Named after a Russian ballet dancer, this meringue “cake” takes center stage, topped with whipped cream and fresh fruit, like berries, kiwifruit, mango, or even passionfruit. Both New Zealand and Australia lay claim to inventing this famous dessert. I’m happy to say that I’d eat Pavlova any which way – even if it was invented on the moon.
Since we’re making Pavlova in honor of our New Zealander Global Table, we’ll be adding slices of fresh kiwifruit (be careful not to call it kiwi, as that is the state bird as well as a nickname for local New Zealanders). Kiwifruit is a major export of the island nation.
| Servings | Prep Time |
| 1 8″ cake | 40 minutes |
| Cook Time | Passive Time |
| 65 minutes | 1 hour |
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Named after a Russian ballet dancer, this meringue “cake” takes center stage, topped with whipped cream and fresh fruit, like berries, kiwifruit, mango, or even passionfruit. Both New Zealand and Australia lay claim to inventing this famous dessert. I’m happy to say that I’d eat Pavlova any which way – even if it was invented on the moon.
Since we’re making Pavlova in honor of our New Zealander Global Table, we’ll be adding slices of fresh kiwifruit (be careful not to call it kiwi, as that is the state bird as well as a nickname for local New Zealanders). Kiwifruit is a major export of the island nation.
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Ingredients
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tsp white wine vinegar
- 2 Tbsp cornstarch
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 6 large egg whites (about 1 cup), at room temperature
- 1 pinch salt
Garnish
- 2-3 cups blueberries
- raspberries
- strawberries
- kiwi
- 1-2 cups heavy cream , whipped
Servings: 8″ cake
Units:
Instructions
- Measure out all ingredients; once you start whipping you’re not going to want to stop.
- Stir together a flurry of cornstarch and sugar, using the back of a spoon to evenly distribute the cornstarch and break up any pesky lumps.
- Now we can go ahead and preheat the oven to 250F (it doesn’t take very long to heat up). Meanwhile, whip egg whites to soft peaks. Add the cornstarch mixture, 1 tablespoon at a time, until fully incorporated.
- Stream in the vinegar and vanilla extract. Whip on high 5-7 minutes, or until shiny, stiff peaks form.
- To be quite sure the meringue is done, take a little pinch between your fingers – if it’s gritty, it’s not done. If it feels smooth, you’re all set.
- Trace and 8″ circle on a piece of parchment paper (make sure the pencil side faces down so it doesn’t touch the food). Pile the whipped whites onto the center of your circle. Spread it all around to evenly fill the circle you made, forming an 8 inch “cake.”
- Bake at 250F for 50 minutes. Reduce heat to 200F and continue cooking another 15 minutes. The pavolov should be white with a shattering crust. There should be no browning or much cracking.
- Turn off the heat and let the pavlova cool completely in the oven. No peeking, or the sudden temperature change might cause large cracks to form.
- Whip the cream until fluffy and light. Smooth the whipped cream onto the pavlova with a light touch, then pile on the berries (I used 1 cup of whipped cream and I think next time I’d use more because it helps balance the sweet meringue). I let the blueberries fall where they will, but put the kiwi slices straight up, for a little dimension. Enjoy!