Pavlova: a meringue crisp outside, marshmallow inside, with whipped cream and fruit
A big meringue that is brittle as a shell on the outside and soft as marshmallow within. The whole secret is four egg whites, sugar added a spoon at a time, a teaspoon of potato starch with vinegar, and an oven heated to only 130 degrees. Then whipped cream, a handful of fruit, and a dessert that looks like a patisserie's and costs as much as eggs and sugar.
Your own work in that: 30 min.
- Whipping 20 min
- Drying in the oven 90 min
- Cooling in the oven 120 min
- Cream and fruit 10 min
Step by step
0 / 8 doneSeparate the whites into a spotless bowl
Heat the oven to 130 °C. Draw a 22 cm circle in pencil on baking paper and turn the paper drawing side down. Separate the whites with great care: not a drop of yolk. The bowl and beaters must be dry and grease-free, ideally wiped with half a lemon.
Ingredients: 4 pcs egg whites · 220 g caster sugar · 1 tsp potato starch · 1 tsp white vinegar or lemon juice · 1 pinch salt
TipFat is the enemy of foam: even a trace of yolk or a film of oil on a plastic bowl will stop the whites whipping stiff. Glass or metal, never plastic.
Whites without a trace of yolk, a glass bowlWhip the whites and add the sugar a spoon at a time
Whip the whites with a pinch of salt at medium speed until they form soft peaks. Then start adding the sugar a spoon at a time, every 20–30 seconds, without stopping the mixer. Once all the sugar is in, whip another 3–4 minutes, until thick, glossy and stiff: the bowl turned upside down must hold. The whole whipping takes about 10 minutes.
Sugar spoon by spoon, stiff glossy foamTest for sugar, add the starch and vinegar
Rub a little meringue between your fingers: it should feel smooth, no grains. If it is gritty, whip another minute. Finally add the potato starch and vinegar and mix on the lowest speed for just 10 seconds.
TipThe vinegar and starch are what turn a meringue into a pavlova: the acid stabilises the foam, and the potato starch holds moisture inside. The shell dries and crisps while the centre stays soft as marshmallow.
Smooth between the fingers, then starch and vinegarShape the meringue
Spoon the meringue onto the paper inside the circle. Smooth the sides with a spatula, sweeping from the bottom upwards, and make a shallow dip in the centre: that is where the cream goes. It should stand 4–5 cm tall; it rises a little more in the oven.
A 22 cm circle, sides swept up, a dip in the middleDry at a low temperature
Put on the middle shelf and bake 90 minutes at 130 °C. The meringue should be dry and matte to the touch; it may turn faintly cream-coloured and crack at the sides, which is normal. Don't open the oven meanwhile.
Cool in the oven
Switch off the oven, prop the door ajar (wedge a wooden spoon in it) and leave the meringue inside for 2 hours, until completely cold. A sudden change of temperature can make it crack badly and sink.
TipA dry meringue without cream keeps 2–3 days in an airtight box. It is the best make-ahead dessert: the shell in the morning, cream and fruit just before the guests.
Oven off, door ajar, two hoursWhip the cream
Whip the cold cream with the icing sugar and vanilla sugar to soft peaks: it should hold its shape but still droop slightly from the whisk. Over-whipped, it turns grainy.
Ingredients: 300 ml whipping cream, 30 % · 1 tbsp icing sugar · 1 tsp vanilla sugar · 200 g strawberries · 130 g raspberries · 1 pcs peach
Soft peaks, not stiffTop with cream and fruit just before serving
Move the meringue to a cake stand, spoon the cream into the dip and arrange the fruit on top. Serve at once: the cream softens the shell within an hour. Cut with a large knife in one stroke.
Cream in the dip, fruit on top, straight to the table
Before you start
It sank and spread
The foam was under-whipped or the sugar went in too fast. The sugar has to dissolve in the whites, hence a spoon at a time and the finger test.
Mini pavlovas
From the same meringue shape 8 discs of 8 cm and dry for 60 minutes. A portion for every guest and less risk of cracking.
With lemon curd
Spread a thin layer of lemon curd under the cream. The sharp curd cuts the sweetness of the meringue; a classic with raspberries.
