The Most Perfect Pavlova

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I have made this recipe for quite a few years now and it has always been a success.
The crust is usually very crisp with a marshmallow centre.
This year (2016) I tried reducing the sugar back by 1/4 cup which meant the crust was not as crisp, more firm and chewy than crunchy but meant it was easy to slice without cracking.

 

Ingredients

  • 6 size 7 egg whites
  • 1 1/2 cups caster sugar
  • 2 teaspoons cornflour
  • 1 teaspoon vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon boiling water

Method

Preheat oven to 110 C. Place egg whites in the bowl of a mixer (ensuring bowl and whisk are perfectly clean). Whisk until soft peaks form when the beater is lifted from the mixture. Continue to mix, gradually adding sugar at a tablespoon or so at a time and waiting between each addition, add cornflour with last of the sugar. Adding all of the sugar could take 5-6 minutes. Continue to mix until you can’t feel any sugar when a small amount of mixture is rubbed between your index finger and thumb. Lastly add cornflour, vinegar, vanilla and boiling water and allow to mix a minute more.
Using a pencil draw a 24cm circle with a cake pan for guidance on a piece of baking paper. Place the baking paper, pencil side down, on a baking tray. Spoon the meringue into the circle, smoothing the sides.
Place the tray in the oven and cook for 1 1/2 hours. Turn the oven off without opening the door and allow to cool for at least 2 hours more or overnight.
Invert pavlova onto a serving plate, peel off baking paper and top with whipped cream and fruit.

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29 thoughts on “The Most Perfect Pavlova

  1. I made this Pav twice with good success. All my attempts the last three years have resulted in a very thin crust that cracks cracks cracks. What looks great when I turn the oven off in the evening is a collapsed disaster by the morning. I just can’t fathom what I am doing wrong, any suggestions?

  2. I have always cooked my pavlova on the plate that I am going to serve it from. Due to the low temperature to cook a pavlova, there is no worry about the plate breaking and no hassle about marking a pencilled circle on baking paper then having to tip it on to plate when cooked!

  3. So when we’re talking about specific sizes of eggs it makes it a little difficult for me as we have chooks at home so obviously I use their eggs but they are by no means an even size so I’m wondering whether I could go off the weight of eggs whites instead and what the weight would be?

  4. what oven symbol shud I use when baking pavlova. I’ve tried convection oven with just the fan. Can I use the symbol oven on top & fan at the bottom?

    Thank you

  5. Thanks for the recipe! Can you tell me the conversion is from 1 3/4 cup of sugar to grams? I am getting conflicting info on my google search. Thanks! Kim

  6. I would like to know if it is possible to cook a pavlova in a fan forced gas oven. I am moving to a non power area and will have the above type of oven. Do I have to say goodbye to making pavs?

  7. This is the exact recipr that my Mother used to use 60 years ago. She was renownede for her expertise in making pavs, and always used a mixer with planetary action. I have been using this recipe for all my 57 years of marriage, and I have never had a failure.

  8. A great tip I was given was to use a microwave plate to cook the pavlova and too serve it. I have done this with wonderful results. The microwave plate cost me 50 cents at Hospice.

  9. In the past every pavlova i have made has been thin and chewy – usually turned into a torte with lashings of whipped cream! But the recipe is just FABulous. I was asked to cater a function with a request for mini pavlovas. They were the highlight – very delicious. I now have them in my shop, going great guns. Thank you very much Helen

  10. I made this pav in the weekend. It was the first time I have ever made a pav and it was perfect and so delicious. I will making it a lot more! Thanks.