Pavlova cake, a dessert as elegant as its namesake, the Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova, is a light, airy masterpiece. Its crispy meringue shell, marshmallow-soft center, and luxurious toppings of whipped cream and fresh fruits perfectly balance textures and flavors.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword Pavlova cake recipe
Prep Time 30 minutesminutes
Cook Time 1 hourhour
Servings 6
Ingredients
Meringue base for pavlova,
8largeegg white
1cup granulated sugar
2tbspcornstarch
2tspvinegar
For strawberry cream cheese filling
75gcream cheese, softened
2cup heavy cream
1/2cup icing sugar
1/4cup strawberry jam
1tspvanilla
For the garnish
1cup raspberries
Edible flowers (optional)
Instructions
Meringue base for pavlova
Preheat your oven to 250 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a clean, dry bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form.
Gradually add the sugar, beating well after each addition.
Beat in the vinegar and cornstarch.
Spoon meringue into three equal mounds onto the prepared baking sheet, with the back of a tablespoon, spread each mound into 6-8 inches in diameter.
Bake for 40- 60 minutes, or until the pavlova is crisp on the outside and soft on the inside or until the meringue are pale and still pliable.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely on the baking sheet or turn off oven and leave in until ready to use.
When ready to use, carefully peel the paper from the bottom.
Assemble (do this as close to serving as possible)
Once the pavlova is cool.
Place a small dollop of whipped cream on a serving plate or cake stand.
Place one meringue circle on top.
Spread approximately 1/3 of strawberry cream cheese all over.
Repeat with a 2nd and 3rd layer .
Garnish with fresh berries and flowers.
Refrigerate for at least 1- 2 hours before serving.
Cream cheese filling
In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese with an electric mixer until smooth.
Add in the heavy cream and powdered sugar and continue to beat until the mixture is light and fluffy.