Australia · Oceania

Pavlova

Name: Pavlova
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 90 min
Yield: One 8-inch pavlova
Cuisine: Australia
Ingredients: 4 large egg whites, room temperature; 200 g (1 cup) caster (superfine) sugar; 1 tsp white vinegar; 1 tbsp cornstarch; 1/2 tsp vanilla; 300 ml (1 1/4 cups) heavy cream; 1 tbsp powdered sugar; Fresh fruit: strawberries, kiwi, passionfruit, berries

Crisp meringue with a marshmallow middle, cream and fruit

🛂 Passport Stamp No.024 · Postmarked in Australia

20m

Prep

90m

Bake

One 8-inch pavlova

Makes

Advanced

Level

Jump to recipe ↓

Postmark · Australia

🏛 A little history

Pavlova is a cloud of baked meringue — crisp and cracky on the outside, soft like marshmallow inside — piled with whipped cream and fresh fruit. It was named after Anna Pavlova, a famous Russian ballerina who toured the world in the 1920s; a dessert this light and airy seemed just right for a dancer.

Australia and New Zealand have a friendly argument about who invented it first — and both adore it. It's the star of summer holidays and Christmas tables, usually crowned with strawberries, passionfruit, and kiwi.

👩‍🍳 Let's bake!

Heat the oven to 120°C (250°F). Draw an 18 cm circle on parchment, then flip it ink-side down on a tray.
Whip the egg whites to soft peaks, then add the sugar one spoonful at a time, beating until the meringue is thick, glossy, and not gritty when you rub a little between your fingers.
Whisk the cornstarch and vinegar together and fold in with the vanilla — these keep the middle soft and marshmallowy.
Pile the meringue onto the circle and shape a nest with slightly higher sides. Smooth it gently.
Bake 1 1/2 hours, then turn the oven OFF and leave the pavlova inside to cool completely (a few hours or overnight). This stops it cracking too much.
Just before serving, whip the cream with the powdered sugar, spoon it on top, and pile high with fresh fruit.

💡 Chef Axl's tips

Not a single drop of yolk in the whites, and a clean dry bowl — that's the whole secret to big fluffy meringue.
Make it on a dry day if you can; meringue hates humidity.
Top it right before eating so the crisp shell stays crisp.

Pantry

All-Purpose Flour

The everyday workhorse for cakes, cookies, and breads.

🧺 Pantry staple

Pantry

Sugar

Sweetens and helps bakes turn golden and tender.

🧺 Pantry staple

Pantry

Vanilla Extract

A splash of warm, sweet aroma in every batter.

🧺 Pantry staple

Pantry

Baking Powder

The little lift that makes cakes and cookies rise.

🧺 Pantry staple

Tools

Parchment Paper

Non-stick lining so nothing sticks to the pan.

Find it in the Shop →

Bakeware

Round Cake Pan

A sturdy round pan for perfectly even cake layers.

Find it in the Shop →

Tools

Offset Spatula

Angled blade for spreading frosting like a pro.

Find it in the Shop →

Pavlova

🏛 A little history

👩‍🍳 Let's bake!

💡 Chef Axl's tips

Shop this recipe

All-Purpose Flour

Sugar

Vanilla Extract

Baking Powder

Parchment Paper

Round Cake Pan

Offset Spatula

Keep travelling ✈

Lamingtons

Butter Mamon