Crispy, cloudy, half dessert, half table decoration. As we wrap up our series on Christmas desserts, it was only fitting to end it on a simple, yet showstopper of a dessert. Day twelve. The last dessert of this series, arriving just after the holidays have packed themselves away. Which feels fitting, somehow. A raspberry pavlova was in order.
Better late than never, they say. This pavlova post was nearly ready a week ago, but the chaos of the holidays took precedence. The good news is that the pavlova made it to the Christmas table just in time. And now it’s time for it to live here.
Our 12 Days of Christmas Desserts series was about stretching the idea of what a Christmas dessert can be. Instead of adding to the bottomless well of cookie recipes already crowding the internet, we talked about how holiday desserts might be something simple like a rustic galette, an indulgent creamy peanut butter pie, or even elegant little lava cakes.
A through line among most of these desserts is that they’re make-ahead friendly, content to sit quietly in the back of the fridge until it’s finally their time to shine. Perhaps the best example of this is the humble pavlova: just a handful of staple ingredients and whatever topping suits your mood and budget. It’s a dessert that pleases everyone, including your cousin who works out every morning and avoids sugar the other 364 days of the year.
Pavlova is inherently festive and adapts to any season. For this one, we’re filling it with homemade raspberry jam and finishing it with berries and a little citrus – a nod to the season, and a reminder that brighter days are ahead.
What Pavlova Actually Is
What is pavlova if not a crisp exterior and a mellow center (like the Grinch’s heart, you know?). It’s not a meringue cookie, not a soufflé, though they share a family resemblance: desserts where a light, airy texture comes from beaten egg whites, trapping air that expands in the oven. They’re all delicate, and all benefit from careful cooling.
Built almost entirely from egg whites and sugar, the architecture of pavlova is as much about science as it is about baking. So put on your lab coat – or, fine, your apron – and let’s get started.
The Architecture of Pavlova
Pavlova is essentially engineered tenderness. Every component plays a role:
Egg whites: protein structure + air = foam
Sugar: the primary stabilizer
Acid (vinegar or lemon): helps the foam hold its shape
Starch (cornstarch): creates that signature soft, marshmallowy center by absorbing moisture and stabilizing the egg white foam, preventing it from fully drying out while giving it structure
Pavlova is basically a meringue. And that’s how it begins: as a raw meringue that slowly crisps in the oven. As heat slowly makes its way toward the center, the meringue goes through a few stages. The edges dry and become crusty, while the interior stays soft, turning marshmallowy. This all happens at a very low temperature, over a long period of time. Here, temperature and time are ingredients, too.
Too hot an oven and the pavlova will caramelize and crack – two things we try hard to avoid. The pavlova may even collapse. Not hot enough, and it will weep.
Cooling matters just as much as baking. If you remove a pavlova from the oven while it’s still hot, the sudden change in temperature can cause it to crack or sink. Its delicate foam structure needs to dry and cool very gradually to maintain a crisp shell and soft interior. Rapid cooling forces the air pockets inside to contract quickly, which the set but fragile crust can’t withstand.
Sugar is what gives pavlova its structure and that hard, glossy crust. Reduce it, and the result will be a more fragile, shattery shell.
Even the shape of your pavlova affects the final result. A tall, thick crown makes it harder for heat to reach the center through the meringue walls. If you prefer a chewier pavlova, a lower, wider disc is the way to go: it allows heat to circulate more evenly around the meringue.
What’s the deal with the sugar?
Sugar is the most delicate part of making pavlova. Add it too early and you’ll interfere with the egg white proteins’ ability to fully unfurl. Add it too late, and the sugar – which is very good at attracting water – starts getting greedy, pulling moisture from an already stiff foam and destabilizing the structure.
So start adding sugar when the egg whites reach soft peaks. At this stage they’ll look foamy and slightly fluid, but they’ll have just enough structure to stand up and support the sugar as it’s incorporated.
If you wait too long to start adding the sugar, you’ll end up with a less stable meringue, one that’s more prone to cracking or weeping (and yes, you might weep too, and that’s okay).
Sugar should always be added gradually, in small increments, making sure each addition is fully dissolved before adding the next. This can feel tedious, especially with a larger meringue, but don’t lose heart, we’ve all been there.
But be prepared to beat the mixture for a good 15 minutes on medium speed. I like to add about one tablespoon of sugar every minute or so.
The goal is a completely smooth meringue, so keep beating until you get there. Blitzing granulated sugar in a blender can make it even finer and easier to dissolve.
Whipping the egg whites serves two purposes: first, incorporating air into the egg white protein network; second, dissolving the sugar by continuously agitating the mixture. You’re done whipping when both of those things have happened – not before.
The best way to test for dissolved sugar is simple: rub a bit of meringue between your fingers. If you feel grit, keep mixing.
And don’t worry too much about overbeating. With pavlova, it’s actually difficult to go too far – most problems blamed on overwhipping are actually the result of stopping way beyond its smoothness.
Tips and Troubleshooting
Baking:
Think of baking a pavlova as slowly drying out the foam so it retains its structure while the proteins in the egg whites coagulate and solidify, setting the foam permanently.
The air trapped in the protein network will expand slightly as it sets, but the goal isn’t to evaporate water. Unlike most baked goods at higher temperatures, a meringue doesn’t lose weight during baking.
Start with a slightly hotter oven for the first 10 minutes: this initial blast of heat helps the crust set, forming a perfect shell. Then lower the temperature to finish baking gently.
Weeping Meringue
Whether or not your meringue ends up weeping usually comes down to the initial mixing. If the sugar hasn’t fully dissolved or the meringue’s structure has been destabilized, the delicate mesh of proteins, water, and sugar will break down.
Think of meringues as a love triangle between sugar, proteins, and water. If one bond is stronger than the others, problems will show up later.
Another common culprit is underbaking. If you introduce heat too quickly, the proteins coagulate too fast, disrupting the stable structure and causing sugary liquid to leak out. The outside sets while the inside doesn’t dry adequately, leaving free sugar water to puddle on your tray.
Finally, storage matters. As moisture from the air re-enters the pavlova and interacts with the water-loving sugar, it can begin to pool, creating more weeping situations.
Spreading in the Oven
A little bit of spreading is natural. But if baked at too high a temperature, it will lose its shape as air expands before the meringue is set.
If the meringue is removed too early or isn’t at full stiffness during shaping, you’ll also see more movement. Make sure your meringue is at peak stiffness and glossy before shaping.
Beading
Those small droplets of sugar syrup that sometimes appear on the meringue’s surface are pushed out during baking. This usually happens if the proteins set too quickly in the heat, forcing the sugar syrup to the surface, where it often caramelizes. There’s not much you can do about it in the moment, just take it easier on the bake next time.
Cracked Pavlova
It happens to us all. Cracks are the result of the air trapped inside the meringue inflating or deflating – and yes, it can go both ways!
Cracking can occur during baking for a few reasons. Air pockets can expand too quickly, forcing their way through the crust. Similarly, if the mixture is very warm going into the oven, the air trapped inside is closer to its evaporation point, which can also cause rapid expansion.
If your pavlova cracks within the first 15 minutes of baking, it’s usually because the oven is too hot: the crust hardens before the center has a chance to expand, and the middle bursts through. If it cracks toward the end, it’s typically because it cooked too quickly and the crust is too firm, forcing itself apart as the marshmallowy center settles.
Pavlova is also sensitive to temperature changes. Sudden exposure to cold air can make the center deflate quickly, causing surface cracks.
In other words, cracking is basically inevitable. The best you can do is keep the baking gentle and patient.
Pavlova Collapses When Cooling
Meringue collapse usually comes from dramatic temperature changes, either during baking or afterward.
During baking, we gradually lower the temperature to encourage the ideal balance between crust and soft center. If the crust is set but the middle isn’t fully set, it can separate as it cools and won’t have enough structure to hold itself up. If the crust is too thick, it may crack or fissure as the pavlova settles.
A little separation is normal, especially with a soft-centered pav shaped into a dramatic crown. As long as it’s structurally sound, you’ll be fine.
Collapsing as it cools can only be avoided with careful temperature management during and after baking.
A little separation, especially for a soft centered pav, is expected if you are shaping it into a dramatic crown shape, but as long as it is structurally sound then you’ll be okay.
Collapsing as it cools can only be solved by proper temperature management during the bake and after.
For more details and explanations on the art of making pavlova, please check out this wonderful post by the talented Nicola Lamb, one I refer back to every time I make meringue.
You Might Also Like…
Strawberry Peach Basil Crisp: Summer in a spoon, with a hint of herbs to make it feel grown-up. Juicy, crispy, and comforting.
Rice Pudding: The ultimate classic: creamy, soft, and reassuring, like something your grandmother might have made, but with an elegant twist.
Zabaglione: Light, boozy, and easy, with a texture that’s almost cloud-like. Perfect when the occasion deserves a little celebration.
Chocolate Mousse: Rich, smooth, and indulgent. A classic done simply, yet still a small luxury every time.
This post contains affiliate links. That means if you click on one of the product links above and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only ever recommend products or services I genuinely love or use personally. Thank you so much for supporting From A Small Kitchen!
Equipment:
- Ingredients
3 large egg whites (98g)
166g white sugar
4.5g white wine vinegar or lemon juice (1 tsp)
4.5g cornstarch (1 tsp)
- Filling:
300ml heavy cream
50ml mascarpone cheese, at room temp
1 tsp vanilla
100g raspberry jam
1 orange, sliced, for topping
Fresh berries, for topping
Powdered sugar, optional, for garnishing
Directions
Preheat the oven to 265 °F/ 130 °C.
In a large bowl, whisk the egg whites on medium-high speed until they reach soft peaks.
Lower the speed and start adding the sugar slowly, about 1 tbsp at a time, beating well between each addition, about a minute or two.
Once all the sugar has been added, turn the speed back up to medium. Set a timer for 15 minutes and check if the meringue has stiff peaks, is shiny and thick, and that all the sugar is dissolved (rub a bit between your fingers to test). If not, continue whisking in 5-minute intervals until fully dissolved.
Meanwhile, mix the cornstarch and vinegar together in a small bowl. When the meringue is ready, spoon a few tablespoons into the cornstarch mixture and mix well — this is called a liaison batter. Fold the liaison batter into the main meringue until fully combined.
Shape your meringue on a parchment-lined baking sheet as desired (tall crown for marshmallowy center; low and wide for chewier texture). Use a few dollops of meringue to “glue” the parchment to the baking sheet for easier assembly.
Bake for 10 minutes at 265 °F/ 130 °C, then lower the oven to 210 °F/ 100 °C and bake for a further 60 minutes. Turn off the oven and allow the pavlova to cool inside for at least 2 hours or overnight.
Meanwhile, prepare the filling: whip the heavy cream to very soft peaks, then add the mascarpone and vanilla, and mix for another 30 seconds until fully combined. Fold in the raspberry jam.
Add the filling to the chilled pavlova and top with fresh berries and orange slices just before serving. Dust with powdered sugar, if desired.
