This ethereal crown of meringue, filled with cream and berries is a Pavlova. The name comes from Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova, who was performing around the world in 1926 and made a stop in the land down under. From there the details get a little fuzzy and no one is quite sure if it was a pastry chef from Australia or New Zealand who first made this dessert for her. It causes a heated debate amongst them if you declare it one way or the other, so I am staying vague on the origin.
This is one of my favorite desserts, because I am a huge fan of meringue in just about any form. I love how it looks, how it tastes and the texture it lends. Pavlova, unlike other meringues, is made with vinegar and cornstarch, so the end result is crisp on the outside, but still has some tooth (chew) on the inside. Traditionally it is served with fresh fruit, such as raspberries, blueberries, or blackberries and passionfruit (that’s what is dripping off the edge) and whipped cream. I also added lemon curd, but there are no rules and you can fill this with whatever moves you.
Mini Pavlovas
Mini pavlovas as so easy and fun to make! I love serving these to a crowd by having individual servings already made and filled, just waiting to be plated and devoured. Get the instructions below.
Other Ways to Make a Pavlova
If you’ve followed me for a while, you know how much I love meringue in all its forms. Two other delicious ways to make pavlova include using it for layers in my Halva Diva Cake as well as in a Pavlova Roulade. You can find a roulade recipe in Zoë Bakes Cakes.
Heart Shaped Pavlova
To make a heart shaped pavlova: draw a heart-shape that measures 10 inches wide and 10 inches tall. The size is really up to you, but that’s about what I did here. Then I sprinkled edible dried rose petals from SOS Chefs on the meringue before baking. I baked the heart-shaped pavlova for the same amount of time as the recipe below, but it may require less drying out time in the oven once the oven is turned off.
Pavlova FAQs
Why add water to the meringue?
Water makes for a thinner, more delicate meringue, so the end result is not rock hard, but a tender (soft) interior, while still crisp on the outside. Adding the water makes the egg foam less stable, which is why it’s SUPER IMPORTANT to also add the vinegar, which strengthens the proteins and helps make a strong but tender foam.
Why add white vinegar to the meringue and why at the end?
Normally I would add an acid (either cream of tartar or vinegar) at the beginning of whipping the whites to help add stability and ensure a strong foam that won’t weep moisture. But, I was adding the water to thin out the whites, so I waited until after they were fully whipped before adding the white vinegar. It still does its magic as long as it’s added before baking.
Why add cornstarch to the meringue?
Adding the starch to the foam helps create a softer meringue and one that is easy to cut, opposed to a meringue that shatters when you touch it with the knife. Because it interferes with the structure of the eggs (that’s why it’s softer), I whip the whites until STIFF and then I fold the starch in at the end. The starch also prevents the baked meringue from shrinking.
Why leave the light on in the oven after the pavlova is baked?
The oven light puts off just enough heat to keep the pavlova dry until you are ready to fill and serve it. This is key in the humid summer months. It can sit in the oven for up to 24 hours with the light on.
Can you make a pavlova if you don’t have an oven light?
You can still make the pavlova, but don’t open the door until you are ready to serve, and don’t try to make it WAY in advance if you live in a humid climate.
How can I prevent the pavlova from cracking?
There are a few reasons your pavlova may be cracking. Here are a couple of things to make sure of:
- Mix it to the right consistency, stiff peaks, so it’s not expanding too much in the oven.
- Your oven may run hot, which means the pavlova is expanding quickly in the oven and it can cause cracking. I suggest getting an oven thermometer to check the temperature.
- Mix it long enough so the sugar dissolves into the egg whites so that it becomes a uniform glossy mixture. MAKE SURE to use superfine or caster sugar so it dissolves quickly.
How far in advance can I make a pavlova? How long does it keep without filling?
You can bake the shell about 24 hours in advance. Leaving it in the oven with just the light on will keep it from absorbing any moisture. Much longer than that and it starts to get brittle!
How can I prevent the pavlova from getting soggy in the fridge?
If you put it in the fridge, it will become soggy. Make it just a few hours before serving. It’s not something you want to do a day ahead. Hold off on adding fillings until you serve it.
How can I prevent the pavlova from smelling or tasting eggy?
To ensure your pavlova doesn’t taste or smell eggy, be sure to whip the egg whites to stiff peaks, so they are properly aerated, and bake it thoroughly.
What should I do with all my extra egg yolks after making this recipe?
Creme brulee and lemon curd are both recipes that use lots of egg yolks!
What is the difference between regular granulated sugar and superfine sugar?
Superfine sugar is more finely ground than regular sugar, but not so fine that it becomes powdered/confectioners’ sugar. You can make superfine sugar in a food processor if you can’t find it near you. Simply add granulated sugar to your food processor and process until it produces what looks like smoke (but is actually just sugar dust), about 5 minutes.
How to Make Your Own Superfine Sugar at Home
If you can’t find superfine sugar, you can easily make it at home!
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
- 150 g egg whites ~ about 5 large egg whites at room temperature
- 1 pinch kosher salt
- 1/8 tsp cream of tartar optional. It will make the meringue stronger, especially if you have older, weaker egg whites
- 3 tbsp cold water
- 1 1/4 cups (250g) superfine sugar how to make superfine sugar
- 1 tbsp plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 tsp vinegar white wine, cider or distilled
For Serving
- 1 recipe Perfect Whipped Cream
- 1 cup Lemon Curd divided
- Fresh Raspberries and / or Passion Fruit for filling and topping. I love Rincon Tropics passion fruit
- Confectioners' sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 275°F / 135℃ and place a rack in the bottom 1/3 of the oven. Trace a 6-inch / 15cm circle on a piece of parchment and set it, upside down, on a baking sheet.
- In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the egg whites, salt and cream of tartar (if using) and beat on medium-high speed until medium stiff peaks form, about 3 minutes.
- Turn the mixer speed to medium-low and drizzle in the water. Slowly sprinkle in the sugar a little at a time; this may take a minute or so. Turn the speed to high and whip until very stiff, glossy peaks form, about 5 minutes.
- Using the whisk attachment or a rubber spatula, gently fold the cornstarch, vanilla, and vinegar into the egg whites.
- Mound the egg foam into the circle on the prepared parchment paper. Using a metal spatula, smooth the mound, then swipe grooves into the foam, creating curls at the top. Very gently create a crater at the top, like a volcano, where the grooves meet.
- Bake for 60 minutes or until the meringue starts to turn a very pale tan color, then reduce the heat to 250°F and continue to bake for 45 minutes. Turn off the oven (don't open the door), turn on the light in the oven (don't stress if the light doesn't work) and let the meringue sit in the cooling oven for at least an hour, but it can be stored like this overnight or even up to 24 hours.
- The center of the pavlova will collapse, that's just the nature of the beast and where you will put your filling. If it does't fall into the cavity completely, use a paring knife to carefully open up a hole in the top. The outer edge may crack a touch too, but I've made this shape several times and it generally only cracks a little if you do not open the oven door. The inside should be soft, but not at all wet.
- Run a metal spatula under the pavlova to release it from the paper and carefully transfer to a serving plate.
- Fold half of the whipped cream into 1/2 cup / 130g of the lemon curd. Fit a pastry bag with a large round tip and fill with the cream-curd mixture. Alternatively, carefully spoon in the mixture. Spoon 1/4 cup / 65g of the remaining lemon curd over it, then sprinkle with some of the berries. Repeat with the remaining cream-curd mixture and then the remaining lemon curd. Finish with the remaining berries and whipped cream and then dust with confectioners' sugar.
- Refrigerate the pavlova for about 1 hour before serving to make it easier to cut.
How to Make Mini Pavlovas
- Preheat oven to 275°F. Trace eight 3-inch circles on a piece of parchment and set it in a baking sheet.
- Follow the recipe above to make the meringue.
- Mound the meringue evenly into the circles on the parchment.
- Bake at 275°F for 15 minutes or until the meringue starts to turn a very pale tan color, then reduce the heat to 225°F and continue to bake for 30 minutes. Turn off the oven (don't open the door), turn on the light in the oven (don't stress if the light doesn't work) and let the meringue sit in the cooling oven for a couple hours, or even overnight.
- Fill and decorate as noted above. You can assemble these a few hours before serving. They actually benefit from some time in the refrigerator.
This recipe turned out great! It was much easier to make than it looked. The presentation was spectacular and it tasted delicious. I added lemon curd to mine with the cream and berries and was able to make the meringue ahead of time.
We are thrilled to hear you enjoyed it!
This gave me a new perspective. Very thought-provoking content here. This motivates me to keep learning.
Made this for a Passover seder and it was a huge hit! Followed the trick of leaving the pavlova in the oven overnight with the oven light on, then used homemade whipped cream for the filling, and berries and powdered sugar on top, I have a picture, but not sure where to post! Thank you! will be making again for a holiday!
We’re so thrilled to hear you enjoyed this recipe. Thank you for leaving a rating and review. Cheers!
This is NOT kosher for Passover because it contains Cornstarch. Potato or Tapioca can be swapped, but I’m not sure how that effects the final product
Hi Deb, you can swap the cornstarch for potato. Enjoy!
It is kosher for pesach if you eat cornstarch on pesach. I think you mean it contains kitniyot which some people ( a small minority in Israel) don’t eat on pesach.
I can’t wait to try this for Easter – thank you! The picture is a work of art!
I made this tonight and, WOW, was it good! I brought it to a friend’s place for dinner (group of about 12) and everyone loved it. I made it as instructed, no changes, and it turned out so beautifully! It is a beautiful and elegant dessert, so impressive and fun. I also watched the Zoe Bakes episode where she makes pavlova 4 times today – helpful! 🙂 Highly recommend this recipe, it is wonderful with whipped cream and lemon curd and fresh berries – perfection!
p.s. my Bluey loving daughter was also delighted in this recipe!
Yay! We’re thrilled everyone enjoyed it. My 5 year old also loves this recipe because of Bluey. Cheers!
Excellent recipe , easy to follow, need fresh whites and very stiff meringue to achieve the shape. My shape was more of a Hershey’s kiss @myleftfprk – maybe more beautiful but it cracked. I stil salvaged and covered w whipped cream. I’ve made many pavlovas. I particularly like this one for the shape.
Tastes great! I wanted to make mini pavlovas so I portioned the batter into 3.5″ round mini pavlovas but I kept the baking time the same. Unfortunately this dried them out completely so there is no chewy center, it’s now just a meringue. It still tastes good though. I will try reducing the baking time next time.
I made this with cranberry curd (from a recipe on the NYT website) so it would be pink. I think the pavlova part of this recipe is great. Previous recipes I’ve used called to add granulated sugar 1T at a time probably because it wasn’t superfine and needed to be incorporated slowly. But this recipe calls for fine sugar to be added and then the mixture whipped and this is much easier, with consistent results. I’ve made it two times over the holiday and it looks great and works well. I made the pavlova a little bigger (8″) and thus flatter and it still worked well and looked pretty, not just as high. Great recipe and I’ll be using it for my pavlova needs from now on 🙂
Can I make this into the wreath version? Does the cooking time change? Planning to make it 24 hours in advance and leave it in the oven. Thank you!
Hi Nicole,
A wreath will be gorgeous. The smaller or thinner the pavlova, the faster it will bake. As long as the temperature is low, the pavlova won’t be hurt by leaving it in too long, it just might be a little crunchier than the larger version.
Enjoy, Zoë
Excited to try this recipe!
One question, the last step in the directions say to refrigerate the pavlova for an hour before serving to make it easier to cut. The step before that says to fill the pavlova… Just want to check that you do recommend filling the pavlova and then refrigerating it for one hour before serving it. ?
Thank you!
Beth
Hi Beth, yes! You can fill, then refrigerate. Enjoy!
I made this on a splurge, it was wonderful. Everything was going so well and then it collapsed. I followed the recipe exactly, only opened the oven at the end of the bake time.
I have a gas oven, I also can’t see into the oven, it is a chateau oven by La Cornue, it naturally creates steam.
How do I make this without compromising the dish. I would love some insight.
Thank you.
Hi Melanie,
I am afraid if your oven naturally creates steam then a meringue of this type will never work. The entire success is to prevent humidity from deflating the meringue.
Thanks, Zoë
Solid recipe made many times and impressed friends and family every single time.
I have been wanting to try this recipe since Zoë posted it six years ago. I finally got the courage to make it when my 4-year-old son asked me to make a pavlova like in the Bluey episode for the 4th of July. It did crack a bit while it was in the oven cooling, but I’m pretty sure my homemade superfine sugar wasn’t quite superfine enough and my oven does run a bit hot, so it was hard to get it to the exact temperature. It didn’t matter though, because it is absolutely delicious anyway. We served it with the perfect whipped cream, lemon curd, and raspberries and blackberries. We’re going to make it a tradition now and next year try the mini pavlovas. Thank you, Zoë, for another stellar recipe!
Love the slight twists on the recipe . Totally delicious
Brilliant you are the best Zoe
This was my first time making a pavlova. I made this recipe a few days ago but made mini heart shaped pavlovas. They came out perfect and was so pleased! So easy and everything came out perfect! Thank you!
Absolutely fabulous. I make it time and time again.
I made this and loved it! Was wondering if I could do two at a time next to each other in my oven and have it work out? Any idea?
Hi Ashley, so glad you enjoyed the recipe! The short answer is yes, but it will take longer to dry out because the two will produce more humidity in the oven. Happy baking!
I have not only tried this recipe, but I have shown this to my daughter and my granddaughters. They are in infatuated with this Pavlova treat. My granddaughters now love making this every time. Thank you so much for starting a new generation on Pavlova.
Hi Leslie, thank you so much for sharing this with us! We are so thrilled that your family enjoys making it together. We really appreciate you taking the time to leave a rating and review. Happy baking!
Made this for Christmas in Australia, turned out perfect, it is a great recipe, and easy to follow. Left it in the oven overnight, Everyone loved it. Thanks so much.
I’ve been making this recipe for the past two years and it is a huge hit with my family! I like to make it over the Christmas season and turns out perfectly each time. Thank you for sharing this recipe, it’s amazing!
I made this for Christmas Eve at my daughters following your directions. It was less white than your photos, perhaps because I left it in the oven (turned off) from midnight till 7am. I filled it with Noosa lemon yogurt (stirred lightly) then freshly whipped cream and topped with sliced clementines and mint leaves. My daughter and one of her guests work for an excellent caterer out of Berkeley so they definitely understand food – they both loved the Pavlova!!! Thank you so much!
Pavlova came out as a show stopper. It looked amazing, tasted even better when I made it with the lemon curd, whipped cream and topped with pomegranate seeds and raspberries. Making it again for thanksgiving 🙂
Hi Julianna! We love to hear this. Thank you so much for taking the time to rate/review. Happy Thanksgiving!