This classic strawberry Pavlova is a foolproof dessert that never fails to impress! Sweet and light meringue topped with whipped cream and fresh, juicy strawberries will have your guests coming back for more!
Hello friends!
Happy Monday and happy new week! I hope you all had a lovely Easter break and enjoyed many goodies during the holidays? We’ve been absolutely spoiled with gorgeous weather and temperatures reaching up to 26 C during Easter weekend!
As you can imagine, we do not get this sort of weather that often in the UK, especially this time of the year! So it was only fair to spend as much time as possible soaking that sunshine in the pub garden, or just outdoors in general, with many BBQ’s and sauvignon blancs! It made us feel like Spring skipped straight into Summer. And all of the sudden, I’ve been craving summery desserts and all the ice cream I could get my hands on!
Classic strawberry Pavlova- the best summer dessert!
OK, so Pavlova is good to enjoy at any time of the year really, not only in the summer. But most of us will associate this sweet meringue topped with juicy, seasonal berries with warm days and al fresco dining. It’s light, airy texture makes a perfect dessert to enjoy on a hot day, when the hot pudding is the last thing you fancy. Strawberry Pavlova is easy to make and can be prepared well ahead, allowing you to enjoy your time anywhere else but the kitchen (especially on a hot day!). Plus, first, British strawberries of the season are popping out and this dessert is a great way to celebrate the return of these juicy berries!
How to make strawberry Pavlova?
The process, just like the ingredients, is rather easy and uncomplicated. Meringues are nothing more than egg whites and white sugar, but there are some other ingredients that can be added, to achieve different finishes. Classic Pavlova will have crisp crust and soft, light inside, and to succeed in that, the addition of vinegar and cornflour is a must. To make the meringue, start with whisking the egg whites on a low speed until the stiff peaks are formed.
Stiff peaks is the stage when whites are whisked until peaks form and point straight up. You should be able to hold your bowl upside down without the whites falling out. After that, you are good to start adding the sugar (gradually!),remembering to whisk well between each addition.
Cornflour, vinegar and vanilla are added at the end, before the final whisk. Once incorporated, the meringue is ready and good to bake. Simply transfer it onto the baking tray lined with baking parchment. Drawing a circle on the baking parchment can help to keep an even shape, but it’s totally optional.
How to bake the Pavlova?
Generally speaking, the meringue should be baked slowly, at low temperature/ heat. That way, the mixture will hold its shape and become crisp. If you have traditional oven, 120C will be the ideal temperature, where for the fan assisted ovens it will be 100C. Place the meringue on a lower shelf inside of the oven. Let the Pavlova bake for 1.5 hours and then turn the heat off, but leave the meringue in the oven to cool completely. You know it’s baked well when the baking parchment comes off from the bottom very easily.
Useful tips for making strawberry Pavlova
Although the recipe and instructions are quite simple, there are few things to watch out for. The below tips should help you to ensure great results every time!
- fat is the enemy when whisking the egg whites! It stops the air pockets forming properly, so make sure there is no trace of yolks (made from fat) in your whites and your utensils and bowl are squeaky clean!
- Add sugar very gradually and whisk the whites back to the original stiffness before adding more. If you tip in the sugar too quickly it will cause the meringue to collapse!
- Use metal or glass bowl rather than plastic
- Don’t skip the vinegar and cornflour! Adding vinegar (or lemon juice) to egg whites help stop the mixture from collapsing and makes the meringue chewier in the middle. Incorporating cornflour stops drops of moisture appearing, which can happen when you bake meringues at a very low temperature.
If you are looking for a vegan meringue recipe, you can check out my Vegan Berry Pavlovas post
As always, I hope you have enjoyed today’s post and the recipe! Feel free to leave me a comment and a rating below and make sure to follow me along on my Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest!
This timeless classic dessert never fails to impress! Light and sweet meringue topped with fresh and juicy strawberries and whipped cream.
- 4 large eggs (whites only)
- 250 g caster sugar
- 1 tsp white vinegar
- 1 tsp cornflour or arrowroot powder
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 500 g fresh strawberries
- 300 ml double cream
- 2 tbsp icing sugar
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Preheat the oven to 110 C. Line a baking tray with baking parchment and using a large dinner plate as a guide, draw a circle with pencil onto baking parchment. Set aside.
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Using a handheld electric mixer, start beating the egg whites on low speed, until they start to form stiff peaks. Increase the speed to medium/ high and begin to add 250g of caster sugar, 1-2 tbsp at the time until the meringue looks glossy.
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Add 1 tsp of cornflour or arrowroot powder, 1 tsp of white vinegar and 1 tsp of vanilla and whisk again. Spread the meringue inside of the circle creating a small well in the centre. Bake in the oven for 1.5 hour, turn off the heat and let the meringue cool off completely inside of the oven.
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In a meantime, mix 200 g of fresh strawberries with 1 tbsp of icing sugar and add it to the food processor or blender and blitz until smooth. Push the mixture through a sieve into a small jug.
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When the meringue is cool, whip 300 ml of double cream with 1 tbsp of icing sugar. Top the meringue with whipped cream and strawberries and drizzle with strawberry coulis.
- Use metal or glass bowl rather than plastic (they’re easier to keep clean and grease-free)
- Make sure to add sugar gradually. If you add it all too quickly, the structure will collapse!
- Frozen, defrosted egg whites will work well in this recipe
- Unfilled meringue can be frozen and stored until you are ready to top it up with cream and strawberries
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This looks so gorgeous, Anna! 😍
Absolutely perfect for the strawberry season! ❤️
Lots of love,
Bianca
Hey Bianca, thanks so much lovely! So glad that you like it! I can’t wait to see what incredible recipes with seasonal berries you will be creating soon! Hugs! x
This is always a stunning dessert to entertain with. I cannot wait for fresh berry season. I love pavlova, and have yet to make it at home. Perfect dessert for Mother’s Day brunch.
Thank you Gloria! It’s always so exciting when the fresh seasonal produce comes back! We’ve been lucky with warm weather this year, and that resulted in really sweet and juicy strawberries already, I hope the rest of the season will be just as good! Hope you will try this easy and delicious dessert!
I’ve never had a pavlova but with the strawberry season just around the corner here in Wisconsin, that is all about to change! Thanks for the gorgeous recipe; we look forward to making this very soon!
Hey Dan, thanks so much for stopping by! If you never tried Pavlova before, oh boy you are up for a treat! It’s absolutely perfect to celebrate the return of berry season, and I hope you will get to try it very soon!
I have never tasted let alone made a pavlova but it looks so good! I’m dying to try this and you make it look easy. (I’m not much of a baker). I am definitely going to give the a try next week when I have time to really try to make it right. Or should I taste one first? they are not an easy thing to find on a menu……I guess I should just make you. You’ve given me a lot to know if it’s right or not.
Hey Denise! Thanks for your comment! If you have never tried it before, you are up for a huge treat! It’s a very popular dessert in the UK, especially in spring and summer, and always paired up with seasonal berries. I hope you are going to enjoy this recipe as much as I do!
That pavlova looks so stunning Anna. Loving the fresh vibrant strawberries on top. Such a gorgeous Summer dessert😍Can’t wait for berry season so I can get my hands on some berry pavlova.
Hey Esha!thanks so much for stopping by! I’m so happy to hear that you like this recipe! It’s a perfect dessert to go with any berries really, and it’s always a winner among the guests or family and friends! Have a lovely weekend!
This is so gorgeous Anna! I just had my first strawberries of the season and they were sosweet and wonderful. Need to go get some more so I can make this pavlova. It’s the perfect way to highlight seasonal fruit!
Hey Charity,
Thanks so much for your lovely comment! I’ve been eating my body’s weight in strawberries over the last few days, and just can’t get enough of them! And yes, Pavlova is great with any seasonal berries/ fruits, I can’t wait to make it again this weekend!
Oh pavlova is my go-to summer dessert and I never fail to make them year after year when strawberries are in season in my world. This is such a beautiful classic dish, but the best! Love it
Thank you Jo! It’s our favourite too, especially at this time of the year! Glad you’re also are a fan!
What a lovely dessert to make this summer when the berries are abundant! Your photos are gorgeous, as always!
Hi Sara, thanks so much for visiting and your lovely comment! I’m super happy to hear that you like the recipe and the photos!
I’ve never made a pavlova, can you believe it!? I will have to start with your recipe! I definitely enjoy eating them 😉 The strawberries are perfect for spring!
Hey Katherine! Oh I really hope you will get to make it, it’s so easy and super delicious! Warning- you will need more than one slice!
My mom and I have been binge-watching Great British Bake Off lately — talk about guilty pleasure! 😉 One of the desserts we’ve been really meaning to try is pavlova. It’s been so long since I’ve made one, and this recipe looks like an amazing place to start!
Oh I love GBBO!!! And yes, there is always a Pavlova there, it’s such a classic in the UK! And a perfect dessert to celebrate seasonal fruits with! Thanks for stopping by Amy!
I’ve always heard that pavlovas should be baked low and slow and that it’s so worth the wait. I bet this would be amazing for Mother’s Day or 4th of July. Nice and light with fresh berries, yum!
That’s right Jessica, it has to be baked on low temperature, which may take a bit longer, but like you’ve said, it’s well worth the wait! I hope you will try it some time soon!
Pavlovas are one of my all-time favorite desserts and I love that they’re becoming so popular now. Yours is just gorgeous!!
Thanks Julie, same here! It’s kinda retro-dessert, but I love it’s vintage look and it always hits the spot!
This Pavlova looks so perfect. The texture of the meringue looks so good and the bright strawberries with whipped cream just take it to the next level.. It is an all-time favorite for sure !!
Hello Pearl, thanks for visiting! It’s definitely all-time favourite in our house, and it’s great for family and friends gatherings, never fails to impress!
Your pavlova images are absolutely stunning and I deffff wanna make this!!! In love with all your images! Thanks so much for sharing :).
Hi Daniela, thank you so much for your kind words! Hope you will try the recipe soon! Hugs!