The great Aussie Pavlova! With a how-to video and easy tips that make all the difference, you’ll nail this classic Pavlova recipe every single time. With a delicate meringue crust and soft marshmallow insides, top with cream and fruit for a pav that will steal the show at any gathering!
Next time, try Mini Pavs. They’re adorable!
Pavlova
There is no greater summer dessert than the great Aussie Pav!
Pavlova is one of those desserts that is notoriously easy yet notoriously difficult. I think many people are scared to make it. Others have lamented that you should just accept that it will come out of the oven quite cracked.
Though I’m going to be sharing my tips for a perfect near-flawless pav (including a few you may have never heard of before!), first up, let me be clear about one thing – it does not matter if it cracks!! Even if it cracks severely.
Just do your best to piece it back together, using cream as a glue and to hide the worst cracks. It only needs to hold together for you to place it on the table, for everyone to ooh and ah over it, for you to have your moment of glory.
The minute it gets cut to serve it up, it doesn’t matter. Even a perfect pav looks like a mess once it starts being served!
But as it so happens, if you follow my tips, I’m confident you’ll have a crack-less near-flawless Pav… 😉
With the recipe video and my secret tips, this Pavlova recipe is easy to follow and you’ll nail it every single time!
Tips for a perfect pavlova
I’ve seen many “no-fail pavlova” tip lists, but I’ve never seen a list with all of these, mainly because some of them are my own, discovered after many trial and errors!
1. Measure the egg whites by volume. This is a big tip! “4 egg whites” can range from anywhere between 100 – 180ml (3 – 6oz) depending on the size of the eggs + how much egg white you manage to get out of each egg. The amount of egg whites used is key to a successful Pav!
2. Use fresh store bought eggs. Not eggs that have been hiding in the back of your fridge for weeks!
Got your own chickens? I’m jealous! BUT, don’t use freshly laid eggs for pavlova as they take longer to fluff up. Use eggs that are circa 5 days+ old. Store bought eggs are a safe bet. 🙂
3. Separate the eggs while fridge cold. Trust me, it’s so much easier than when they’re at room temperature. PS If you’re new to separating yolks from whites, just crack the eggs into your hand and let the whites slide through between your fingers. Jiggle your hand slightly to get all the whites off the yolk, and you’ll be left with just the yolk sitting in your fingers.
4. Not even a drop of yolk is allowed! Even a bit of yolk can ruin the whole batch i.e. it won’t fluff up. So if you accidentally get yolk in your whites, you can try scooping it out using a shell (also good tip for picking out shell bits) but if you think there’s any chance it has tainted the rest of the whites, start again. It isn’t worth the risk!
5. Bring egg whites to room temperature. They fluff up much better. So separate while cold, then bring to room temperature.
6. Make sure your bowls and whisk are clean and dry. Grease and water can stop whites from fluffing.
7. Use an inverted cake pan. For shaping (saves you drawing a circle on paper) and also ease of transferring the Pav to a platter. There is nothing sadder than pulling a perfect Pav out of the oven, only to have it crack when transferring it to the serving platter!
Tips continued below photo….you didn’t think I was done, did you? 😉
8. WEATHER WARNING!!! Heat and humidity. As it happens, Pav is a summer dessert but it is not conducive to being made in hot humid weather. It can cause the Pav to collapse during or after baking. I don’t know the exact temperatures and humidity % cut off points and had a number of epic failures before I figure out tips #9 – #13. Using the tips below, the Pav in the photos were made last week during a heat wave when it was 33C/91F and humidity was 65 – 75%. So if it is hot and humid where you are, do not skip #8 onwards, they were created especially for the Aussie summer!!!
9. Bigger is better….except in summer 😎 I know, I know. You want to do a giant pav. But honestly, for the sake of a Pav that doesn’t collapse on you, stick with 4 eggs. I can’t stress that enough. I’m speaking from experience here, having tried a few 6 egg pavs a few weeks ago. A 4 egg Pav will serve 8 -10 easily. 4 eggs doesn’t sound like much, but this expands. Any larger, and the risk of severe cracking is really high. At least, in hot humid weather. You can do giant Pavs in cooler months!
10. Don’t make it too tall. The taller the Pav, the greater the risk of collapse / severe cracking. In summer, I wouldn’t go higher than 5cm/2″. It will expand to about 7cm / 2.7″. You can do your taller Pavs in cooler months. 🙂
11. Make the edges sloped / dome like shape. Yes, a perfect cake-like shaped Pav with vertical smooth edges is pretty. But it’s also the most fragile shape. The shape of my Pav, almost like a dome but with a flat top, is the safest. Having the rugged surface also helps provide stability I find. (Really hoping an engineer reading this can explain why this is so in simple English, this is beyond my capabilities. I just know they are much more stable shaped like this!)
12. Preheat oven to a high temp, then turn down. The initial high temp really helps to get that crust kick started to stabilise the meringue.
13. Bake on a very low temp for longer – This keeps your Pav nice and white (so pretteee!). I bake mine at 100C /210f (fan/convection) or 115C / 240F (standard). Also baking for longer at a lower temp again helps with stability (higher temp can cause Pav to puff too fast which then collapses later).
14. No peeking and no thundering through the kitchen!! Seriously, I am NOT joking. Peeking = loss of heat / door slamming = collapsed Pav. Thundering through kitchen with timber floors (I’m glaring at a certain giant fur ball as I write that) = collapsed Pav.
15. Leave in oven overnight. Or all day. Letting it cool down gradually = less cracking risk. Also in summer, especially on hot humid days, where better to leave the Pav than in a sealed almost-airtight oven?
16. BE GENTLE when topping the Pav! Hanging my head in shame. I once tipped a bowl of strawberries on a Pav and watched in dismay as it sank. Place the topping on gently by hand.
17. Make extra cream. No, not for serving. To use as glue / disguise cracks / in case it sinks. Remember the beauty of the Pav – even in a severely destroyed state, it can still be made to look pretty with cream and fruit!
Follow those tips for my Pavlova recipe, and this is what will come out of the oven even on a 33C/91F day – a near perfect Pav. 🙌🏼
Top with cream and berries, or whatever fruit you want! I totally forgot to put passionfruit on this. I do feel like passionfruit and Pav is just quintessentially Aussie!
And that moment when you place if on the table, when everyone oohs and aaahs over the beautiful Pav…lap it up. You totally deserve it. 😉
Marshmallow on the inside. The softest most delicate meringue on the outside. Smothered in softly whipped cream and piled high with fruit… I truly cannot think of a great Aussie summer dessert. – Nagi x
PS. If it’s Christmas time however, you can take Pavlova to a whole new level – literally – with my showstopper Pavlova Christmas Tree! Or, serve up a platter of adorable Mini Pavlovas!
I love pav.
See?
Watch how to make it
Pavlova recipe video! Excuse the lighting and colour balance, it’s all over the place because it was filmed over a couple of days. 😇
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Pavlova!!
Ingredients
- 150 ml / 5 oz egg whites (4-5 eggs fridge cold eggs) (Note 1)
- 1 cup caster sugar (superfine sugar)
- 1 tbsp cornflour / cornstarch, sifted
- 1 tsp white vinegar
Cream
- 1 1/2 cups thickened cream / heavy cream (any whipping cream)
- 1/4 cup caster sugar (superfine sugar)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract or essence
Topping
- Fruit of choice. I used: raspberries, blueberries, strawberries and cherries.
Instructions
- Separate the whites and yolks while eggs are cold. Measure 150 ml/5oz egg whites (just shy of 2/3 cup, 140 – 160ml is ok).
- Set whites aside to come to room temperature.
- Preheat oven to 170°C/340°F (180°C fan-forced).
- Place whites in a bowl. Use a stand mixer (I use speed 7) or handheld beater (high) and beat until soft peaks form (Note 2)
- Add sugar 1 tbsp at a time, beating as you go. (Note 3)
- After adding the sugar, beat for a further 3 minutes or until thick and glossy. Rub a little of the fluff between your fingers, there should be no sugar grit – that means it is ready.
- Add cornflour and vinegar, beat on low for 5 – 7 seconds (or fold through with spatula) until just mixed through.
Making the Pav (Note 4)
- Get the base of a springform cake pan (24cm/9.5″ or larger) and turn it upside down. Dab meringue on the edge and place a piece of baking paper (parchment paper) on top.
- Gently place half the fluff onto the paper. Use the cake pan as a guide to make it round and coax it into a circle shape around 20cm / 8″ in diameter (Note 5).
- Carefully scoop out the remaining fluff. Now coax it into a dome shape (not a cake with straight smooth sides) with edges sloping in slightly. Flatten top. Make it 4-5cm / 2 ” high – not much higher. (Note 5). See video / photos in post. It will rise/expand.
- Transfer to baking tray. CAREFULLY place in the oven, GENTLY close the door and turn oven DOWN to 115°C/240°F (100°C fan).
- Bake for 1 1/2 hours – no peeking, no thundering through kitchen! (Note 6)
- Turn oven off, leave the door closed and leave Pav in the oven overnight to cool (I’ve done 18 hours).
- Transfer Pav to serving platter then slide cake pan out from underneath. Use butter knife if required to loosen edges from paper, then slide paper out from underneath.
- Just before serving, top with cream and fruit of choice.
- Serve and be a rock star!
Topping
- Place cream, sugar and vanilla in a bowl. Beat cream until it is thickened and just holds its shape – don’t overbeat, it should be silky smooth, not speckled with bubbles and stiff.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
More Aussie favourites
LIFE OF DOZER
Waiting for the Pav to fall on the ground….
Pavlova the best
Nagi! You are a marvel!!
Thank you so much for explaining every step of this seemingly simple recipe. Mine have always been a bit hit and miss but yours seems to be foolproof. Am thinking of doing it for Christmas day – in incredibly hot and humid Brisbane! – when all of my previous pavs have collapsed and/or leaked. Yes – passionfruit is a must! Thanks again. H
Hello Nagi…I just made your Pavlova following you recipe and all the tips and it turned out wonderful.
My husband is from Australia and I am from Russia…we use to live in Sidney and now we are in Moscow.
I have asked my husband recently what is the thing he misses the most about Australia. His answer was PAVLOVA… I didn’t know this was the name of the dessert so I just asked “and who is she???” His answer was…”she is the most sophisticated, beautiful and sweet…” and at this point I’m looking if I should poke his right eye …and he continues ” princess amongst desserts “… and I just got so confused and he is laughing so hard.
So I made this dessert and I have to say…he was right.. every word. So thank you for this wonderful recipe.
That is the best thing I’ve heard!!! 😂 I’m so glad you loved it Katerina!
I missed the step of 340 turn down to 240 cooked at 240.It came out looking good but the
the inside was only 1″ thick and the top was 3″ very hallow not like the picture. I live at 7000 ft is there a correction for high altitude?
I’m not sure Louis – let me look into it for you! N x
The directions were great! Tasted just like the one we had in New Zealand.
Perfect LP!
I made the Pavlova for the 4th of July and it came out perfect! Thank you for all the amazing tips!
Wahoo! That’s great!
can I use the ready (liquid) egg whites from a box?
Hi Beatrix, I find they don’t work quite as well but are an ok substitute – N x
I doubled this recipe and it turned out perfectly. Next time plan to make I usually make lemon curd with the leftover yolks and serve the pav over a smear of lemon curd on the plate. Works well.
Perfect Kim!
This is my go to recipe for pavlova. Everyone requests it constantly. Thank you for the clear instructions and helpful hints!
I’m so glad it’s a hit Sarah, that’s so great to hear!
Hi Nagi, can I use frozen egg whites?
Thanks and have a very merry Christmas to you and family and Dozer too 🙂
Thanks for this amazing recipe! So yummy everyone loved it. The marshmallowy inside and crunchy outside was perfect 😍
I’m so glad it was a hit Megan!
I’ve been making pavlova for years. I live in a hot, humid climate and wanted to try a different recipe yesterday. This was my best yet. Absolutely perfect texture. I think next time I’ll hold off a bit on the sugar bit it really was a showstopper. I topped it with passion fruit and strawberries.
So happy to hear you got a great result Jodi! Thanks for leaving a comment! – Nx
please correct your recipe which call for “corn starch” but in your instructions on step 7 it incorrectly states to add “corn flower”. I will try your recipe when it is corrected. thanks.
Hi Enrique, corn starch and corn flour is the same thing depending on where you are located – N x
Made this yesterday for a bbq and it was a hit! I’ve always been intimidated by pavlovas especially because I live in a hot and humid place! I’m glad I found your recipe. I doubled it and made it rectangular as I had to feed so many people. Definitely will be making this again. Thank you! xx
That’s great to hear Liz, I’m so glad you loved it!
I have never written a recipe review but had to for the 1st time. I’ve been baking for years but never made a pavlova until last week for my birthday in a Chicago suburb. I followed all your tips and it was a huge success. It didn’t crack until I (gently) piled way too much fruit on the top. Now my husband wants one for his birthday! I don’t see how to attach a photo of my beauty but I’ll try emailing it to you separately.
Sounds great Lorraine!!!
Just wanted to say a huge thank you for providing a fail safe pavlova recipe. I used to be famous for my pavlova at family celebrations but for the last few years have been really disappointed with my pavlovas. I made this yesterday and was so happy that it turned out perfectly after following your instructions. Thank you my pavlova mojo is back xx
Have you ever tried lining the base and a separate collar around the side of a springform tin to get straight sides Nagi? I think I read that somewhere. Cheers.
Yes, love crunchy sides. And the bits that drop off!
I’ll fight you for them 😂
Hi Lorraine, no I’ve never bothered as I prefer the rustic look with crunchy sides ☺️
Really pleased with the result. Easy to follow instructions and plenty of compliments from my friends.
That’s awesome Julie!!
Made this tonight for my birthday dessert and I enjoyed cooking it and my family all enjoyed eating it. The inside of my base pulled apart a bit from the crunchy outside though, leaving a little hollow gap. Any idea what might have caused that?
Hi Jodi, sometimes that can happen just because of how it bakes/cools or even possibly because of how stiff the meringue is. I’m glad you enjoyed it though!
I am going to make this for a baby shower – can I add a pink food coloring to it? If so when should I add it? Also I want to make mini ones for easier serving. Will the smaller sizes change the baking time?
Hi Theresa, you can fold through colouring at step 7 and if making smaller pavlovas, I’d bake for an hour and just check to make sure they are crisp – N x
I don’t have any caster sugar. Can I use just normal white sugar?
Sure thing Erika just beat well and make sure to do the test rubbing it between your fingers per video to ensure sugar dissolved 👍🏻