Aussie Pavlova

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An absolute staple of the Australian diet and loved by millions is this famous dessert. We’re talking about none other than the delicious Aussie Pavlova. A dessert that consists of a baked Meringue which is fluffy and light on the inside, with a crisp, chewy shell on the outside. To finish it all off it is topped with a generous slathering of Whipped Cream and slices of fresh summer fruits. The texture is this dessert is so unique and the flavor is outstanding. It’s a perfect dessert to enjoy for a festive occasion, or just whenever you’re looking for something sweet and delicious to enjoy!

The classic Aussie Pavlova is a favorite dessert for the Christmas Holiday Season

Unlike folks in the Northern Hemisphere, the holiday season for Australians typically features scorching hot weather and dry months with less rainfall. So, when it comes to preparing family meals for Christmas, the traditional approach of heavy roast meats and stodgy desserts doesn’t really suit the climate. Can you imagine eating a Roast Turkey with gravy and stuffing on a 100F degree day? It’s hardly pleasant! So, typically lighter dishes such as Salads and Seafood is prepared

When it comes to dessert, the classic Aussie Pavlova is a huge favorite for family down under. It is a far more suitable after dinner treat than baked pies or stodgy puddings. It’s light, airy texture pairs perfectly with those fresh summer fruits and is so suitable for the season. The dish is packed full of sweetness that you expect from a sugary dessert, but doesn’t leave you feeling full or bloated

So, while this dish is enjoyed all year around, it is definitely a dish that is best suited for warmer climates. Not that we would ever tell you when to eat Pavlova however! In full disclosure, we recommend cooking and enjoying a classic Pavlova whenever you want!

How to make an Aussie Pavlova

There are very few ingredients and steps involved in making a perfect Aussie Pavlova. It is a simple Meringue made up of whisked Egg Whites, Sugar, and a little bit of seasoning – in this case a combination of Vanilla Extract and a pinch of Salt. We also add some Corn Starch to the dish which helps produce the Pavlovas wonderful, fluffy body

Combine these ingredients together by aggressively whisking them until they form a dense enough mixture that can create peaks. What ‘peaks’ are is basically what the name suggests. When you place a spoon or spatula into the mixture and pull it out, the mixture will form a ‘peak’ like shape, like a mini mountain. The ‘peak’ will hold its shape when it’s done

There’s a classic test you can do to check when your meringue mixture is ready for baking, and that is by tipping the bowl over your head. If it’s done, the meringue mixture will stick to the bowl and not fall out. Now, if you’re making this for the first time we’d recommend against doing that, just in-case it does need some more whipping instead! Stick to the peaks test for a safer bet!

At this point it’s worth mentioning that having an electric mixer / whisk will make your life a lot easier

This is a statement that is true for any home cooking really. If you can use some horsepower to manage any whipping, mixing, or kneading of ingredients it’s going to make your life so much easier. For our Aussie Pavlova you will need to aggressively whisk the Egg White, as well as the Heavy Cream for a successful result

This is best achieved with a Stand Mixer with the whisk attachment, or a hand mixer. The total whisking time will only take a few minutes at most, so it will significantly decrease the amount of preparation time needed to make this dish

If you do not have a motorized whisk that is ok, you can still make this dish! It will just require whisking by hand, which will take about 5x the time. So, you can follow the recipe below, just allow more time until the right consistency is formed for the meringue and cream mixture

Baking the Meringues to turn them into perfect Pavlovas

For our Aussie Pavlova recipe, we will be making 4 personal Pavlovas. So, instead of one massive Pavlova which would be eaten similarly to a pie or cake (eg: cutting on a slice per person), we’re making individual portions of Pavlovas

To do so, line a large sheet pan with parchment paper and then pipe or spoon out the mixture into 4 separate circles. If you want to be very specific you can draw out a circle with a bowl on the paper to be precise. If that doesn’t matter, simply spoon or pipe the Mixture out into 4 circles about 3 to 4 inches in diameter. Make sure there is enough space between them, so they don’t stick together while baking

Pavlova bakes at a very low temperature of just 230F, and it bakes for 1 hour. The trick to perfecting a Pavlova is to ensure that the outer meringue doesn’t crack. This is tricky to do, and the reason why Pavlova breaks is when it cools too quickly

So, you want to cool your Pavlovas very slowly after the 1-hour baking time. To do so, turn off the Oven, but keep the Pavlovas in there for 15 minutes as the temperature slowly decreases. Then, crack the Oven open slightly (you can use a wooden spoon if needed) to continue to gradually decrease the temperature. Leave the Pavlovas in the Oven for 1 – 2 hours like this before removing them

Hopefully if done correctly you will have crack-free Pavlovas that are perfectly cooked and ready for decorating

The finale for this amazing dessert is topping them with Whipped Cream and Summer Fruits

To complete the decadence, which is a classic Aussie Pavlova, it is topped with a generous amount of Whipped Cream and your choice of Fruit. I could never get enough cream on my Pavlova as a kid, and that still rings true today. Most people may not layer on as much as I do, but for added decadence in this dessert I highly recommend piling on as much cream as you can!

For the fruit, this is about personal preference as well as what fruits are in season when you’re preparing the dish. At the time of preparing this dish, Strawberries and Kiwi Fruit were in season so we added them to the dish. What you want are sweet fruits to complement the sweetness of the dish. Passionfruit is another popular fruit to add to the Aussie Pavlova, it brings a beautiful tartness to the dish which can help balance out the sweetness

Aussie Pavlova Recipe

Ingredients

• 3 Egg Whites (room temperature)
• ¾ cup Granulated Sugar
• 2 tsp. Corn Starch
• 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
• A pinch of Salt
  
  

Decoration

• 1 cup Heavy Cream
• ¼ cup Confectionary Sugar
• ½ tsp. Vanilla Extract
• Your favorite sweet fruits (eg: Berries, Kiwi Fruit, etc.)
  
  

Equipment needed: Stand Mixer with whisk attachment

Instructions

1. Add the Egg Whites to your mixing bowl along with a pinch of Salt and whisk on low for about 30 seconds. Increase the speed to high and continue whisking until a meringue is formed and peaks form, about 2 minutes
2. Stop mixing and add the Sugar ¼ at a time. Begin whisking again after adding the first ¼ of Sugar until the peaks reform. Repeat until all of the Sugar has been added
3. Remove the Meringue from the mixer and add Corn Starch and Vanilla Extract. Fold through the meringue with a spoon or spatula until fully incorporated
4. Pipe or Spoon the Meringue onto a large sheet pan lined with baking paper into 4 x 3 – 4-inch-wide circles then bake in the oven which has been pre-heated to 230F for 1 hour
5. After 1 hour, turn off the Oven, but leave the door shut for 15 more minutes to continue baking the Pavlova. After 15 minutes, crack the door of the Oven open (wedge a wooden spoon into the door if you need to) and allow to cool for at least 1 hour, preferably 2
   
   

Make the Whipped Cream and decorate your Pavlova

6. Add the Heavy Cream, Confectionary Sugar, and Vanilla Extract in your mixing bowl. Whisk on medium / high in your stand mixer until the Cream has whipped (about 1 minute)
7.  Coat a generous amount of Whipped Cream over the top of your Pavlova and top with thinly sliced pieces of fruit and serve immediately
   
   

Recipe Notes

• Store your Aussie Pavlova in a sealable container at room temperature. Refrigerate any Cream not used and only add right before serving
• You can hand whisk this recipe if you do not have a Stand Mixer, it will just take a little bit more time
  
  

That’s our recipe for a classic Aussie Pavlova! We highly recommend you give this dish a try, especially if you’ve never eaten one before. They’re a fun and unique dessert that taste great and leaves you wanting to come back for more

Check out our Desserts page here for our full list of sweet after dinner treats. Here are a few of our favorites that we recommend you try:

• Easy Crème Brulee
• Afghan Cookies
• Passionfruit Cupcakes
• The Best Brownies Ever
  
  

Happy Cooking!