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….
Sara says
Hi Nagi!
Just stumbled across your blog yesterday, and i’m already crazy over it! I don’t have a springform cake pan. Do you have any other suggestions of how I can make the pavlova so it keeps a good shape?
Thanks!
Nagi says
Hi Sara, thanks for the compliment! 🙂 You don’t need a springform pan to keep the shape, it’s just to guide the shape to make it round 🙂 Then whatever you shape it, it will hold its shape while it bakes. The other way is to draw a circle using a plate, then flip the paper over so the side with the pen/pencil on it is facing down but you can still see the line through the paper. Hope that helps!
Sameera says
Hello Nagi, Thank you for your response. Would you recommend using egg whites that are sold in cartons in the supermarkets, or would you recommend that we use eggs that we then separate. Also if I am making 6-7 pavlovas, how can I leave them overnight in the oven as I will have to bake them 2 at time!! Thank you
Nagi says
Hi Sameera! I always recommend using real ingredients if you can 🙂 I’ve never tried store bought whites. To make 6 – 7 pavs, all I can think is to do as follows: make 2 in the evening, cool overnight. Take out, then make another in 2 in the morning, cool all day. Remove at night, make the last 2. 🙂
Teresa says
Adorei a .receita da pavlova. Nunca vi tantas e tão boas instruções acabei de fazer pela primeira vez a minha Pav que ficou linda e ficará dento do forno até amanhã .Vou fazer uma experiência que vi espalhando lemon curd por cima e depois com creme e raspas de limão .Não é uma verdadeira pavlova,mas amanhã recebo família para jantar e quero fazer uma inovação Agradeço muito à Nagi ,que proporcionou esta receita com tanto entusiasmo
Nagi says
¡Gracias por el cumplido! ¡Espero que lo ames!
Mary Flaten says
I am making international dishes (salads, soups, breads, main courses, desserts) for a gathering of about 100 women. I will make it the evening before, then leave in the oven overnight and serve the next day. I need to transport it to the event. I’m assuming it’s best not to add the cream or toppings until I get there, correct? It’s brutal winter here in Minnesota, so typically low humidity. Any tips on how to transport? Loosely covered, air-tight, etc. Thanks so much, I can’t wait to try it!!
Nagi says
Hi Mary! Definitely don’t top it until just before serving, the closer to serving time the better but it’s good for around 30 minutes and still ok around 1 hour 🙂 Safest to transport in a container if you can but there’s no reason you can’t just transport on a plate wrapped in cling wrap. The recipe can be scaled up by 50% given you are in a cold climate! It will be fine – I just made it with 150ml/4 eggs because it’s humid and hot here in Sydney at the moment and any larger than 4 eggs makes the pav much more fragile 🙂
Mary says
Thank you Nagi! I made it last night to practice. It turned out beautifully and tasted wonderful. I shared it with family and friends, but could have eaten the whole thing myself!
Nagi says
Hi Mary, I’m so glad to hear that, thank you for letting me know! ❤️ N xx
sameera sheikh says
Hi Nagi, I want to make this as part of the dessert menu for my son’s wedding. There will be wedding cake and tropical fruit salad too. How many of these pavlova’s do you suggest I make for 63 people? Also if I am to make more than 2 should I make i.e 8 egg whites then halve the mixture onto 2 sheets (THOUGH MY FREE STANDING AMD HAND HELD BOWLS MAYBE TOO SMALL!) Can normal free standing cope with 8 egg white mixture? I always feel very confident with your recipes. They are super tasty and super easy. Please let me know if you are ever in London. Thank you as ever!
Nagi says
Hi Sameera! I’m so honoured that you would consider using this for your son’s wedding!! For 63 people, I would make 8 of these (probably 7 is enough but just to be safe). If it is not too hot where you are (i.e. London!) then you can increase the recipe to make it with 6 eggs – just scale the whole recipe up by 50%, and use the same baking times. If you do that, then you can make just 4 of them. Then you can make 2 at a time in the oven. I dont recommend making one with 8 eggs, it will be too large and very fragile! N x
Angela says
Great to know.
My first pavlova was your recipe, and it was such a hit that I was asked to make it again for Passover dessert!!! 🙂
There will be 18-20 adults and kids, so I’ll be making a pav with 6 eggs (200mL whites) and wanted to know what to do about the remaining ingredients. I’ll up it by 50% as suggested, and I think I’ll make it an oval shape on my cookie sheet so it’s not too high.
Nagi says
OMG!!! WHOOT WHOOT!!! I will covert the recipe tonight to my new recipe card which will let you use the slider over the Servings so you can scale up the recipe! It produces some weird looking decimal points but they are calculated accurately. Hopefully that will help you scale up this recipe easily. The weather is much cooler now so you should be fine making it a big round one 🙂 Summer heat and humidity is the killer. It’s much cooler now, at least here in Sydney! N xx
MamaBear says
I used this recipe for my first pavlova ever and it was absolutely spectacular! It came out perfect!!! Thank you for such a yummy recipe and such helpful tips for a first timer like me! We loved it!
Nagi says
WOO HOO! I am so glad to hear that Mama Bear! Thank you for letting me know! N x
Heather says
Made a pav for the first time today using your recipe and tips. It turned out fabulous – pretty and delicious! I made a marscapone cream and a cherry compote to top it. Delish! Thank you so much for the great instructions and tips! Happy New Year!!
Nagi says
WOO HOO! HIGH FIVE Heather, I’m so thrilled to hear that! Thank you for letting me know!! N xx
Jo Ippolito says
Hi Nagi…. I have been making Pav’s for years & they always crack, but not this year! I followed your recipe exactly & it was seriously the best one yet. If I was to divide the recipe into 4 small ones, would I cook them for the same amount of time?
Nagi says
WOO HOO! I am SO THRILLED to hear that Jo, thank you for letting me know!!! To make 4 smaller ones, 50 minutes will probably be long enough 🙂 Just take a quick peek and tap the shell to make sure it’s not paper thin. N xx
Mary Campbell says
Forgot to rate!
xx
Mary Campbell says
Hi Nagi,
I just want to thank you for the really terrific instructions for the pavlova – I made it for a family meal on 28th December and it went down a treat!!
This was my very first attempt at a pav, but it won’t be my last LOL!
Wishing you health and happiness – and lots more cooking and recipes! – in 2017
Nagi says
HIGH FIVE! I am SO thrilled to hear that Mary, thank you for letting me know! N xx
Bev says
Tried your recipe this Christmas and it was one of the best looking Pavs I’ve ever made.
Thank you for the great hints and tips
Nagi says
I’m so thrilled to hear that Bev! Thank you SO MUCH for taking the time to come back and let me know 🙂 Worked super hard on this one so it means a lot to me! N xx
Mary says
Hi Nagi,
Thanks for the awesome recipe and tips. What are your thoughts about baking 2 at the same time, placed next to one another? I have a wide oven but don’t want to affect the baking. How would I adjust the times? I am just thinking about planning ahead, and saw your comment about baking it the night before serving. I need to serve 20 people (and yes, they are all family! 🙂
Thanks,
Mary
Nagi says
Hi Mary! I’m not sure where you are but the weather in Sydney is much milder than it has been lately (24C) so you could make it ahead today if you wanted to! It will hold up fine 🙂 And if you have a wide oven, baking 2 at the same time will be fine, same bake time. I’ve done 2 at the same time before – even larger ones – and didn’t change the bake time. They stay in the oven overnight anyway which is a safety net. I do suggest that you take a quick peek at the end of the bake time – very quick, don’t let too much heat escape – and tap the shell to make sure it is set. Just to make doubly sure. If it’s not ready you will instantly know because the shell will be paper thin.
Mary says
Thanks so much for getting back so quickly Nagi! Appreciate the advice
Dawn Allen says
Hi Nagi, Just wondering can I make pav a few days ahead of time, or is it best the day before. Just love your recipes, Your strawberry salad with the pecans was really great even if I did burn the pecans. You and Dozer have a great Christmas and a healthy and Happy New Year.
Dawn
Nagi says
Hi Dawn! In this weather we’re having here in Sydney, I would make it the day before. As in – make it the evening before serving and let it cool overnight in the oven then serve it on that day. 🙂 I’m so glad you liked the strawberry salad! I am so obsessed with it 🙂 Merry Christmas to you too Dawn! N x
helen @ Scrummy Lane says
Nagi, I have just GOT to make this for my husband. I’m not a fan of cream so the poor thing always gets sticky chocolatey things that he isn’t that keen on because that’s what I like.
I might wait until we get to Oz (we just got my permanent residency visa through, by the way!) and make it where it feels more appropriate. But when I do, THIS is where I’m coming for all my tips!
Nagi says
SHRIEK!!! You did?? That’s so exciting Helen!!! When are you thinking of loving? Before or after you pop???
Carlos At Spoonabilities says
Hi, Nagi! Very well done a video with very clear tips. Before I was afraid to try to make Pavlova that your video inspired me. Thank you,
Nagi says
Thanks Carlos!! Hope you had a fantastic weekend! N x
Leanne says
Hi Nagi I have never made a pav but I love them. I grew up in rural NZ where baking was a big part of your rep. My mum made great pavs & as a thrifty lady she made a lemon curd from the egg yolks & folded thru cream, so she layered : pav, tangy lemon curd cream, cream, passion fruit pulp & berries (we picked blackberries & raspberries from our grandparents farm up the road) Feeling a tad nostalgic now but it is Christmas after all.Merry Christmas to you & your family. I absolutely love the posts by u & yr mum?
Nagi says
Awww I LOVE THAT IDEA!!!! Right, the next pav I share is going to have lemon curd in it 🙂 Merry Christmas to you too Leanne, and thank you for sharing your memories! N xx PS So jealous you got to pick your own berries, I’ve never done that!
Sam says
Great tips thanks. I also read somewhere that pavs hate fan forced ovens and will never expand properly in one. I must admit I had been wondering why my pavs hadn’t been as good since I got my new oven, so I am starting to think it might be true. Can anyone shed some light? Thanks.
Nagi says
Gosh I would have thought it would be the other way because fan forced circulates air so much better. Did other recipes use as low an oven temp as mine?? N x
Sam says
Hi Nagi,
I am not sure to be honest, but I would hazard a guess not. Yours are pretty low.?
Marie @ Yay! For Food says
I honestly watched your video on Instagram 3 times before coming here to comment. So impressive! To tell you the truth, I am a little afraid to try to make pavlova, but your very comprehensive tips gives me confidence!
Nagi says
Awww thanks Marie! 🙂 Hope you have an amazing Christmas!!! N xx
Kate says
Thank you for this very comprehensive list of tips. I feel brave enough now to give this a go. As I have chooks I am always on the lookout for new egg recipes (but will bear in mind the older eggs for pavs). Now off to find recipes for yolks apart from lemon curd.
Nagi says
I hope you do Kate! 🙂 Your own chooks…I’m SO jealous. I have contemplated it but Dozer would give them a heart attack.
Kate says
I know, my border collie would dearly love to round them up, & 20 plus chooks going in separate directions is a sight to see. We have 6 cute little chicks at the moment, hopefully they all grow up to be egg laying hens 🙂
Eha says
Well, If on rare occasions I do make a ‘dessert-like’ dish, it is bound to be a pavlova! For more decades than you have been born 🙂 ! HONESTLY, this is the best ‘101’ on the subject I have ever seen! I have never left it in oven overnight but surely shall try!! Using eggs laid awhile before also helps . . . oh, soon!! Honestly if one has had the good fortune to cut into a ‘real’ pavlova you will want it again and again . . . darn it: five stars will not come up but you DO have them from me!!
Nagi says
I BET you make a wicked Pav!!!! Merry Christmas Eha! I hope you have an amazing one! N xx
Karen Jones says
Thank you Nagi! You always pick winning recipes and make them so doable!
Have a great trip to Japan-I am going to travel there in March too!:)
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Nagi says
Oooh! I hope you have an amazing time!!! Merry Christmas to you too Karen! N xx