Easy Summer Pavlova with Cream and Fresh Berries

Easy Pavlova Recipe: a favourite, easy to make, no-fail pavlova recipe. Make with summer berries, or any other favourite fruit.

I love pavlova.  It’s delicious, easy to make, and always a hit with guests.  The meringue is hard and crispy on the outside and marshmallowy and soft at it’s centre.  It pairs perfectly with fresh tangy summer berries, and soft and creamy whipped cream.  This summer pavlova is an elegant dessert to serve to guests.  This is a no-fail recipe you will love.

Today as part of the Seasonal Simplicity Summer Series I’m joining in with some of my favourite bloggers to share our favourite summer recipes.  Be sure to check out all the links at the bottom of this post.

Pavlova History

Pavlova is the perfect combination of crisp meringue and ooey-gooey marshmallow-y inside.  This combined with freshly whipped cream, and tart berries is the perfect combination.  Pavlova is named after the Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova.  It is thought to have originated in New Zealand or Australia in the 1920’s while the ballerina was on tour there.  It’s a very popular dish in New Zealand and Australia, often served during their summer months, including Christmas.  It’s the perfect dessert for entertaining is often served during holidays.

Pavlova vs. Meringue

What is the difference between pavlova and meringue?  The difference is in the textures.  Both desserts are made from sweetened whipped egg whites, but meringue is usually crisp and dry all the way through.  Pavlova has a crisp exterior, but on the inside it has a marshmallow like soft chewy texture.

Troubleshooting Pavlova

There’s a few things that go wrong when you’re making a pavlova.  It can be a bit of a diva, but knowing what pitfalls to avoid can help.  So here are some tips and things to watch out for when your baking pavlova:

• Even the tiniest bit of egg yolk in your egg whites will prevent them from whipping properly.  Make sure your bowl and whisk and clean and grease free to for the best whip.
• Make sure you add your sugar to the egg white mixture slowly enough, this is so that the sugar can dissolve fully and not be gritty in the dessert.
• You can also over whip your egg whites causing them to loss too much moisture and curdle, or causing the meringue to collapse after it’s baked.
• Don’t make a pavlova on a really humid day.  The humidity can affect the meringue base and cause it to be too sticky and chewy and not dry out properly.
• If your meringue isn’t white, your oven may have been too hot.  Sugar can caramelize at high heats.  You may need to check your oven temperature with an oven thermometer.
• Your meringue base can sometime crack after it’s baked if it has cooled too quickly.  Some people like to leave it in the oven with the oven door open while it cools to prevent this problem.
• Pavlova is best eaten as soon as it’s put together.  You can make the base a day ahead and store in an airtight container, but you should assemble it hours before serving.

Assembling

It’s best to put together the summer berry pavlova only a few hours before serving.  If you want to make this dessert ahead of time, you can store the meringue discs in an airtight container at room temperature.  Or if it’s too large, just tightly wrap the cooled meringue on the baking tray with plastic wrap.  You can also whip the cream and store the fridge, so that the day of all you have to do is assemble the dessert.  After the pavlova is all assembled, be sure to store any leftovers in the refrigerator.

This summer berry pavlova dessert is always very well received.  It always looks like a real show stopper on your dinner table.  That combination of fresh summer berries, meringue base with it’s marshmallow center, and fresh whipped cream is everyone’s favorite special occasion dessert.  It’s the perfect light ending to a big meal on a summer evening.  

Berries

We used mixed berries for our pavlova.   Any kinds of berries work well.  For our pavlova cake we used strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, and blueberries.  You can use combination of berries or fresh fruit that you like.

Make It Mini

Mini pavlovas are a fun variation on this meringue-based dessert.  Make individual size mini pavlova bases about 3 inches circle, and serve one per guest.  You will need to reduce the baking time of smaller portions.

With this easy pavlova recipe, life really is a party!

More Recipe Inspiration

You might also like our Chocolate Pavlova Recipe here.

Also check out our Donut Strawberry Shortcake here.

Also check out our Strawberry Cobbler here.

This week, some of my blogging friends and I are sharing our favourite summer recipe ideas. Just click on the links below the images to be taken to see their full posts.

Grilled Zucchini with Parmesan on the BBQ at The Happy Housie

The BEST. Summer Salad at My 100 Year Old Home

Summer Corn, Blueberry and Avocado Salad at Cassie Bustamante

Lobster Rolls at Home at Finding Silver Pennies

Easy Skillet Nachos at She Gave it a Go

Rhubarb Cloud Dessert at A Pretty Life

Summer Apple Rhubarb Galette at Life is Better at Home

Pavlova at Life is a Party

Lemon Rosewater Cookies at This is Simplicite

Cherry Rhubarb Crisp in Mini Skillets at Satori Design for Living

Cherry Pie Ice Cream at Jenna Kate at Home

Berry Crisp on the Grill at Clean & Scentsible

Sheet Pan Lemon Bars at My Sweet Savannah