food

Classic Pavlova

We've taken things back to basics with this classic fruit pavlova.

food

Classic Pavlova

We've taken things back to basics with this classic fruit pavlova.

Supplies

Meringue:

  • 4 egg whites
  • 250 grams caster sugar
  • 1 teaspoon white vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon cornflour

Decoration:

  • 500 millilitres double cream
  • 2 tablespoons icing sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
  • 500 grams mixed summer fruit: a mix of raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, peach slices, redcurrants
  • Mint leaves, to decorate
  • Icing sugar, to dust

Steps

Meringue:

  1. Preheat the oven to 140C / 120C fan. Cut a piece of baking paper to fit a large baking tray. Use a pencil to draw around a 22 centimetre plate onto the paper.
  2. Lightly grease the baking tray and stick the paper - pencil side down - onto the tray. Put to one side.
  3. Put the egg whites into a large mixing bowl and whisk to soft peaks. Add the sugar, one spoonful at a time, whisking well until the granules have dissolved before you add the next. Once all of the sugar has been added, whisk to firm peaks. Add the vinegar and cornflour and thoroughly whisk through.
  4. Spoon the meringue onto the baking paper, using the circle as a guide. Create a dip in the middle using the back of the spoon, for the whipped cream to sit. Bake for 1 hour, checking half way through to make sure it’s not browning. If it is, turn the oven down by 10 degrees. After one hour, turn the oven off and leave the meringue there until the oven is completely cold.

Decoration:

  1. Top the meringue up to one hour before you’re ready to serve it: put the cream into a large mixing bowl with the vanilla bean paste, and sieve in the icing sugar. Whisk on high speed to soft peaks, then whisk slowly until the cream can just hold its own shape.
  2. Put a small spoonful of cream onto a serving plate to hold the meringue in place, then position the meringue on top. Pile the remaining cream onto the meringue, then top with the summer fruits and mint leaves. Finish with a light dusting of icing sugar.