A crunchy and tender dessert, light as a cloud: the Red fruit pavlova ! We love its marshmallow interior that melts in the mouth, its creamy whipped cream and its tangy fresh fruit... A pleasure to enjoy at the end of a meal. I give you all my tips for obtaining a smooth, crack-free meringue…
What you'll love with this red fruit pavlova recipe
- flavors : a sweet meringue, a slightly vanilla whipped cream, fresh and tangy red fruits…
- texture : the pavlova is very light… A crunchy meringue on the outside and melting on the inside, an airy whipped cream, melting fruits.
- equipment : to make the meringue (beat the egg whites) I always use my pastry robot, it allows you to have your hands free to do something else at the same time, and above all it is quite long. To mix the powdered sugar, I use my food processor, you can use what you have at home.
Choosing the right ingredients for the pavlova
- eggs : to make a pavlova you need fresh eggs because the egg white will hold better.
- Granulated sugar : I use classic powdered sugar but I mix it to make it finer, this makes it easier and quicker to incorporate it into beaten egg whites.
- liquid cream : for a nice whipped cream, you need a very cold 30% full fat liquid cream, it's important.
- Red fruits : to decorate the pavlova, I used Gariguette strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and currants. Take fresh rather than frozen, they will be better and prettier as a decoration.
How to make a red fruit pavlova?
- On mix the sugar to make it thinner
- We heat it 5 minutes in the oven to better dissolve it later
- We beat them whisked egg whites
- We add little by little sugar
- On long whip to form the meringue
- We add cornstarch and vinegar
- We draw up a pile of meringue on the plate
- On smooth the sides with a spatula and we bake!
- Let cool oven off
- We prepare whipped cream then we garnish the pavlova
- We add red fruits and we taste!
PS: find the quantities of ingredients and the detailed recipe at the bottom of this page.
My tips for a successful meringue
- do not make a pavlova in a damp room (or with steam) because it compromises the structure of the meringue, it's the same as for macaroons.
- mix and heat the sugar : so that it incorporates even more easily into egg whites and creates a meringue with a very stable structure.
- beat long but medium speed : this prevents the meringue from collapsing or cracking
- leave to stand with the oven turned off for 2 hours after cooking : this avoids the temperature shock which would break the meringue.
Possible variations for this pavlova recipe
- add a red fruit coulis, exotic fruit coulis for decoration
- add lemon curd by mixing it with whipped cream
- replace red fruits with diced mango, kiwi, peach…
How to store and serve your red fruit pavlova?
La pavlova once decorated must be tasted quickly, because whipped cream tends to soften the meringue. I advise you to prepare the whipped cream in advance (like the meringue for that matter) and place it just before serving to keep the crunchiness.
If you have any left over after the meal, place the decorated pavlova in the refrigerator and enjoy it within 24 hours.
La meringue alone can be prepared 24 hours in advance and stored in a dry place, ideally in an airtight container such as a cake dome (no fridge).
Other recipes to try
If you like recipes with strawberries and raspberries, I advise you to take a look at these other recipes from the blog:
- Mascarpone strawberry tiramisu
- Raspberry charlotte cake
- Peach Melba
- Crispy white chocolate raspberry bavarois
- Raspberry clafoutis
- Light strawberry mousse
- Vanilla strawberry mascarpone layer cake
If you make this pavlova red fruits, do not hesitate to rate the recipe below and tag @liliebakery on Instagram so I can see your beautiful pavlovas!
Easy Red Fruit Pavlova
A crunchy meringue on the outside and melting on the inside like marshmallow! We add a beautiful whipped cream and the red fruits of your choice: a light and ultra gourmet dessert...
Quantity: 6 people
Ingredients:
Meringue
- 325 g Granulated sugar
- 6 large fresh eggs (to recover 220g of egg whites)
- 1 cs cornstarch
- 2 cc White vinegar
Whipped cream
- 240 g whole liquid cream 30% mg very cold
- 2 cs icing sugar
- 0,5 cc natural vanilla extract or vanilla beans
Décor
- 250 g gariguette strawberries
- 125 g raspberries
- 100 g blueberries
- 70 g gooseberries or other fruits of your choice…
Preparation:
Meringue
- Preheat the oven to 190° traditional heat. Finely mix the powdered sugar using a blender to reduce the size of the sugar grains (important so that it blends with the egg whites).
- Spread the mixed sugar on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 5 minutes. Then place the sugar in a bowl. Lower the oven to 120° traditional heat. Lay parchment paper on a baking sheet. Draw a circle 20cm in diameter on the paper.
- Separate the egg whites from the egg yolks. Pour the egg whites into the metal or glass bowl of the robot (I recommend a pastry robot for this recipe because you have to whip for a long time). Be careful not to put traces of egg yolks with the whites.
- Start whipping medium/low speed (at 4) until the whites are frothy and start to form. Lower the speed (to 3) and add the sugar 2 tbsp at a time, waiting 30 seconds after each addition for it to incorporate properly. Then whisk, increasing the speed (to 4) for about 20 minutes (scraping the edges once or twice): the meringue should be thick and shiny. By touching the meringue between two fingers, you should no longer feel any grains of sugar.
- Mix the vinegar and cornstarch then pour into the meringue while whisking at higher speed (at 5) for 1 minute.
- With a spatula, place the meringue in the center of the circle drawn on the parchment paper. Smooth into a pile, then use a vertical spatula to lift the edges from bottom to top. With a tablespoon, lightly hollow out the top of the meringue.
- Bake the meringue slab for 1 hour and 45 minutes, immediately reducing the oven to 110° traditional heat. Do not open the oven door and leave to stand for at least 2 hours with the oven turned off.
Whipped cream
- Whip the very cold cream at medium speed. As soon as the whipped cream begins to form, add the icing sugar and vanilla. Whisk until the whipped cream is ready.
Décor
- Gently place the meringue on the serving platter. Place a nice layer of whipped cream in the center, overflowing on the edges. Cut the strawberries in half, and add them alternately with the raspberries, blueberries, currants (you can do this with other seasonal fruits).
- Enjoy the pavlova quickly after filling it because the whipped cream softens the meringue.
Notes:
The pavlova once decorated is used immediately. If you have any left over after the meal, place it in the refrigerator and enjoy it within 24 hours.
The meringue itself can be made 24 hours in advance and kept in a very dry place.
Have a look on my recipe ideas for using egg yolks !
Did you make this recipe?Tag @liliebakery on Instagram so I can see the result :)
Aurelie
Hello, thank you for all this information about the meringues!
I have 2 additional questions:
– what is the vinegar used for?
– why use the oven in static heat rather than rotating (I imagine suddenly that it is preferable to do the same for macaroons?).
Thank you in advance.
Lilie bakery
Hello Aurélie, vinegar is a very important acidifier for stabilizing the meringue (like lemon juice that can be added instead). In baking, I always use traditional heat. The macaroons are different, we want to create a collar from below, the heat has to circulate, hence the rotating heat. See you soon :)