Citrus pavlova

Citrus pavlova

Have you heard of Pavlova yet? It apparently is an australien dessert! Basically a big meringue crispy on the outside and fluffy marshmallowy on the inside, a lightly whipped cream on top and fruits of your choice. So fun!

We’re not yet in berries season so I opted for citrus : grapefruit, oranges and blood orange. I had a couple of friends over + kids, it wowed everyone. It is so pretty. SO pretty.

There are A LOT of advice online and I absolutely loved this article to help nail it on the first try. I was pretty scared, I don’t do a lot of fancy dessert but I tried and I won I guess.

Citrus pavlova (serves 6-8) :

For the meringue :

  • 150ml egg whites (approx. 4 eggs)
  • 220g fine caster sugar
  • 1 tsp white vinegar
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch

For the whipped cream :

  • 400ml heavy whipping cream
  • 50g fine caster sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Leave your egg whites outside the fridge a little bit before starting so that it is at room temperature.

Preheat the oven at 150°C (I have a fan oven).

Beat (with a hand mixer or similar) your egg whites until it forms thick white peaks.

Continue to beat while adding sugar 1 tbsp at a time. Your meringue should be shiny and pretty think. Beat 3 more minutes after adding all the sugar. To know if it’s beaten enough, rub it between your finger you shouldn’t be able to feel the sugar anymore.

Add cornstarch and vinegar, beat for 5-10 secondes to mix it all together.

Line a baking tray with parchment paper.

We are aiming at a 24cm diameter circle, you can draw on the paper beforehand. Don’t make it too high or it will collapse when topped with fruits.

When you’re happy with the shape, bake for 1h30 but DO NOT open the oven EVER (really important). Don’t let your kids run just outside the oven or it could crack your pavlova.

When it’s done cooking, leave the oven shut. Turn it off and let the pavlova cool for 10-18h depending on how much time you have.

When it’s cooled, transfer it on the serving plate.

Take the whipping cream out of the oven and beat it with the sugar and vanilla until you get a whipped cream that holds its shape but is not too stiff.

Add the cream on the pavlova softly. Top with fruits, be careful and delicate so it won’t collapse.

Serve within 30 minutes!


Send me your Pavlova pictures on Instagram, I’d love to see that!