Peach Pavlova
A crisp meringue shell with a soft, marshmallowy center gets piled high with whipped cream and juicy sliced peaches. This elegant dessert looks like it came from a fancy bakery, but it only takes about 25 minutes of hands-on work. Perfect for summer entertaining, this recipe turns simple ingredients into a showstopping dessert that guests will request again and again.
Equipment
- Stand mixer or hand mixer with whisk attachment
- Large glass or metal mixing bowl completely grease-free
- Rimmed baking sheet
- Parchment paper
- Offset spatula
- Rubber spatula
- Wire cooling rack
- Sharp paring knife for slicing peaches
Ingredients
- 4 large egg whites room temperature
- 1 cup superfine sugar also called caster sugar, 200g
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream cold, 355ml
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 3 to 4 ripe peaches thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons honey for drizzling
- Fresh mint leaves for garnish, optional
- 1/4 cup toasted sliced almonds optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 250°F (120°C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and draw an 8-inch circle as a guide, then flip paper over.
- In a completely clean, dry bowl, beat egg whites and salt with a mixer on medium speed until foamy and soft peaks form, 2-3 minutes.
- With mixer running, add superfine sugar one tablespoon at a time, waiting 15-20 seconds between additions. Beat until thick, glossy, and stiff peaks form.
- Sprinkle cornstarch over meringue, then add vinegar and vanilla. Gently fold with a rubber spatula just until combined.
- Spoon meringue onto the center of the prepared circle. Use an offset spatula to spread to the edges, building sides higher than the center to create a well.
- Place in oven and immediately lower temperature to 225°F (107°C). Bake for 1 hour 30 minutes until outside is dry and firm and sounds hollow when tapped.
- Turn off oven and leave pavlova inside with door propped open for 1-2 hours to cool completely. Transfer to serving platter.
- In a cold bowl, whip heavy cream with powdered sugar until soft peaks form. Do not overmix.
- Spoon whipped cream into the well of the cooled meringue. Arrange sliced peaches over cream, drizzling with honey. Garnish with almonds and mint if desired. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Use eggs that are a few days old rather than fresh for better volume when whipping.
- Bring egg whites to room temperature before whipping for the fullest volume.
- Wipe your mixing bowl and whisk with vinegar or lemon juice to remove any trace of grease.
- Add sugar slowly and patiently to prevent grainy meringue.
- Bake on a dry day if possible, as humidity can make pavlova sticky.
- The meringue shell can be baked up to 2 days ahead and stored at room temperature in an airtight container.
- Assemble pavlova as close to serving time as possible, as cream and fruit will soften the shell within a few hours.
- Small cracks in the meringue are normal and add to its rustic charm.
- For individual servings, pipe the meringue into 6-8 small rounds and reduce baking time to about 1 hour.
- If using canned peaches instead of fresh, drain thoroughly and pat dry with paper towels.
Nutrition
Serving: 1SliceCalories: 280kcalCarbohydrates: 28gProtein: 3gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 11gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 55mgSodium: 40mgPotassium: 150mgFiber: 1gSugar: 26gVitamin A: 8IUVitamin C: 10mgCalcium: 4mgIron: 2mg
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