I'm Going Bananas

Pavlova Topped with Mixed Berries

An individual pavlova topped with whipped cream, blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries, with more pavlovas in the background
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Prep
15 min
Cook
50 min
Yield
Yields 5
Difficulty
medium

The recipe for pavlova was first brought to our household on a family vacation to England. Our first spoonful of this sweet and fruity dessert was all because of Alexandra Loader, our British/Italian cousin. After that first encounter, the pavlova recipe evolved slightly and became infamous in our family. It has been continuously requested for family occasions, especially birthdays.

For these pavlovas we bought an assortment of fruits and let our imagination do the rest – you could have your guests create their own. Be creative and let us know what you come up with.

An individual pavlova topped with whipped cream, sliced strawberries, and kiwi
Five individual pavlovas arranged in a circle, each topped with a different fruit -- mixed berries, raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, and strawberry-kiwi

Ingredients

Meringue

  • 3 egg whites
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 tsp corn starch
  • 1 pinch of salt

Cream and topping

  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 1/4 cup powdered sugar
  • Assortment of berries or other fruits

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 300°F.
  2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  3. While eggs are still cold, separate the yolks from the whites.
  4. Place egg whites in a glass bowl and allow them to reach room temperature.
  5. Add one pinch of salt and beat egg whites until soft peaks form.
  6. Add sugar one spoonful at a time while continuously beating the egg whites -- they will turn glossy.
  7. When there is 1/4 cup of sugar left, add 1 tsp of corn starch to the sugar and continue beating until hard peaks form.
  8. Spoon mixture onto the baking sheet, about 1 inch thick -- create either one large pavlova or 5 individual ones.
  9. Bake for 60 minutes for a single large pavlova, or 50 minutes for the 5 individual ones.
  10. Turn off the oven and allow to cool completely before removing.
  11. In a separate bowl, beat heavy cream and powdered sugar until whipped.
  12. Top with berries or other assorted fruits.