Strawberry Pavlova Recipe (2024)

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Cooking Notes

Aunty Bob

Please know pavlova is a New Zealand creation. Australians get in a bit of a tizzy about it. But they are wrong. The eggs MUST be at room temperature. For four egg whites (rather small pav) I recommend reducing cornstarch to a bit less than 1 ½ tsp and vinegar to a scant ¾ tsp. 350 degrees is waaaay too hot~ 250 is good and never ever open the oven door. And don’t even think about sweetening the whipped cream. That’s all I got. Kia ora!

Jada

A nice option instead of the whipped topping is making any type of fruit curd for the pavlova! It's an easy way to use those leftover egg yolks.
Lemon, passion fruit, rhubarb curd - all yummy and so easy to make.

The fruit curd can also be a lovely addition to the whipped topping instead of the fresh strawberries if you don't have any fresh fruit available!

Patricia Sears

I followed the meringue recipe exactly except I heeded one note of advice here by a reader to bake at lower temperature (250). It was a disaster. A flat, beige coloured sticky mess.

So, I remade following Jamie Oliver's recipe for meringue. (6 egg whites, 300 grams of sugar, pinch of salt, bake at 300 for an hour. Ooh wow. BEAUTIFUL. Crackling crust of golden and cream meringue with meltingly fluffy interior.

This was the hit of my son's 30th birthday party.

CynthiaPDX

Outstanding flavors - particularly with strawberries at their peak! The amount of meringue is tremendous and could easily serve 8. I divided the meringue into serving side rounds and baked it that way which made serving very easy.

grace

Good idea, but he meringue was way too sweet, even as meringues go. I'd cut sugar by .25c next time and maybe bake at lower temp to get more gooeyness in the middle. The Tartine Bakery meringues are my ideal, so I might try to follow those instrux instead I added cacao nibs to meringue to good effect.

caarin

Made a pavlova yesterday for a dinner party. This was among 10 recipes I used to come up with the correct time and temperature for baking. Thank goodness for reviews!! So many people complained about the heat - and the sweet. As a result, I used 5 egg whites, 1 cup of sugar. Preheated the oven to 300°, Baked at 250° for 1hr 15 minutes, then let it sit for an hour until oven went cold. Still the tiniest bit brown in spots but crunchy, gooey, yum. If you want it to stay white - low and slow.

Deborah

I haven't read through all the comments but if no one mentioned the weather factor--or even if they did, it's worth mentioning again--here it is: do not attempt to make a meringue on a humid day. Just don't do it, it will fail. You will be unhappy. Trust me. Wait for a high pressure system.

Alicia

How far in advance can you make the meringue?

Jean

Delicious, fun to make and a pleasure to serve. I happen to have a convection oven (which finishes backed goods faster) and we tend to like a little gooey at the center, so I leave this in the oven for only one hour. Crisp outside, a little gooey in the center, lush with fruit. Of course, the base invites invention with whatever fruits you have on hand: mixed frozen berries in winter, oranges with liqueur...

tamsen

So, it's OK to make the meringue a day before? How do I store it for dessert in the evening?

Simone Brightstein

I think the 300oF temp is too high. I always bake meringues at 275 for an hour, then turn off the oven and leave them overnight. They stay pure white and beautifully crisp.

gigi

i have been making a similar pavlova for years and tried this one. agree that the oven temp is too high - i find 250-275 degrees works better. and allow the oven to go cold. sometimes i sugar down some of the berries (i use whatever i have from the garden), add a bit of those first, then whipped cream, then fresh berries. delicious. i used to have a similar recipe made with a mocha mousse filling, called mocha angel pie and published in the NYT Sunday paper in about 1970. always a hit,

Nicole

I used the recipe but served it with raspberries and blackberries and also added a layer of tart lemon curd. Delicious. A great recipe to riff on -the meringue was particularly good (I decreased the sugar a bit and used a scant cup based on the comments).

Sean

Based on several of the comments on this recipe I cooked the meringue at 250 for 90 minutes and then turned the oven off and let it cool for a further hour. Turned out perfectly.

Kelley

Beautiful & delicious. My first pavlova, made from another recipe cracked and I deemed too unattractive to serve so I decided to try this one. It made a lovely, glossy meringue, but the cooking temperature was far too hot and the pavlova, while still lovely, took on some color like a lightly toasted marshmallow at the one hour mark. Next time, I would cook at a lower temperature for just one hour to keep the pavlova from browning. One cup of sugar was plenty.

My Recipe

I used one egg white per 1/4 cup of sugar. I’m no expert, but it was delicious and my mother who hates meringue loved it!

Kat

So so good! Definitely turn oven down to 250, not just 300. Think I should have cracked oven for cooking once baking time was over and oven turned off. Made lemon curd and layered that on under whipped cream and mixed berries.

Amy J

Made lemon curd in place of strawberries. Needed more lemon curd…

eve

This is one of my very favorite dessert of all time. I find, however, I don’t need nearly as much sugar as it cost for. I had an extra egg whites so I use that and then only used about half of the sugar. I’m not opposed to tasting uncooked food. If you aren’t either, you may want to taste it before you add all.

Jack

Use cream of tartar instead of vinegar

Pavlova Convert

This was delicious! Echo others re: oven temp and sweetness. I baked at 300 but not for the full hour -- shut my oven off at 45 minutes and left the meringue in the oven for a few hours until assembly. One cup of sugar was plenty (and still super sweet, in my opinion) and I topped it with a lemon curd before the whipped cream, which turned out to be essential in order to balance the overall sweetness. I took others' advice and did not add sugar to the whipped cream, just vanilla.

BabzBeck

I made this following the preheat at 300 and reduce to 275 Temps. Since it is the holidays, I used my homemade cranberry sauce and whipped cream. OMG, WHY have I never made this before? I am in love!

Amanda

Reduce sugar to 1 cupStart at 350 once put in oven reduce to 250 (convection bake)

Brandon

You HAVE to adjust the temperatures on this recipe. they are way too hot. Just read the comments! Mine turned out brown, too bad.

Brianne McElhiney Noonan

This is my go to recipe. Love it. I do however agree with others about cooking it at 250. For those of you who live in humid or coastal areas, I will share my little trick. Typically I make this ahead of time, sometimes even several days. It's fun to make mini ones too. As soon as they finish cooling completely in the oven, I put them in an airtight container with a bag of dry rice with tiny holes poked in it. This helps keep them perfectly crisp for several days.

susan

I use the yolks to make lemon curd and add it as a layer to the pavlova. It cuts the sweetness and provides a wonderful citrus accent

Sharanya

Idk what I’m doing wrong but mine never got crispy it just stayed gooey and I was concerned about it burning so I just kept it that way! I think meringues are just not for me

beth

6 eggs1 1/4. c sugar3/4 vinegar1 1/2 tsp cornstarch 300 preheat250 when put inCooked for an hour

kim eckroth

Unbelievably easy and delightful! I followed these notes for baking: I cut the sugar down by 1/4 cup, I separated cold eggs and let the egg whites come to room temperature before whipping up, and baked at 275 for 90 minutes, keeping it in the oven overnight. Perfection!

Candida

Made this with raspberries from my back yard, substituting Chambourg liqueur for balsamic vinegar. Fabulous!

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Strawberry Pavlova Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between Pavlova and meringue? ›

What's the Difference Between Pavlova and Meringue? Pavlovas and meringues are both made of whipped egg white, but a Pavlova has a delicate crispy exterior with pillowy soft marshmallow inside, while meringue is dry and crisp all the way through.

Is it best to make pavlova the day before? ›

You can make it and leave it to cool in the oven overnight, or you can store a cooled, undecorated Pavlova in an airtight container. Once decorated with cream and toppings, they can be stored in the fridge until you're ready to serve, but they are best eaten that day.

Why add vinegar to pavlova? ›

The acid will actually help stabilise your whipped whites too. That's why we add cream of tartar to our pavlova recipes. If you use a little more vinegar in the meringue, you'll encourage a soft centre and a crisp shell.

Do you have to put white wine vinegar in pavlova? ›

The white wine vinegar and cornflour is optional, but I prefer it. It changes the texture of the meringue and makes it wonderfully marshmallow like in the middle, but still crunchy on the outside – and the vanilla is optional too.

What is special about pavlova? ›

A texture lover's dream come true, pavlova is made from egg whites that are slowly baked in a relatively cool oven. The egg whites take on a chewy-crisp texture on top, a soft marshmallow texture inside, and a crunchy crisp texture around the edges. That's three completely different textures in one single bite.

Why does my pavlova go chewy? ›

Sugar makes the pavlova mixture strong and stable, and is responsible for that super hard shiny crust. I found that as you reduce the sugar or increase the brown sugar (it has more moisture), the final result is a chewier, with a more fragile, shattery crust.

Are old or new eggs better for pavlova? ›

Use the freshest eggs possible. Fresh eggs create a better foam than older eggs. They're more acidic, which allows proteins to knit together tightly making a more stable foam. Frozen (and defrosted) egg whites are a good option too, as long as they were frozen while fresh.

How many days will pavlova keep? ›

If you store your pavlova in an airtight container or wrap it well in cling film, it should keep its taste and texture for up to 2 days. The pavlova will taste best if eaten the day after you make it. After you add fruit and whipped cream to your pavlova, you'll need to eat it within a few hours.

How to tell if pavlova is done? ›

Bake the meringue: Bake for 60 to 70 minutes for 1 large pavlova, or 50 to 60 minutes for mini-pavlovas. The pavlovas are done when the outsides are dry to the touch. The interior of a properly cooked pavlova should be marshmallowy. It's fine if cracks form in the crust.

Can you overbeat pavlova? ›

If you do happen to overbeat your meringue (which may end up looking clumpy and watery) you can try to save it by adding another egg white.

Why does my pavlova taste eggy? ›

Pavlova meringues should have a crisp crust on the outside but a soft, marshmallowy centre. It is quite unusual for a meringue to have an "eggy" flavour and unfortunately this is usually an indication that the eggs are slightly stale.

Do you leave the oven door open when cooking pavlova? ›

I prefer to turn the fan off when making pavlova or macarons. Avoid opening the oven while the pavlova is baking – cook for nearly 2 hours and then leave in the (turned off) oven to cool down. If you can't resist checking, wait until the oven door doesn't feel hot any more.

What wine is best for pavlova? ›

Pavlova: You are looking to complement the sweet meringue, and the crunchy/chewy texture and flavour of the cream and added fruits, making it an ideal candidate for a Moscato D'Asti, as it offers a subtle hint of carbonation.

Can I use apple cider vinegar instead of white wine vinegar in pavlova? ›

If wine vinegars are a problem then there are some alternatives and apple cider vinegar, or cider vinegar, does not have a strong taste and would be a good alternative. Balsamic vinegar should be avoided as its taste is too strong. It is also possible to use lemon juice or cream of tartar as alternatives.

What happens if you overbeat egg whites for pavlova? ›

Overbeating egg white breaks down the structure and the meringue is likely to collapse during baking. Beat until firm peaks form, then start adding sugar. If the egg white starts to separate or looks curdled, it's overbeaten and you'll need to start again with fresh egg whites.

Does pavlova taste like meringue? ›

Named after the famous Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova, a pavlova is essentially a meringue cake made of whipped egg whites and sugar. It's perfectly light and crisp on the outside, ever so slightly chewy, and the middle tastes like a light, airy marshmallow.

What are the 3 types of meringue? ›

There are three basic types of meringue: French, Swiss, and Italian. While they all use egg whites as the primary ingredient, each style has its unique preparation method that affects its texture and taste.

Why is pavlova not white? ›

The outside of a pavlova meringue may not be quite as brilliantly white as a crisp meringue because of the higher oven temperature but it should not be buff coloured or dark brown. If the meringue is taking on too much colour then the oven temperature is too high.

Is pavlova Russian or Australian? ›

pavlova, meringue-based dessert of Australian and New Zealand origin that is commonly topped with whipped cream and fruit and served at holidays. New Zealanders and Australians compete for ownership of pavlova, which in both countries is an iconic national delicacy.

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