepare to fill it. There should be a “crater” in the center where the meringue has collapsed. You can “help” this along if needed by removing any stray pieces (I ate a couple).
- Prepare your whipped cream. Whip the cream until very thicken, then add vanilla and powdered sugar.
- Spread the fruit curd inside the meringue on the bottom of the crater, then top with whipped cream.
- Add berries and any other decoration to the top of the whipped cream.
- Serve immediately.
I am so jealous! I have never made a pavlova. It looks stunning!
I have always wanted to make a pavlova . You make it look so easy.
I love pavlova – even thought it contains whipped cream, it feels so light after a meal. Beautiful presentation, Inger!
This is the best of fruit desserts. Very light and the perfect ending to a heavier holiday meal.
Yum! I love a good pavlova and that raspberry curd is the perfect topping.