Ingredients

The following ingredients have 4 Servings
  • 180 ml | 1 ¼ cup egg whites (from 6 large eggs)
  • ¼ tsp cream of tartar
  • 360 g | 12.6 oz caster sugar
  • 2 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch)
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract or paste
  • 500 g | 2 cups double cream
  • 125 g | 1 cup icing sugar ((powdered sugar))
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract or paste
  • 6 tbsp lemon or passionfruit curd (OPTIONAL)
  • 300g | 10 ½ oz fresh berries ((one large punnet of berries))
  • icing sugar to dust ((powdered sugar))

Instruction

  • Preheat the oven to to 130C (270F) and place the shelf in the middle or lower end of the oven. Line a large tray with greaseproof paper and trace a 20cm (8in) circle on it.
  • Wipe your mixer bowl with lemon juice. Put the egg whites and cream of tartar in the mixing bowl and briefly mix together with a balloon whisk to combine.
  • Start whisking on LOW SPEED until the egg whites start to form large and then smaller bubbles and become foamy.
  • Continue whisking on medium-low speed until the egg whites have formed soft peaks. Start adding the sugar one tablespoon at a time while whisking on medium speed. Be patient, it can take as long as 10 minutes for all the sugar to be incorporated.
  • Increase the speed to medium high and continue whisking until the meringue is stiff and glossy. Feel a small amount of meringue between your fingers – if it feels gritty then the sugar hasn’t fully dissolved yet.
  • Continue to whisk until the sugar is fully dissolved and the meringue is stiff and glossy.
  • Add the lemon juice (or vinegar), cornflour and vanilla paste and whisk them in for 30 seconds.
  • Pile the meringue on your tray, quite high, to fill the circle you traced. Use an offset spatula to shape it, making a small indent in the centre. Alternatively you can pipe the meringue instead of freestyling for a more structured look.
  • Bake for 20 minutes then REDUCE the oven temperature to 90°C (195°F) or up to 110°C (225°F) please see notes about altitude. Bake for a further 90 minutes without opening the oven door. Turn the oven off and leave the pavlova to cool inside the oven for 5-6 hours or overnight to avoid cracks. At this point you can store the cooled meringue shells in an airtight container for several days.*** READERS BAKING AT HIGH ALTITUDE: Bake at 110°C (230°F).
  • Whisk the cream, icing sugar and vanilla extract until you have soft to medium peaks.
  • Ripple the lemon curd into the whipped cream and fill the pavlova once you are ready to serve (do not fill in advance).
  • Pile a handful of fresh berries over the top and serve with a dusting of icing sugar.