Easy Australian Dessert Recipe – Classic Pavlova
I am so excited to bring you a SHOW STOPPING dessert today! This recipe fits perfectly into my “Feeling Fancy” section because it looks intricate, difficult, and beautiful but it’s not hard to make at all! Let me introduce you to an Easy Australian Dessert Recipe – Classic Pavlova. It is a unique experience for your tastebuds with a crispy exterior and an interior that melts in your mouth like marshmallows. It’s topped with a fresh fruit sauce and a sprinkling more of the berries for both texture and appeal. One bite and I promise, you will be in LOVE!
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My history with pavlova goes all the way back to my college days and living in a small two-bedroom apartment as a newlywed. I was having a special gathering at my humble abode and I wanted to do something different for dessert. The main thing I was looking for was a simple dessert that was both delicious and beautiful and so I began to search the few cookbooks that I owned at the time.
One day, while I was searching the pages of the Barefoot Contessa cookbook, I saw the most glorious photo of this marshmallow-looking dessert with a raspberry sauce dripping down the sides and I just knew that this was it! This was going to be the dessert that I would make to impress my friends and for good reason.
It was everything that I was looking for.
The white meringue with a bright pop of red from the sauce was literally candy for the eyes. I just knew that this was going to be one of the best desserts that I had ever made.
Not only was this dessert new to me, but it was new to all of my guests as well. After all, it’s one of many traditional Australian Desserts and we are from Louisiana. The only “meringues” that we are used to are the ones made quickly, placed on top of pies, and broiled for that beautiful brown color on top. (I’m a fan of meringue… so, no hate from me.) But we had never seen a free-standing dessert that was essentially a large meringue!
Fun Fact – A local nickname for meringue is calf slobber! (kind of gross, I know… HA)
This dessert originates in Australia and/or New Zealand (nowhere near where I live), so it’s no surprise that neither myself nor my friends had ever seen a pavlova, much less tasted one. It was such a beautiful sight centered on the table and topped with fresh fruit. I can still see it now and the expressions of my guests as they asked, “What is it?”, “What does it taste like?”, “Was it hard to make?”.
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And I’ll answer those questions for you just like I did for them.
- It is essentially a large meringue that is baked slowly so that a nice crispy exterior can form while the interior stays soft and chewy.
- It tastes like a really delicious marshmallow (sort of).
- No, it is such an easy recipe. The oven does all of the work for you!
This Classic Australian dessert was named after the Russian Ballerina Anna Pavlova. But Why?
What Special Occasions would this Iconic Australian Dessert fit?
- I think it would be the perfect dessert for Christmastime. The colors are very festive and Christmas dinner is always a special occasion for families.
- Surprisingly, I also think that mini pavlovas would be adorable for Children’s Birthday parties. You could even set up a small table with different fruit toppings for the kiddos to make their own: Passion fruit, kiwi fruit, or even a chocolate sauce for those who REALLY have a sweet tooth!
Tips for the Easy Australian Dessert Recipe – Classic Pavlova:
- Leaving the pavlova to cool in the oven for an additional hour will keep it from deflating and cracking. If you take the delicate pavlova out of the oven and into a drastic temperature change so quickly, the fragile dessert just won’t hold up.
- Drawing the circle on the parchment paper will help you to get the right shape and size when forming the pavlova.
- When forming the pavlova, if you push the mixture towards the edge and build it up slightly, it creates a meringue shell. This is perfect for holding the whipped cream and berry sauce when you are ready to serve. (It’s beautiful dripping down the sides, but more challenging to eat. This “shell” shape will help hold the contents of the dessert.)
- Make sure that your egg whites are room temperature and not cold.
- There can NOT be any egg yolks in your egg whites, or the egg whites will not form properly.
- Use a metal or glass bowl to beat the egg whites. Plastic bowls are just not a good option for the best result.
- Beat the egg whites on medium speed and for a little bit longer as opposed to high speed for a shorter amount of time.
- If you have superfine sugar (caster sugar), this would be the perfect recipe to use it. If you don’t have superfine sugar, regular granulated white sugar is just fine or you can put your sugar into a grinder/food processor and make it even finer.
Make the Easy Australian Dessert Recipe – Classic Pavlova with me on YouTube!
Easy Australian Dessert Recipe – Classic Pavlova Ingredients:
For the Pavlova:
- 1 cup of sugar
- Pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons corn starch
- 4 egg whites
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
For the whipped topping:
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon sugar
For the fresh berry sauce:
- 1/2 cup fresh raspberries + a few for the top
- 1/2 cup fresh strawberries + a few for the top
- 1 cup grape jelly
- 1/2 cup fresh blueberries + a few for the top
- 1/2 cup sugar
- Juice of 1/2 of a lemon
Easy Australian Dessert Recipe – Classic Pavlova Instructions:
Making the fresh berry sauce:
- First, add the berries, jelly, and sugar to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat.
- Second, lower the heat and let the mixture simmer for 4 minutes.
- Third, pour the mixture into a blender and blend until smooth. Make sure that you leave a place for the air/heat to escape so that it doesn’t explode. (I like to place a towel over the top of my blender to prevent splatters and building pressure because of the heat.)
- Finally, let the fresh berry sauce chill in the fridge until it’s time to top the pavlova. (You will only need 1/2 of this sauce for the Pavlova. Keep the rest to put on top of ice cream or for whatever else your heart desires!)
Making the whipped cream:
- First, whip the cream in a mixing bowl with an electric mixer or a hand mixer.
- Then, when it starts to thicken, add the sugar and vanilla and continue to beat until firm. Store in an airtight container in the fridge until you are ready to use it.
Making the Pavlova:
- First, preheat the oven to 180 degrees F.
- Second, place the parchment paper on the baking sheet and draw a 9-inch circle on the parchment paper.
- Third, separate 4 egg whites into the bowl of a stand mixer.
- Beat the egg whites in a bowl until stiff peaks form. Gradually add sugar, about 1 tablespoon at a time, beating well after each addition, and add the salt. Continue beating until the meringue is thick, white, and glossy.
- Next, lower the speed of the mixer and add the cornstarch, lemon juice, and vanilla extract into the whipped egg whites.
- Then, place the mixture inside the circle drawn on the parchment paper. Spread the mixture toward the outside edge and build the edge slightly. This should leave a slight “well” in the center.
- Bake the pavlova for 1 1/2 hours at 180 degrees.
- Then, turn the oven off and leave the pavlova in the oven with the door shut for another hour to gently cool.
- Finally, once the pavlova has completely cooled, transfer to a beautiful serving dish.
- First, spread the whipped cream on top.
- Second, spoon 1/2 of the chilled berry sauce all over the top of the pavlova.
- Third, top with a few fresh blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries.
Variations for the Easy Australian Dessert Recipe – Classic Pavlova:
- You can make mini pavlovas with this recipe and each person can have their own individual servings.
- Another unique way to serve/make pavlova would be in delicious layers. Think like a cake. You can make several pavlovas and pile them on top of each other with different fruits, jams, or even chocolates in between.
Storage for the Easy Australian Dessert Recipe – Classic Pavlova:
- Once you’ve topped the pavlova with whipped cream, sauce, and berries, it must be eaten the same day.
- If you don’t plan on finishing the pavlova the day that you serve it, I would only top each serving with whipped cream, berries, and sauce.
- Pavlova can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. (If you don’t have an airtight container, you may need to wrap the pavlova in plastic wrap tightly and then store it in the fridge.)
What are the Macros for the Easy Australian Dessert Recipe – Classic Pavlova?
Makes 8 servings (Nutritional information below is for 1 serving = 1 slice)
- Calories – 296.3
- Protein – 2.76 grams
- Carbs – 48.6 grams (net)
- Fat – 10.8 grams
Check out some of my other fancy recipes!
Mini Crab Cakes with Remoulade
Cajun Shrimp and Grits with Sausage
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Easy Australian Dessert Recipe – Classic Pavlova
Equipment
- 1 electric mixer
- 1 Baking sheet
- Parchment paper
Ingredients
For the Pavlova:
- 1 cup of sugar
- 2 teaspoons corn starch
- Pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 egg whites
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
For the whipped topping:
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon sugar
For the fresh berry sauce:
- 1/2 cup fresh raspberries + a few for the top
- 1/2 cup fresh strawberries + a few for the top
- 1 cup grape jelly
- 1/2 cup fresh blueberries + a few for the top
- 1/2 cup sugar
- Juice of 1/2 of a lemon
Instructions
Making the fresh berry sauce:
- First, add the berries, jelly, and sugar to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat.
- Second, lower the heat and let the mixture simmer for 4 minutes.
- Third, pour the mixture into a blender and blend until smooth. Make sure that you leave a place for the air/heat to escape so that it doesn’t explode. (I like to place a towel over the top of my blender to prevent splatters and building pressure because of the heat.)
- Finally, let the fresh berry sauce chill in the fridge until it’s time to top the pavlova.
Making the whipped cream:
- First, whip the cream in a mixing bowl with an electric mixer or a hand mixer.
- Then, when it starts to thicken, add the sugar and vanilla and continue to beat until firm.
Making the Pavlova:
- First, preheat the oven to 180 degrees F.
- Second, place the parchment paper on the baking sheet and draw a 9-inch circle on the parchment paper.
- Third, beat the egg whites in a bowl until stiff peaks form. Gradually add sugar, about 1 tablespoon at a time, beating well after each addition, and add the salt. Continue beating until the meringue is thick, white, and glossy.
- Next, lower the speed of the mixer and add the cornstarch, lemon juice, and vanilla extract into the whipped egg whites.
- Then, place the mixture inside the circle drawn on the parchment paper. Spread the mixture toward the outside edge and build the edge slightly. This should leave a slight “well” in the center.
- Bake the pavlova for 1 1/2 hours at 180 degrees.
- Then, turn the oven off and leave the pavlova in the oven with the door shut for another hour to gently cool.
- Finally, once the pavlova has completely cooled, transfer to a beautiful serving dish.
- First, spread the whipped cream on top.
- Second, spoon the chilled berry sauce all over the top of the pavlova.
- Third, top with a few fresh blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries.
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