A Pavlova cake is not only a great summer dessert but also a perfect treat all year long. I thought it would be a wonderful idea to surprise the ones I love. Therefore, I made it for Valentine’s Day. And it was an amazing success!
Anna Pavlova was a Russian ballerina, in honour of which a stunning and perfect meringue cake has been created. There are still polemics between Australia and New Zealand around who created it first. However, this is not bothering me at all. I am happy that there is a dreamy dessert like Pavlova cake.
Probably you’ve seen photos of Pavlova cake before. It always looks so perfect. It is like food art. And you thought: ”Oh, wow, what a masterpiece! That must be difficult to make.” Well, I have great news for you! You can make it yourself as well. Yes! It is easier to make than it looks.
All you need to do is a simple meringue with a rustic look and top it with whipped cream and fruits. That’s it. Therefore, do not let the Pavlova cake intimidate you! Try to make it today! You’ll become the queen or king of desserts!
Ingredients for 1 small (Ø 20cm) Pavlova cake:
- 2 egg whites
- a pinch of salt
- 60 g caster sugar
- 1 tsp corn starch
- 30 g icing sugar
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla sugar (or a tsp of vanilla extract or 1 vanilla pod)
- 1 tsp white or apple vinegar
- 200 ml whipping cream
- 125 g raspberries (fresh)
- 125 g blackberries (fresh)
- 1 kiwi
- 2 passion fruits
Preheat the oven to 170º C. Start with separating the eggs. Place the egg whites into a clean and dry large bowl. And keep the egg yolks for some other recipe (for example a sweet cream, soup, sauce or mayo). Whisk the egg whites together with a pinch of salt. Once you see forming stiff peaks, start slowly whisking in the sugar. I mixed both sugars together.
Moreover, rub a little amount of meringue between your fingers. If you still feel the sugar granules, whisk it a little longer, until the sugar dissolves. Once the meringue gets glossy, add the vanilla, cornstarch and vinegar. Whisk for 5 seconds.
Furthermore, cover a baking sheet with parchment paper. To help yourself getting a nice round cake, draw a circle (of the size of the cake) on the parchment paper. Then simply spoon all the meringue in that circle. Using a spatula or spoon start spreading it from the centre towards the outside. But try to stay inside that circle. Try to “build” edges by forming small peaks and to create a small “crater” in the middle. Basically, it will look like a small, a little low meringue volcano. He he he.
Put the meringue in the oven, reduce the temperature to 140º C and bake for 35-40 minutes. Once the Pavlova cake is baked, slightly open the oven’s door and leave the Pavlova to cool down completely.
In the meantime, whisk the whipping cream until peaks start forming. I didn’t whisk it too long. I still wanted the cream to be soft and not too stiff. Moreover, there is no need to add any sugar to the whipped cream. I think the meringue alone is already sweet enough.
Then, lay the cooled Pavlova on a serving plate and top it with whipped cream. Simply fill the meringue “volcano” with the cream. Finish with topping the Pavlova with berries or any other fruits. I used raspberries because they are a nice sour contrast to the sweet meringue and blackberries. Kiwi was also a great idea. I made small green hearts out of it using a cookie form. They looked just amazing.
In the end, add some passion fruit. And guess what?! The masterpiece is done! It is almost too beautiful to eat, right? However, who can resist it? Not me. Surprise your sweetheart, either on Valentine’s Day or any other day, with this delicious and fabulous Pavlova cake. Simple to make and a delight to eat.
Enjoy!
Your opinion matters:
If you like the recipe, if you make the recipe or if you have any new ideas how to improve or change it, let me know in the comments section below or alternatively share your photos and reactions with me on Instagram (@Passionspoon), Facebook or Twitter (@PassionSpoon1). Simply use the hashtag #passionspoonrecipes in your posts. I would love to see them! (wink)
