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….
My issue with pavlovas is usually the ‘eggy’ smell … any tips to manage this? Thanks!
I’ve never noticed an eggy smell!
How would you use passionfruit in the recipe? I will use the juice for the whipping cream but what about the seeds?
I usually just drizzle passionfruit pulp including seeds over the fruit at the end ☺️
Easy to make, absolutely delicious and it delivers the ‘wow’ factor for company and family. Don’t make it if it’s just you at home: daaangerous because it’s sooo good.
I know!!! So dangerous.. but sooo good!
My husband and I have been watching the Great Brittish Bake Off show, and after seeing the episode where they made Pavlova, I knew I needed to try it for his birthday (which is today)! I’m NOT a baker, but I found your recipe incredibly easy to follow, and I really appreciated the helpful tips since I had no clue what I was doing. The pavlova layer is in the oven cooling right now, and it looks fantastic so far! I can’t wait to dig in 🙂 Thanks for the great instructions!
I hope you both loved it Erin, I hope hubby had a great birthday!
My first time making pavlova and this came out perfectly. Thank you so much for all your tips Nagi, they truly make all the difference 🙂
My mum is from New Zealand and I grew up eating pavlova. It is now a tradition for me to make them for a big Christmas Eve dinner we have with friends each year. I love your recipe because it explains all the intricacies of pavlova better than anywhere I have seen and more detailed than I would ever write. When people ask for the recipe I can pass yours on to them without hesitation.
Thank you SO much for assisting me to make a perfect pavlova for our family Christmas. I followed all your tips and the result was spectacular… after a lifelong history of pav fails!
Perfectly crispy meringue outside, soft chewy inside. Amazing! We followed all the tips and notes. The hound missed the bit about NOT galloping through the kitchen during the cooling stage. We served this light, fluffy cloud of a dessert after Christmas Eve dinner, topped with fresh whipped cream, blueberries, gooseberries, and (of course) kiwis. Your notes and tips are soooooo helpful. (What do you mean I no longer need to draw a circle with a pencil on parchment? LOL … gives head a shake!) Delicious all around, thank you again.
Wow! That is soooo pretty! I have never had Pavlova, and clearly must rectify that omission in my life experience! Fruit isn’t so great here right now, but if I can find a super-ripe pineapple, maybe! Or will wait for berry season, I guess. But, I gotta try that!!!
thank you for all your cooking tips.cooking your turkey for christmas lunch-feeling confident, as all your recipes i have tried have been excellent.Merry Christmas to you and your family.
Is There a way to make pavlava so it isn’t too sweet?
Hi Liz, you can’t really reduce the sugar in this recipe – that’s how the meringue is made and it’s just sweet, that’s what pavlovas are ❤️
Fantastic tips! Thanks and Merry Christmas.
Hi Nagi, I am going to make this for Christmas lunch for the family. Really looking forward to it and will take all your valuable tips to heart. Thanks for all your recipes. xo
Hi Maryanne, I hope everyone loves it! I hope you have a great Christmas!
I was taught to make “Meringues” by my wonderful, late aunt. We made them individual and semi-hollowed out in the center so we could then fill the center with Lemon Pudding. They were wonderful I haven’t made them for years but they look very much like your Pavlova. do you know if they might be one and the same – just known in the states by a different name?
“Meringues” often refers to cookies. They are usually drier than pavlova, so they are crisp all the way through. Pavlova has a marshmallow chew on the inside, not the sort of chalky crisp of a meringue cookie. Perhaps your aunt called her pavlova a meringue, because that is a more familiar dessert?
Can the recipe be doubled to make 2 at the same time, successfully? Or perhaps be too unstable?
Hello, I made your recipe ones and it was delicious. No leftovers. Now I am in Europe and have only potato strach and 8% vinegar that is brownish color. Can I use these? Thank you.
Pavlina
I’m not sure about potato starch Pavlina, sorry about that! Vinegar will be fine 🙂
I will try it and let you know 😉
I was just wondering how this turned out. My sister is allergic to cornflour/cornstarch (anything made from maize really) but can eat potato starch without difficulty, so I was considering substituting it for her.
Hi Nagi
I’ve made this twice now. PERFECTION!!
I’d like to make individual shells next time as there are just three of us at home and it would be easier to serve the leftovers next day if I could just assemble before eating.
How long would I bake individual size shells!?
Btw the family knows dinner will be great when I tell them I’m trying one of your recipes!!
Thanks
Judi
Hi Nagi! After so many failed attempts at making pavlova I had given up hope until I came across this recipe! It was the best pavlova I have ever tried and it was a hit with the family too!
Thank you for creating this amazing website! I really trust your recipes as I can tell you put a lot of thought and effort into what you create and I greatly appreciate it! Happy Cooking!
Wonderful to hear Emily! Thank you for letting me know you enjoyed this – N x
Thank you so much for this recipe. I had given up on mastering the Pavlova years ago after numerous disasters. If you follow this to the letter you can’t go wrong. I made this for my Mum’s 82nd birthday. We even had a scrounging Golden Retriever looking on too! Thank you. All your recipes work so well.
Hi Nagi, what do you use to measure the 5oz. of egg whites?
A graduated measuring cup should do the trick.
I made my first Pavlova for Easter, doing a test run on the family before I make one for my girl friends birthday. They absolutely loved it. It turned out beautiful. The bottom layer of cream I used a cream cheese. powder sugar and sour cream mixture before putting on the whipped cream and fruit. Absolutely wonderful. Thank you for your great receipt.
That’s wonderful to hear Stacy! Thanks for taking the time to let me know you enjoyed this! N xx
Hi Nagi, which mode should i use for below functions?
1. Mode Control – Upper Heating / Upper&Lower Heating / Lower Heating
2. Rotisserrie Funtion – Rotisserie Function / Convection Function / Convection&Rotisserie Function