Equipment
Ingredients
Meringue Base
- 120 g egg whites, room temperature
- 220 g caster sugar
- 10 g cornstarch
- 5 ml white vinegar
- 5 ml vanilla extract
Topping
- 300 ml heavy whipping cream, chilled
- 15 g powdered sugar
- 4 passion fruit, halved
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 357 kcal
- Protein
- 4 g
- Carbohydrates
- 46 g
- Fat
- 18 g
- Fiber
- 2 g
- Sugar
- 43 g
- Sodium
- 52 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 12 g
- Trans Fat
- 1 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 5 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Cholesterol
- 57 mg
- Potassium
- 140 mg
- Calcium
- 37 mg
- Iron
- 0.4 mg
- Magnesium
- 11 mg
- Phosphorus
- 44 mg
- Zinc
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin A
- 216 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 5 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.8 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 0.5 mg
- Vitamin K
- 2 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.0 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.1 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.01 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.21 mg
- Niacin
- 0.3 mg
- Folate
- 5 mcg
- Water
- 60 g
- Alcohol
- 0 g
Sources: USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat oven to 120 degrees Celsius or 250 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and draw a 20 centimeter circle on the reverse side as a guide.
In a spotlessly clean mixing bowl, whip the room temperature egg whites on medium speed until soft peaks form.
Increase speed slightly and gradually add the caster sugar, one tablespoon at a time, continuing to whip until the meringue is incredibly glossy, stiff peaks form, and the sugar is completely dissolved.
Sprinkle the cornstarch, white vinegar, and vanilla extract evenly over the meringue, then gently fold them in using a silicone spatula to maintain the volume.
Spoon the meringue onto the parchment paper within the drawn circle. Use the spatula to create a nest shape with slightly higher edges and a slight crater in the center to hold the filling.
Place the baking sheet in the oven and immediately reduce the temperature to 110 degrees Celsius or 230 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake for 75 minutes without opening the door.
Turn the oven off entirely. Leave the meringue inside to cool completely with the oven door propped slightly ajar using a wooden spoon handle.
Just before serving, in a separate chilled bowl, whip the heavy cream and powdered sugar together until soft, billowy peaks form.
Carefully peel the parchment paper away and transfer the cooled meringue shell to a serving plate. Spoon the softly whipped cream into the center crater.
Scoop the fresh passion fruit pulp and seeds generously over the whipped cream. Serve immediately.
Chef's Notes
- Wipe your mixing bowl and whisk with a few drops of lemon juice or white vinegar on a paper towel before starting to remove any trace amounts of residual fat, which can prevent egg whites from achieving maximum volume.
- Using room temperature egg whites is essential for building a voluminous, stable meringue. Cold egg whites will not whip up nearly as effectively.
- Do not skip the cornstarch or the vinegar. These two ingredients interfere with the coagulation of the egg white proteins just enough to ensure the center remains marshmallow-soft while the exterior dries out.
- When whipping the heavy cream, stop at soft, billowy peaks rather than stiff peaks. Softly whipped cream provides a luxurious mouthfeel and makes the delicate meringue much easier to cut into elegant slices.
Storage
Refrigerator: 4 hours — Assembled pavlova will rapidly soften and weep. Store unassembled meringue in an airtight container at room temperature.
Troubleshooting
Meringue is weeping a clear sugar syrup from the bottom after baking
Cause: Undissolved sugar in the meringue mixture before baking
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Add sugar very slowly during whipping and ensure it is fully dissolved by rubbing a small amount of the mixture between your fingers; it should feel perfectly smooth.
Meringue shell cracked severely and collapsed in the center
Cause: Cooling the meringue too rapidly or opening the oven door during the baking process
Fix: Cover the cracks generously with whipped cream; it will still taste delicious.
Prevention: Always leave the meringue in the turned-off oven until completely cool with the door only slightly ajar.
Cultural Context
While the requested tags include British, the Pavlova is actually fiercely claimed by both Australia and New Zealand as their national dessert. It was created in the 1920s in honor of the famed Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova during her tours of the antipodes, with its light, airy texture meant to evoke the delicate ruffles of her iconic tutu.
