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Chelsea’s Pavlova

December 21, 2014
by Chelsea Winter
chelsea pavlova, chelsea winter pavlova, christmas pavlova, easy pavlova, pavalova, pavalova recipe, pavalova recipe nz, pavlova recipe
60 Comments

Pavlova

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Chelsea’s Pavlova

This recipe is from my second cookbook, Everyday Delicious. Don’t be afraid of making a pav – they’re pretty easy if you understand a few simple things about them. And please don’t freak out and think you’ve had a fail if yours doesn’t look perfect – there’s no such thing, and I can tell you no two pavs are EVER the same (even in made in the same kitchen using the same recipe by the same person). Remember, cream and fruit hides all!

Chelsea’s tips

  • If you like a nice crispy shell, have the oven preheated to 180c then change it back to 120c as soon as the pav goes in.
  • I used to think that old eggs should be used as they whip up better. Now I am of the opinion that while they may whip up quicker, old eggs are not as stable once whipped and when cooking. So I actually like to use fresh eggs in my pavs these days! You live and learn…
  • Bring your eggs out of the fridge the day before, as room temperature eggs whip up best.
  • You really need to use an electric beater, or a benchtop cake mixer with the whisk attachment.
  • Use a metal or ceramic bowl to beat the eggs whites, not plastic. Plastic bowls hold on to the grease from things you may have had in there previously. Egg whites hate grease – it stops them reaching their potential volume.
  • For grease-free utensils,  dip a paper towel in some vinegar and wipe the bowl/whisk clean. Make sure all your utensils are scrupulously clean before you start.
  • Keep the eggs whites completely free of yolk. To be safe, break each egg into a clean mug before it goes into the main bowl. That way, if you have a fail, you only ruin one egg instead of eight! Get any bits of shell out, too, using a clean spoon.
  • Use caster sugar – it dissolves faster than standard sugar. If you don’t have caster sugar, you can whizz up normal sugar in a food processor.
  • Electric beaters and mixers can have pretty powerful motors – use a slowish speed when you first beat the egg whites before the sugar goes in. Once you start adding the sugar, then you can turn it up to a medium-high speed.
  • Leave the oven door shut while cooking, then cool the pavlova in the oven with the door closed. Don’t open the door at all as the sudden temperature changes can cause it to crack, and worse.
  • Pavs can weep and collapse for different reasons – overcooking, undercooking, overbeating or not dissolving the sugar properly before cooking. Humidity can also affect a pav. That’s why we don’t worry too much if there are imperfections. Love your pav for what it is.
  • You’d be surprised at how much temperatures can vary in ovens, even the new ones – they can run hot or cool by a whopping 20c – so if your pav is under or overcooked (and the rest of your baking tends to fail), this could be why! Invest in a goof oven thermometer and check, then adjust your temperatures.
  • There’s a bit of a balance that needs to be achieved with a pav. You want all the sugar to be dissolved fully before the pav goes into the oven. However, you don’t want to overbeat the mixture either – it should take around 10 minutes of beating in total. The mixture, by the end, should be very thick and glossy, and free of traces of sugar when you rub the mixture between your fingers.

Ingredients

8 free-range eggs, at room temperature
1 ¾ cups caster sugar
2 tsp cornflour, sifted
2 tsp white vinegar
2 tbsp just-boiled water
Whipped cream to serve
Fresh fruit to serve

Method

If you like the shell a crispy, preheat the oven to 180c normal bake (170c fan bake). If you like it very delicate, preheat to 120c conventional bake (110c fan bake).

Set an oven rack below the centre of the oven. Line a baking tray with baking paper, use a little butter or oil to stick it to the tray and stop it swirling around. Use a dinner plate (around 25cm in diameter) to stencil a circle on to the paper – use this as a guide for the pav on later. Spray with a non-stick baking spray.

Place an oven rack just below the centre of the oven.

Separate the eggs one by one into a clean mug, then tip into the clean whisking bowl.

Start the beater/whisk on a medium-low speed and whisk the eggs whites until firm peaks form – this means when the whisk is lifted from the mixture, the egg white should form a peak which stays upright and curl over a little bit at the end, and the mixture will be shiny and moist looking. Careful not to over-beat at this stage – if you do, the sugar may not mix in with the egg whites properly.

Increase the beater speed to medium-high and start gradually adding the caster sugar to the egg whites – do this a tablespoon at a time, with the beater running, from the sides (not dumped in the middle), beating for about 10 seconds after each addition. This should take 5–7 minutes in total. Scrape down the sides every now and then with a spatula to get the stray sugar granules.

Add the sifted cornflour and vinegar with the last spoonful of sugar, then continue to beat/whisk for another 30 seconds. Rub some mixture between your thumb and forefinger – you shouldn’t feel any sugar grit. If you do, keep beating for 20 second chunks until it’s smooth.

Lastly add the boiling water, and beat 15 seconds.

Scrape the mixture out onto the lined baking tray into the circle you’ve drawn. Use a spatula to smooth it into an even circular shape.

Make a series of smooth upward sweeps all along the sides of the pavlova. This helps give it structure and will help prevent it sinking or crumbling later on.

Place the tray on the rack just below the centre of the oven, leave for 5 minutes then turn the oven down to 120c regular bake.

Bake for a further 1 1/2 hours. Don’t open the oven door while it’s cooking. After the 1 1/2 hours is up, turn the oven off and leave to cool without opening the door for at least 3 hours. If you see a few cracks, this is totally normal, don’t fret. If you see a little bit of weeping, that’s cool too. No two pavs will ever turn out the same – even mine don’t. Just cover it with cream and you’ll be sweet.

Your naked pavlova can be kept in a clean, airtight plastic container for 1-2 days. (Not the fridge!)

When you’re ready to serve, decorate with whipped cream and fresh fruit – you can’t beat berries at Christmas!

60 Comments
  1. Darren mclean September 13, 2015 at 12:48 am Reply
    Hi Chelsea, I hope you are having a great day. I see you use oil or butter on your trays for pavs, water sprinkled over the tray works great too. it has been awesome following you since you did master chef, take care and I look forward to following your recipes Darren
  2. Chantelle September 14, 2015 at 1:00 am Reply
    Is it possible to swap the sugar out for something less processed? Maybe honey or coconut sugar? Love the idea of pav, just trying to make better food choices. Ta Chantelle
    • Chelsea Winter September 15, 2015 at 11:39 pm Reply
      Hi Chantelle, I wouldn't - the sugar is an important part of the structure.
    • Peter December 24, 2019 at 4:30 am Reply
      Try use raw caster sugar its much less processed
    • Sme December 4, 2020 at 8:04 pm Reply
      Ffs it’s a pav, use sugar, use cream and enjoy it
    • Kylie December 19, 2020 at 9:19 am Reply
      Erythritol works great as a direct sugar sub in pav. Comes out slightly crisper and has the characteristic cooling effect on the tongue but the cream makes up for this.
  3. Nadene September 18, 2015 at 10:25 pm Reply
    Hi Chelsea, have just made your pav, is there any implication if one has accidentally added to much cornflour? Thanks in advance.
    • Chelsea Winter September 19, 2015 at 9:28 pm Reply
      Nope should be fine - how did it go?
  4. Heather October 1, 2015 at 2:17 am Reply
    Hi Chelsea how many does this serve ?:)
    • Chelsea Winter October 8, 2015 at 5:32 am Reply
      8-10
  5. Morgan October 1, 2015 at 7:17 am Reply
    Hi Chelsea Just wondering would this work if I half the recipe? There are only two of us and I really want Pav and I've heard yours is the best! Thanks
    • Chelsea Winter October 8, 2015 at 5:32 am Reply
      Yes that should be fine.
    • Kelly December 16, 2020 at 5:53 pm Reply
      Hi Morgan, did you halve the cooking time and did it come out ok? I want to make half a pav too...
      • Morgan French December 21, 2020 at 8:07 am Reply
        Sorry late reply! Yes totally fine halved, same cook time :)
  6. Ineke October 2, 2015 at 10:46 pm Reply
    I'm trying your recipe for the first time, usually I preheat my oven to 180, then put the pav in for 10 minutes and turn the oven off, it turns out nice and white, but tends to become weepy quite quickly, so I'm trying your recipe, the cooking time seems really long and my pav is going a gross browny color, it still has 1/2 hour to go, I'm worried it will burn, I've followed instructions to the t , why might this be happening??
    • Chelsea Winter October 8, 2015 at 5:31 am Reply
      Hi Ineke, your oven is too hot - might pay to buy an oven thermometer so you can see the difference between the actual temp and the temp on the dial :)
  7. Stephanie October 17, 2015 at 3:11 am Reply
    Hi Chelsea I just wanted to say that this pavlova recipe of yours is the best I've ever used. I followed it when making a pav this morning and it turned out super light and fluffy. Thanks for another awesome recipe - I'll be sharing this one with my mum and friends. Cheers Steph
  8. Sheryn October 23, 2015 at 4:03 am Reply
    Hi there, can you please tell me if your pav has a marshmallow texture in the middle or a more chewy texture? This is important for those going to eat it! Thanks :) Sheryn
    • Chelsea Winter October 27, 2015 at 3:18 am Reply
      Marshmallow :)
      • Melanie December 21, 2019 at 9:21 am Reply
        Hi Chelsea I love how easy this recipe is to make! Thank you for all yr step by step instructions!! This is the second year in a row that I have made yr pav and altered it to make it Keto friendly. I use stevia based sweetener instead of sugar and cream of tartar instead of cornflour...works a treat!! No one knows the difference!
  9. Sarah November 19, 2015 at 11:44 pm Reply
    Hi Chelsea, just wondering whether it is super important to use white vinegar in this recipe, or whether other vinegars could work? I only have apple cider and malt vinegars at the moment, and would prefer not to have to buy white if I can. Thanks!
    • Chelsea Winter November 24, 2015 at 4:05 am Reply
      Those will work!
  10. Jenni December 14, 2015 at 7:30 am Reply
    Hi Chelsea Do you any recommendations for the leftover yolks? Custard is always a good option, but there quite a lot of yolks. ... Cheers Jenni
    • Chelsea Winter December 16, 2015 at 9:18 pm Reply
      Custard or lemon curd!
      • Vicki December 30, 2018 at 3:31 am Reply
        Home made icecream.
  11. Amber December 17, 2015 at 6:32 pm Reply
    Very clear info for pav novices like me. Mine looks fab, will definitely make again thanks.
  12. Abygail Stokes December 20, 2015 at 8:59 am Reply
    Hey chelsea, After a couple of years I finally got around to making a pay and choose to use your recipe. It is in the oven cooking away now and I hope it works out, you are awesome Much Love
  13. Zee Tana December 23, 2015 at 9:15 pm Reply
    Hey Winny, I am just about to make your beautiful Pav, let's hope I don't poop it all up day before Christmas. Merry Christmas and Happy Newy, btw loving the website, the recipes and the amazing pics xx
    • Chelsea Winter January 17, 2016 at 6:51 am Reply
      How did it go?
  14. Jillian Leckie December 25, 2015 at 12:28 pm Reply
    What a magnificent recipe Thank you from kiwis living in Western Australia I have always used the Edmonds Cookbook recipe but luckily I couldn't find my book last night on Christmas Eve 11pm and googled and found your recipe - my family will agree it was simply the best pavlova ever - stable light fluffy nice crunch without being sickly sweet so from us 5 in WA thank you - My new and go to Kiwi Pavlova recipe
  15. Louise November 13, 2016 at 9:18 am Reply
    Hi Chelsea! What am I doing wrong...my pav has a hard shell looks beautiful but when I cut into it the middle is 50% hollow. The filling that is in there is lovely and fluffy and tastes amazing. Thanks for your help!
    • Chelsea Winter December 1, 2016 at 1:14 am Reply
      That's pretty normal - let the top fall down and fill the crater with cream and fruit :)
  16. Rebecca December 6, 2016 at 9:44 pm Reply
    Hi Chelsea! Made my first pav ever last night, came out really well, soft and fluffy in the middle but the outside was sticky and didn't go hard! -any suggestions?
    • Chelsea Winter December 8, 2016 at 8:53 pm Reply
      Try turning your oven up 10c next time - it might be running a bit cool. Or it may have just been a humid day?
  17. Claire Rutherford December 21, 2016 at 6:11 am Reply
    My Aunty and I always have competitions on our Pavs at this time of year and marvel at our successes and fails (always eaten at family lunch no matter how they turn out) now we are at different ends of the country its done by photos. Am trying yours for the first time this year, lets hope I win the competition (winner = bragging rights for the whole year)
  18. Eliza December 22, 2016 at 4:40 am Reply
    Hi Chelsea! Everything l've made of yours is 10/10 delicious! Thanks for all your fab recipes! Currently have my pav in the oven... so far so good but just wondering if when l turn off the oven and leave it, can i leave it in there over night? Would it hurt it?
    • Chelsea Winter February 26, 2017 at 8:15 pm Reply
      Should be fine as long as it's not too humid!
  19. Rosemary Reeves December 22, 2016 at 6:22 am Reply
    Hi Chelsea Have try your pav and it's the best I have tried I have had lots of comments Thanks
  20. Sarah December 25, 2016 at 6:55 am Reply
    Yum! I made this for Christmas Day and everyone was raving about it! First time I have ever attempted a Pav, so was a little bit worried. No need for worries because it was amazing! Appreciated all the tips with the recipe. Thank you Chelsea, I love your books and recipes!!!
  21. Marie December 25, 2016 at 7:46 am Reply
    Best pav I've ever made. Admired by everyone at Christmas dinner. Comments "beautifully light and soft"
  22. Shannon January 6, 2017 at 5:55 am Reply
    This recipe is absolutely amazing! My pav turned out perfectly crunchy on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside. Thankyou so much for sharing your recipe :-) xx
  23. Bolle January 6, 2017 at 8:19 pm Reply
    Thank you for the tips in this recipe. I've made a couple of pavs before that were good but this one was almost flawless and by far the biggest one with the best texture. The tip about checking for sugar grit really helped. Although I do love pavs for not being perfect... :)
  24. Sylvie January 16, 2017 at 7:51 pm Reply
    Hi Chelsea Maybe it's my old oven, but I put it in for 5 mins before turning the heat right down and the pav has browned....hopefully it will still taste good. I was going for the crispy shell finish?
  25. Victoria November 19, 2017 at 6:49 pm Reply
    I made my first pav to test it out for Xmas time and it worked a treat. I was pedantic with mixing times and even forgot 1/4 cup of sugar (saw it on the bench at the end) and it worked perfectly! I have just received eat for my birthday and can’t wait to get cooking! Thanks Chelsea!
  26. Andrew December 24, 2017 at 12:05 am Reply
    Hi Chelsea, I was just wondering how important the boiled water is? It wasn't until I put it in the oven I realised I forgot to add it... Will this affect the outcome?? Many Thanks!
    • Chelsea Winter March 7, 2018 at 12:59 am Reply
      Should be fine :)
  27. Luke January 17, 2018 at 9:56 am Reply
    Have used this recipe 3 times now, and each one was really good, only difference was it came out better without the fan forced oven mode. Just regular bake. Easy to follow. Thanks Chelsea.
  28. Landon January 22, 2018 at 8:10 pm Reply
    Made my first pav with this recipe. Stoked at the result! Crunchy on the outside, soft in the middle. Can tick that off the bucket list but suspect will be making it again with this recipe. Really appreciated the detailed tips with explanations to help with my understanding. Used the yolks to make a lemon curd which I folded through the cream and topped with blueberries. He kai tino reka! Kia ora Chelsea!
  29. Carolyn Lill February 10, 2018 at 11:29 pm Reply
    Hi Chelsea, Can I use gluten free cornflour? I have made it without with great results, but have to cater for someone who is gluten free at a special birthday this week.
    • Chelsea Winter March 7, 2018 at 12:02 am Reply
      Sure!
  30. Richardmcb March 9, 2018 at 10:56 am Reply
    Well had a crack at this today and what a result! Looks and tastes great! I'm no chef but have moderate success with a couple of pavs in the past but this surpasses them all! Will be my go to recipe from now on
  31. Reba Oottinger November 4, 2018 at 1:05 am Reply
    I aade this pavrecipe best recipe so far my family loved it
  32. Claudia May 2, 2019 at 7:55 am Reply
    I can't wait to make this for my French friends! Thank you Chelsea for everything you do, Claudia xxx
  33. Renee December 22, 2019 at 5:58 am Reply
    By far the best pavlova recipe I have tried (and there have been many attempts with little success) and this worked perfectly and tasted so Good! Thanks for always providing great easy to follow recipes 😊
  34. Becky December 27, 2019 at 11:16 am Reply
    Made my first ever pav using this recipe and it came out perfectly
  35. Kathy January 13, 2020 at 3:30 am Reply
    This pav is perfect! I had a never fail recipe but wanted a bigger pav and yours turned out perfectly. And so big I had to put it on a microwave turntable to serve, lol! Now I need to look at maybe halving it to make it my new go-to pav recipe.
  36. MasterGeniusLeCrunchMaster June 3, 2020 at 4:35 pm Reply
    I made this pav three times over the course of three days, the first time it turned out to be delicious but I thought that I under beat the eggs because it was as flat as a pancake so I tried again the next day I under beat the eggs last time so I beat them for longer this time. It was then that I realized that I over beat them the first time and I over beat them even more the second time, after it got out of the oven it was twice as wide and four times as tall as my last pav, I’m not joking it was really big, if you want a huge pav and you don’t mind it being a little flat over beat the eggs a lot and that’s the resault. So third time I actually took the time to find out what a stiff peak looked like and the eggs were perfectly beat! I put it in the oven and was beautiful! Of course then my mother came into the kitchen and thought the oven was too cold when I’m reality I had purposely turned down the oven like it said to in the recipe, she turned up the oven and caused my pav to brown slightly giving small parts a slightly charred taste, but, as you said cream and fruit hides all! and everyone loved it! I will use this recipe in all my future pavs unless I find a better one, but why even look? The probability of finding a recipe as good as yours is very small and it would be very hard to find! Everyone who tasted my pav wanted the recipe and gave me positive comments and it tasted great every time no matter how flat it was! Thank you for this phenomenal recipe!!!
  37. Cheryl November 30, 2020 at 7:21 am Reply
    First time making a pav; this recipe was a winner! Loved the 'heads-up' tips & the straight forward recipe. Tasty, mashmellowy inside with yummy crunchy outside. Demolished with people going back for seconds & thirds! Been asked to make another for Christmas now. Appreciate this recipe thanks Chelsea!
  38. Terry December 28, 2020 at 11:24 pm Reply
    Tried this for my very first pav and it was a great success - everyone loved it on Xmas day. Once again Chelsea has developed a winning recipe. Thanks so much!
  39. Helen Stewart December 30, 2020 at 3:37 am Reply
    This the recipe I have used for over 40 years, nearly a flop today, cake mixer has died tried to make it in the food processor, a flop, then made it using hand mixer, beat 30 seconds added sugar 30 seconds later added the failed thin pav mixture. Continue adding this eight plus times. Now have 8 mini pavs and a small ten inch one. The proof will be in the eating tomorrow.

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