STRAWBERRY PAVLOVA CAKE: a dream of sweetness.
A fresh, indulgent and very showy dessert. Cake made with a meringue base, filled with whipped cream and fresh fruit. Read an equally indulgent alternative like the Strawberry Meringue Cake.
Inspired by a Russian ballerina, Anna Pavlova, its features are a snowy color, crunchy outside, soft inside, decorated with brightly colored fruits. There are, of course, many versions; its origins are Australian — this is the classic recipe.
Easy to prepare; the main issue is baking the meringue, but just follow the French meringue recipe I already published to get a perfect meringue. You can make it with a nest-shaped base, as I did, or as the more classic meringue and decorate with seasonal fresh fruit. You can prepare the base a day in advance and assemble the cake the next day to speed up preparation.
Here are other delicious meringue recipes:
- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Cooking time: 1 Hour 15 Minutes
- Portions: 6
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Australian
- Seasonality: Mother's Day, Spring, Summer
- Energy 367.46 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 40.68 (g) of which sugars 38.20 (g)
- Proteins 3.03 (g)
- Fat 22.31 (g) of which saturated 0.01 (g)of which unsaturated 0.13 (g)
- Fibers 1.33 (g)
- Sodium 25.02 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 133 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for Pavlova cake (base)
- 2 egg whites
- 3/8 cup granulated sugar (about 80 g)
- 2/3 cup powdered sugar (about 80 g)
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream for whipping (about 350 g / 12 fl oz)
- 4 tbsp powdered sugar (for the whipped cream)
- 14 oz strawberries (about 400 g — roughly 2 1/2 cups)
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
Tools
- Electric hand mixer Moulinex HM3101 Quick Mix Electric Hand Mixer, for beating egg whites, cake doughs, pizza, bread and cream preparations, 300 W
- Parchment paper Cuki parchment paper sheets
- Baking sheet
- Piping bag BROMMAT disposable piping bags, 100 pieces, disposable pastry bags for icing and decorating cakes and cookies
Let’s start by preparing the base following the meringue recipe. It’s a French meringue — the ingredients are the same. Once you have the mixture, you can proceed to shape the pavlova.
On a sheet of parchment paper, already placed on the baking sheet, draw a circle about 7 in across (use a plate as a guide). Put the meringue into a piping bag and form a disk with the edges about 2 in high. Bake in a preheated static oven at 212°F for 1 hour, then lower to 194°F and bake for another hour — the meringue must be dry inside. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
Prepare the strawberry compote, which we’ll use to decorate the cake.
Take half of the strawberries, wash them, cut them into small pieces and put them in a small saucepan with the powdered sugar and lemon juice. Place the pan over low heat, gently mash with a fork and cook for about 10 minutes, until the strawberries thicken — it’s fine if some pieces remain. Transfer to a bowl and let cool for a few minutes, then refrigerate for at least half an hour.
Whip the cream until firm with the powdered sugar (4 tbsp) using an electric hand mixer, and fill the cake. Add the compote and the remaining strawberries cut into wedges, and the Pavlova cake is ready. You can keep it in the fridge for 1 day; it’s best to decorate it just before serving.
Storage, variations: pavlova cake with strawberries
It keeps for a couple of days in the refrigerator. For an even richer cake, you can add one tablespoon of mascarpone or Greek yogurt to the whipped cream.
Can we use fruits other than strawberries?
Of course — you can decorate the Pavlova with other fresh fruits such as kiwi, blueberries or raspberries.
