A step-by-step guide to master the pavlova; a simple and beautiful special occasion cake from @natashaskitchen

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.

My husband and I have been married 11 years this month. Time, slow down! This is a very special anniversary for us. Our first child is 5 and will be starting school this year. We didn’t go out of town to celebrate but we did go out to our favorite fancy restaurant and then shared dessert at home.

If you want to surprise your spouse and make dessert extra special, you should try this loaded berry pavlova. It’s light, airy and filled with all the best summer berries. It is crisp on the outside and marshmallowy soft inside. A sweet end to a sweet day!

Let me start out by saying the pavlova is EASY. Meringue is neither complicated or time consuming. It takes some time to bake/dry out in the oven, but your oven does all of the work.

I’ll be sharing all of my tips on getting the correct consistency and provide step-by-step photos of the process to give you confidence to re-create the recipe or make your own variation at home
A step-by-step guide to master the pavlova; a simple and beautiful special occasion cake from @natashaskitchen

Ingredients for Pavlova Cake:

6 egg whites, room temperature (*see tip 1 below)
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 tsp corn starch
1/2 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 Tbsp vanilla extract

Ingredients for Frosting:

1 1/2 cups cold heavy whipping cream
2 Tbsp granulated sugar

Ingredients for Topping:

4-5 cups fresh berries (blueberries, raspberries, small strawberries, blackberries..) ** see tip 2 below
1-2 kiwi fruit, peeled and sliced

Very Berry Pavlova Recipe-7

*Tip 1: Pavlova eggs will beat best when they are at room temperature. If you forget this step, place un-cracked eggs in warm water for 15 minutes to bring them to room temp.
**Tip 2: Keep berries dry and chilled prior to use.

How to Make a Berry Pavlova Cake:

Preheat the Oven to 250˚F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

1. Using the whisk attachment on your stand mixer, beat 6 egg whites and 1 1/2 cups sugar for 6 to 7 minutes on high speed, or until stiff peaks form. The mixture will be smooth and glossy.

Very Berry Pavlova Recipe

2. Add 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice, 1/2 Tbsp vanilla extract and 2 tsp corn starch and continue mixing another 15 seconds or until well blended. Transfer immediately to a large sheet of parchment paper and use spatula to form a 10″ round ring, making a deep indent in the center to accommodate the cream and berries later. The center will rise so make a substantial well in the center.

Very Berry Pavlova Recipe-8

Very Berry Pavlova Recipe-9

3. Bake at 250˚F for 1 hour and 30 minutes. Then turn off the oven and with door closed, let it sit inside the oven another 1 hour until cooled. You can keep it in the oven longer to cool since the oven will be off and you might have dinner plans ;). Remove pavlova from oven and let cool completely to room temp then cover and let stand in a dry, room temp room up to 2 days or assemble and serve right away.

How to Make the Topping:

1. Beat 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream with 2 Tbsp sugar on high speed 2-3 minutes or until frosting is stiff and spreadable but don’t over beat or it will become buttery. (note: you can make cream ahead of time, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use).

2. Just before serving, spread whipped cream over the pavlova and top with plenty of your favorite berries. Refrigerate leftovers. It’s best served right away.

Very Berry Pavlova Recipe-2

A step-by-step guide to master the pavlova; a simple and beautiful special occasion cake from @natashaskitchen

Berry Pavlova Cake Recipe

4.91 from 98 votes
Author: Natasha of NatashasKitchen.com
A step-by-step guide to master the pavlova; a simple and beautiful special occasion cake from @natashaskitchen
This pavlova is light, airy and filled with all the best summer berries. A sweet end to a sweet day! Meringue is neither complicated or time consuming. It takes some time to bake/dry out in the oven, but your oven does all of the work. It is crisp on the outside and marshmallowy soft inside.

Ingredients 

Instructions

How to Make a Berry Pavlova:

  • Preheat the Oven to 250˚F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Using the whisk attachment on your stand mixer, beat 6 egg whites and 1 1/2 cups sugar for 6 to 7 minutes on high speed, or until stiff peaks form. The mixture will be smooth and glossy.
  • Add 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice, 1/2 Tbsp vanilla extract and 2 tsp corn starch and continue mixing another 15 seconds or until well blended.
  • Transfer immediately to a large sheet of parchment paper and use spatula to form a 10" round ring, making a deep indent in the center to accommodate the cream and berries later. The center will rise so make a substantial well in the center.
  • Bake at 250˚F for 1 hour and 30 minutes. Then turn off the oven and with door closed, let it sit inside the oven another 1 hour until cooled. You can keep it in the oven longer to cool since the oven will be off and you might have dinner plans ;). Remove pavlova from oven and let cool completely to room temp then cover and and let stand in a dry, room temp room up to 2 days or assemble and serve right away.

How to Make the Topping:

  • Beat 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream with 2 Tbsp sugar on high speed 2-3 minutes or until frosting is stiff and spreadable but don't over beat or it will become buttery. (note: you can make cream ahead of time, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use).
  • Just before serving, spread whipped cream over the pavlova and top with plenty of your favorite berries. Refrigerate leftovers. It's best served right away.

Notes

*Tip 1: Pavolva eggs will beat best when they are at room temperature. If you forget this step, place un-cracked eggs in warm water for 15 minutes to bring them to room temp.
**Tip 2: Keep berries dry and chilled prior to use.
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Russian, Ukrainian
Keyword: Berry Pavlova Cake
Skill Level: Easy/Medium
Cost to Make: $$
Natasha's Kitchen Cookbook

Final Final Picmonkey Hashtag banner

A step-by-step guide to master the pavlova; a simple and beautiful special occasion cake from @natashaskitchen

I hope you love this easy and wonderful Berry Pavlova Recipe!! 🙂

4.91 from 98 votes (26 ratings without comment)

Leave a Comment

Recipe Rating




Comments

  • BusyWorkingMama
    August 25, 2014

    This looks amazing! I’m not a huge dessert eater, but fresh berries with cream are a favorite!

    Reply

  • Laura (Tutti Dolci)
    August 24, 2014

    Gorgeous pavlova, I love the berry topping! I have many favorite desserts but I’m currently all about homemade ice cream!

    Reply

  • Jessie C.
    August 24, 2014

    -https://twitter.com/tcarolinep/status/503742564043075584

    Reply

  • Jessie C.
    August 24, 2014

    I like peanut butter butterfinger cheesecake.
    tcarolinep at gmail dot com

    Reply

  • Calli
    August 24, 2014

    my favorite is chocolate cherry brownies.

    Reply

  • Ashley C
    August 24, 2014

    I love New York Style Cheesecake!

    demureprincess7(at)gmail(dot)com

    Reply

  • Natalie J Vandenberghe
    August 24, 2014

    I tweeted again–because, apparently, I didn’t include the hashtag the first time. Here’s the URL for the appropriate tweet: https://twitter.com/lexiquin/status/503577072510701569

    I don’t see how I can delete my previous comment. Could you please delete that comment for me (so it doesn’t look like I have more than two entries) Thank you for your time. Sorry for the inconvenice.

    I did it as you asked :).

    Reply

    • Valentina
      September 7, 2014

      Very Berry Pavlova Recipe and Giveaway
      natashaskitchen.com
      4:10pm – 7 Sep 14

      Reply

    • Valentina
      September 7, 2014

      My favorite dessert is boson dos cake. Very similar to this one. Love your blog!

      Reply

  • Natalie J Vandenberghe
    August 24, 2014

    I love my Fresh Strawberry O’Cheese dessert! I also love Peanut Butter Dream, but I don’t make it myself–I buy it from a restaurant in Corvallis, OR. Your dessert looks beautiful–thanks for sharing the recipe.

    Reply

  • Yang
    August 24, 2014

    My favorite dessert is chocolate cake with salted Carmel frosting.
    I’ve recently discovered your blog. I have tried your waffle cake and zucchini dip. I’ll have to try this Pavlova soon since berry season is nearing an end here in CA.
    Also there is a Korean internal market here in Sacramento that has a HUGE selection of Russian and Middle Eastern foods as well as Asian.

    Reply

  • Natasha tikhonov
    August 24, 2014

    My favorite dessert is spartak.

    Reply

  • tammigirl
    August 24, 2014

    We just got back from vacation so I need to hit the grocery store before I can make this – but it looks lovely! I can’t wait to dazzle my family with it, loaded down with all the fresh berries. This is my favorite time of year for the berries, tomatoes, cucumbers, and corn!

    My favorite dessert is a well prepared chocolate mousse. Preferably with lots of good berries. 🙂

    Reply

  • Stacy
    August 23, 2014

    Out of all your desserts I’ve tried, I love the bird’s milk recipe. It’s simple to make and very delicious. Perfect for potlucks or family get-togethers.

    Reply

  • Marina
    August 23, 2014

    Your pavlova looks beautiful. Unfortunately mine did not turn out that way. I followed your instructions to the letter but when I took it out of the oven after sitting for an hour with the heat off, it was cracked all over. What did I do wrong?

    Was it cracked before or after transferring it from the pan? It helps to wait to transfer it when it’s fully cooled to room temp. – Natasha

    Reply

  • Kristy
    August 23, 2014

    Tweeted & Pinned! https://twitter.com/hopefulthreads/status/503193544509898753

    Reply

    • Marina
      August 24, 2014

      The pavlova was cracked when I opened the oven door to take it out.

      Reply

      • Natasha
        natashaskitchen
        August 24, 2014

        I haven’t had that experience but I’d love to help troubleshot the problem. Did you do anything else differently? Were your eggs large? Were they at room temp? Did you maybe underbeat the mixture?

        Reply

  • Kristy
    August 23, 2014

    This looks amazing!!!! I love brownies and ice cream mostly! 🙂

    Reply

  • Oksana
    August 23, 2014

    Chocolate Spartak cake is my go to dessert, but this looks delicious!

    Reply

  • Cheryl
    August 23, 2014

    tweet https://twitter.com/SavingForLater/status/503169734888927234

    Reply

  • Cheryl
    August 23, 2014

    My husband makes a killer chocolate cake and my daughter frosts it with cocoa mocha frosting that her great aunt taught her to make.

    Reply

  • Cindy
    August 23, 2014

    https://twitter.com/benz1171/status/503089686731317248

    Reply

  • Cindy
    August 23, 2014

    Plain cheesecake.

    Reply

As Featured On

Never Go "Hangry" Again!

Get weekly updates on new recipes, exclusive giveaways plus behind the scenes photos.