This is the best pavlova recipe you’ll ever find and it’s the only pavlova recipe you’ll need to know. It works every time and is absolutely legendary in my family.
We request that Mum makes at least one pavlova for every big family get together. Last Christmas she made four! We’ve also got the best recipe for what to do with all your left over egg yolks after making this pavlova.
The funniest thing about this pavlova recipe is that my mum doesn’t even like to cook that much. It’s not that she doesn’t have the talent, it’s just that she’s not really interested.
That’s why – if she can use this pavlova recipe so well that all of our friends and family ask for it, no matter what kind of cook you are you’ll be a success with this recipe.
Lots of people claim to have the best pavlova recipe, but I really think my mum’s is the best. She even decided test out a couple of other recipes once. She gave Donna Hay’s version a go and the family were up in arms. Nowhere near Mum’s standards.
Since then she’s gone back to her way of making it.
This really is the national dish and most loved dessert of this great country. And the way Mum makes hers really does the dish the most justice. I think Chef Bert Sachse would agree.
My mum’s never-fail pavolova recipe
Here’s what you need
- 4 egg whites – keep the yolks for later
- A pinch of salt
- 8oz (225g) caster sugar
- 1tsp white vinegar
- ½ tsp vanilla essence
- 1 level dessertspoon (2tsp) of cornflour
**See below for ingredients on serving suggestions
Here’s what you do
- Beat the egg whites and the pinch of salt for about a minute with electric beaters.
- Continue to beat the egg whites while gradually adding the caster sugar, vinegar and vanilla essence. This should take 5-6 minutes or until the mixture is stiff.
- Sift the cornflour over the surface of the mixture and lightly fold it in.
- On an ovenproof plate (ideally the one you want to serve the pav on), sprinkle a little water and heap the pavlova mixture onto the damp surface.
- Pre-heated your electric oven* to 200°C (400°F) and then turn down to 120°C (250°F) as you put the pavlova in. Bake undisturbed for 1hr 30 mins.
*If you have a gas oven, Preheat to 200°C and bake for 10mins then turn the oven down to low and bake for 1 hour.
- Allow to cool in the oven until the oven itself is cool – up to about an hour – before removing it and adding toppings.
Serving suggestions:
A classic Australian pavlova topping is whipped cream and fresh fruit; how creative you get with this topping is up to you.
Strawberry and passionfruit is popular at Christmas time, but if you want to go green and gold for Australia, cover the cream with kiwi fruit and mango or even banana.
But for something really different (and delicious), you’ve got to try making your own lemon curd to top your pav.
This is something that I’d never attempted before and neither had my mum. But with 16 egg yolks in the fridge at Christmas time from Mum’s pavlova frenzy, we knew we had to do something good with them.
Straight away I went to Baby Mac and found her lemon curd recipe. Now, whether you call it lemon butter or lemon curd, it’s pretty much the same thing: delicious. And Baby Mac’s recipe is so easy to follow.
I swapped the cream out for this fresh, zesty, sweet lemon delight and topped everything with some plump blueberries.
So if, like we did, you find yourself with 16 superfluous egg yolks, you’ll have lemon curd for days. In fact you’ll have enough to make your own lemon meringue pie as well as top your pavlova.
If you liked this sweet recipe, you should check these out too:
The ultimate TimTam-tastic cheesecake recipe
5-ingredient gluten free peanut butter choc chip cookies
Christina’s magical chocolate mousse recipe
Thanks so much to my mum for sharing her recipe and I hope it becomes one of your family favourites as well. Tag us if you cook it and ‘gram it – we’d love to see how yours turned out.
Aria
Looks very delicious and yummy!!Thanks for sharing!!!
Mr Romance
It’s the best, Aria! We couldn’t keep this recipe a secret any longer – everyone should be able to try it!
Ayaka
Thank you, thank you so much for sharing your (mum’s) amazing recipe. I tried this for the first time for my daughter’s birthday! It definitely didn’t fail. I used half amount of sugar(100g) though.
Hero Shot Photography
What a find! Great recipe thanks for sharing. Beautiful shots too – love the photography. Those fruits just pop!
Mrs Romance
thanks so much!
Hazel
Very delicious and yummy!!! thank you for sharing the recipe..
Mr Romance
Thanks Hazel. Yes, these always go down well at every family gathering we have!
Pat @ Wholesome Kitchen
These look adorable! Love these desserts!
Mr Romance
They came out really well, didn’t they, Pat? And they tasted as good as they looked, which doesn’t always happen with food!
Mary
Love this dessert and nice to see a version that is at least close to foolproof. Question: Would you say this recipe serves 6? And if I was to make two at the same time, would you recommend changing the oven time or temp?
Thanks!
Mr Romance
Hi Mary. Thank you! And thank you for the great questions. Yes, this should be big enough for 6 – especially if you add plenty of cream and fruit. I’ve seen this recipe stretch to at least 8 last Christmas – but perhaps the slices weren’t quite generous enough!
If you make 2 at once, I’d probably increase the oven temp at first then drop it down to normal after 10 minutes. Check through the door of the oven (don’t open it) at the end of the bake. If the tops aren’t brown enough, leave the pavlovas in for another 10 mins. Most importantly though, leave them in the oven to cool for as long as you can. If you take them out before they’re cool, they crack and collapse.
Hope this helps. Cheers – Jim
Mae
Hi can I set up the whole cake a day ahead?
Mr Romance
Hi Mae. I don’t think so – not if you mean assemble it all a day in advance. The meringue should be ok to cook ahead, though it can sometimes ‘sweat’ a little if left too long. When we cook it ahead, we leave it out on the table and cover it with a tea towel or a net to keep it clean. You can’t add the cream and fruit until just before serving though – it makes everything a soggy mess. I suppose you could get all the components together beforehand though – whip the cream, cut the fruit and leave it all in the fridge to top the meringue when you’re ready. I hope this helps.