Home > Recipes by Category > Custard, Meringue & Pudding Desserts > Traditional Pavlova
Traditional Pavlova
One of the great things about being a food blogger is belonging to a large, supportive and nurturing community. I have found the food blogging community to be such a great group of people – helping one another through issues (technical problems, marketing questions, working with brands, etc.) – everyone seems to jump to help one another. The community mourns together. And it celebrates exciting life moments just the same. Which is why Lisa and Marla put together an awesome virtual baby shower for Maria of Two Peas and Their Pod, who is expecting her first bundle of joy in just a few short weeks. Not surprisingly, the way food bloggers celebrate a virtual baby shower is by sharing some food! This pavlova is my contribution to the shower that is taking place across dozens of blogs today.
Marla and Lisa were super stealth – they even sent all of us bloggers who are friends with Maria these super cute invitations. How fun!
I admittedly haven’t been to many baby showers in my time (most of my friends are just getting around to that stage in life) but when I think of baby showers, I think of cute little bites, fresh flavors, and light textures. I racked my brain trying to think of a great dish to bring to the shower, and then it finally hit me – pavlova! It’s a dessert that I’ve always been intrigued by, but have never had the pleasure of making. The dessert was named after a Russian dancer, Anna Pavlova, to honor her while touring in either Australia or New Zealand (it has apparently been a source of contention between the two countries for years). Pavlova is essentially a big pile of meringue that is baked up and topped with whipped cream and fresh fruit.
MY OTHER RECIPES 
My good friend Beth actually sent me this recipe back at the beginning of the year for me to try (thank you Beth!). She figured I might want an authentic Aussie recipe for the dessert, and this comes from her friend’s mom (who is Australian). This is actually remarkably easy to make – you whip up egg whites into a stiff and glossy meringue and pile it into a circle. Bake it and let it cool, and then top it with fresh whipped cream and your favorite fruit. As it dries it will crack and dip and do all sorts of funny things – I love its character! It slices clean and pretty and has an incredibly light texture. I enlisted my sister as a taste tester and she said she wasn’t expecting to like it, but LOVED it. She said it was better than cake, and that she’s going to request it for her next birthday. Definitely a sign that something is a winner!
Happy Baby Shower, Maria! I hope you enjoy the virtual display of food and are relaxing and getting ready for your little man! Congratulations!
Be sure to check out all of the other recipes that were a part of the virtual baby shower! I would have loved to attend such an awesome food gathering in person! (Scroll down for the pavlova recipe!)
Virtual Baby Shower for Two Peas & Their Pod
Drinks
Simple Bites – Lemon Balm infused Lemonade
Ingredients, Inc. – Healthy Fruit Punch
Food for My Family – Lemongrass Soda
Heather’s Dish – Mixed Fruit Punch
She Wears Many Hats – Mini Pistachio Smoothies
Georgia Pellegrini – Watermelon Agua Fresca & a New Pea
Appetizers/Savory Bites
With Style and Grace – Truffle Popcorn
Family Fresh Cooking – Baby Peas & Cheese Frittata
Barbara Bakes – Creamy Orange Fruit Dip and Fruit
Aggie’s Kitchen – Pasta Salad with Balsamic Basil Vinaigrette
Reluctant Entertainer – Nutella Berry Bruschetta
Dessert
TidyMom – Baby Blue Velvet Cake Truffles
i am baker – Baby Pea Baby Shower Cake
Brown Eyed Baker – Pavlova
Picky Palate – Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookie Sandwich
What’s Gaby Cooking – Coconut Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Icing
Cookin’ Canuck – Nutella & Cream Cheese Swirled Blondies
Kevin and Amanda – Baby Blue Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookie Cups
Sweetopia – Decorated Sugar Cookies
Mountain Mama Cooks – Lavender Shortbread Cookies
Sweetapolita – Decorated Sugar Cookies
Bake at 350 – Petit Fours with fondant pea pods
RecipeGirl – Baby Button Cookies
RecipeBoy – Mud Cups with Gummy Worms
Add a Pinch – Blackberry Tartlets
Dine and Dish – Oven Baked Cinnamon Apples
Crafts
Wenderly – Handmade Sweet Pea Cards
Our Best Bites – How To: Make a Diaper Cake Centerpiece
Did you make this recipe?
A classic recipe for a meringue dessert
- 6
egg whites
(at room temperature)
- 1½
cups
granulated sugar
Pinch
of cream of tartar
- 1¼
cups
heavy cream
- 1
tablespoon
powdered sugar
- 1
teaspoon
vanilla extract
Fresh fruit
1. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and draw a 9-inch circle in the middle. Spray with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Using an electric mixer with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form. Add the granulated sugar and beat for 10 minutes, or until the sugar has dissolved. Add the cream of tartar and beat for one additional minute. Spoon the mixture onto the circle, and use a spatula to shape the egg white mixture into a circle with decorative sides, if desired.
3. Bake for 1 hour, or until firm to the touch. Turn off the oven and prop the oven door open with a wooden spoon. Allow the pavolva to cool completely in the oven.
4. When ready to serve, beat the heavy cream on medium-high speed. When the cream gets foamy, add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Continue to beat until soft peaks form.
5. Transfer the pavlova to a serving plate. Top with the whipped cream and fresh fruit.
Calories: 297kcal
Fat: 13g
Saturated fat: 8g
Cholesterol: 50mg
Sodium: 52mg
Potassium: 75mg
Carbohydrates: 41g
Sugar: 40g
Protein: 3g
Vitamin A: 11.7%
Vitamin C: 0.6%
Calcium: 2.6%
Iron: 0.2%
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
I followed the direction of this to a T. My peaks were stiff and perfect, and then it all fell apart when I added the sugar. It never firmed up again. I beat it for over 30 minutes waiting on it to stiffen up again, and nothing. I ended up putting in a pie dish to bake, as it was the only way to keep it contained. It’s in the oven now, and frankly I’m not expecting much. Pretty disappointed.
The Pavlova is from New Zealand, not Aussie!!! Good recipe all the same!
How long will this keep in the fridge before I put the cream & fruit on the top? Thanks :)
Hi Angela, I would only keep it for a day before serving.
Hi Michelle, I made the merengue base for this tonight and will frost it with the whipped cream tomorrow for my son’s birthday. So far, so good. The egg whites whipped up very high and firm, I was very pleased. I ran the sugar through the Vitamix before adding it to the egg whites.
I know this recipe has been up for a while, but I just found it before Christmas, and we made it for our Christmas dessert.
Yep. Total fiasco! Not pretty like in the picture, it looks like a big flat pancake. I didn’t waste it though. I just made crumbles out of it in separate little bowls and decorated it with whipping cream and fresh berries. Taste is great but representation is quite different… :-) is it possible to use 9″ ring form next time? Please, give me some advice, folks…
Hi Yelena, You really want to free-form a pavlova so that it develops that exterior crust. If it was runny, the egg white mixture likely wasn’t beat to stiff enough peaks. You should easily be able to shape the mixture with a spatula.
I followed the instructions just the way it’s written. I whisked everything with an electrical mixer with a timer but the mix didn’t stay in a circle of 9″, it just spread around…What did I do wrong?! It’s in the oven now but I expect this thing will come up pretty darn ugly… :-(
I know this recipe has been up for a while, but I just found it before Christmas, and we made it for our Christmas dessert. It was yummy, and my family literally Raved! about it! Thank you! I loved the simplicity of this recipe – I followed directions (especially whipping the meringue for 10 min after adding the sugar) and even using organic rough sugar, it was nicely melted and no grittiness at all, when using the full 10 min. This comes together so easily! but to make it easier (and less of a load on anyone for Christmas dinner), we split it up each one bringing one component (meringue, whipped cream, fruit), then assembled to eat. Just fyi, the meringue was made 3 days before it was used, stored loosely covered on a tray in a cool garage – and seemed to work out just fine. :)
Pavlova is DEFINITELY a kiwi recipe! Our McD’s even sells it as “kiwi pav”! damn aussies, always stealing out thunder! :D
Works amazingly in chocolate or coffee flavour!
I made this dessert this weekend and it was delicious. Thanks to Alice for the tip about putting the sugar in the food processor first. I used the six leftover egg yolks to make lemon curd that was delicious with the fruit (raspberries , blueberries and strawberries). When I left my pavlova in the oven, it started to crack quite a bit. It didn’t affect the taste and I covered it with whip cream, but my question is how long should it cool in the oven to prevent cracking? Would using a bit of white vinegar( as suggested by Skye) help?
Pavlova is such a stunning dessert! Your fruit combination is just perfect…as is this dish for a baby shower!
I love Pavlova!! I haven’t made it in quite a while maybe over a year, but it’s amazing!! Yours is so pretty =)
This cake looks sooo good, and is pretty too. I’m for sure going to make this cake for next weekend. It sounds so easy to make and I’m sure my hubby will love it.
What a beautiful dessert, I love it – even more that’s gluten-free! Thanks again for the kind words and for joining the party, Maria has spoken nothing but wonderful things about you :)
That is absolutely the sweetest thing! The pavlova looks delightful and Two Peas in a Pod is such a sweetheart!
What a wonderful idea to have a virtual baby shower! The pavlova looks beautiful. And you are right…could you imagine the spread of all of this fabulous food in person!?!
I’m going to make this beautiful dessert for a family get-together this weekend. It looks like the perfect ending to a meal of grilled beef tenderloin, my Bonefish grill salad, and your own green been casserole. A great use for some end-of-summer berries! Thanks for sharing.
I love the cake stand! so elegant and a great set up for the pavlova. You DO take such nice pictures!!! I hope I can try this recipe as soon as possible.
such a pretty dessert for a lovely occasion!
What a gorgeous looking pavlova!
Your Pav looks fantastic. I’m a New Zealander (or a Kiwi as we known) and yes the contention between the countries as to who made up a Pav is a strong one BUT one which has finally been resolved when they found the oldest dated recipe ever…in NZ (so there you Aussies). The best thing about a Pav is that it doesn’t have to be perfect looking on top. You can flip it over or else cover the crater with cream. Although you can use any fruit you like on top, the favourites would have to be strawberries or passionfruit. Yoy can also make it in a swiss roll tin, fill it and roll it (like a chocolate log) as a yummy alternative for dessert. I always use castor sugar because it dissolves faster and I always add in a bit of white vinegar and a bit of cornflour to help to stabilise the egg whites so it holds its shape. Your Pav looks absolutely delicious….maybe you have some Kiwi genes in there?
I’ve always thought making pavlova would be terribly challenging but your recipe & instructions seem very attainable!
xo
http://allykayler.blogspot.com/
Is the oven temperature correct? 250 degrees seems low…
Hi Mary, Yes that temperature is correct; pavlovas are baked at a low temperature for a fairly long amount of time (about an hour).
Beautiful! What a lovely and perfect recipe for a shower, great job!
What a perfect light dessert for a baby shower. This looks just beautiful and if I can get the meringue right very doable….I will have to try this!
Yummm Pav’s are my favourite desert! So easy – and so delicious.
I think the votes overwhelmingly point to this being a Kiwi desert! ;)