The Pavlova was created in the 1920’s and named after the Russian ballet dancer Anna Pavlova following her tour of Australia and New Zealand. While the trans-Tasman debate over the exact origin of the Pavlova is still unresolved, its crisp, white outer shell and soft, sweet, marshmallow like inside means this beautiful dessert takes pride of place on many Aussie and Kiwi dinner tables.

The Pavlova is made in a similar way to a meringue – by beating egg whites and sugar – the key difference being that a small amount of cornflour is folded in, ensuring the inside stays soft and fluffy instead of becoming hard.

Most people see baking as an art but it’s also a science. Before cookbooks were produced en masse, home cooks cherished their handwritten notebooks containing special recipes for cakes, pastries and other desserts. Margins were filled with scribbled notes and readjusted measurements – the product of countless attempts at perfection. These cooks unwittingly learned the science of baking through trial and error and turned their knowledge into old wives tales.

I recently remarked to a Chef friend of mine that he didn’t do much baking. His response – ‘yeah, I actually like to cook’. While I was a little offended, I saw his point. When you’re baking, you’re somewhat limited as it’s important to get the right balance of ingredients to get the appropriate reactions. When you’re cooking however, you can be guided by your taste buds and an extra dash, pinch or dollop probably won’t matter too much.

It’s probably for this reason that many people shy away from making desserts like Pavlova. Much like soufflé, this dish requires precision and patience in its preparation and unless you understand why you need to follow such specific directions, the process can seem like more trouble than its worth. Those who rush through blindly end up with a collapsed pile of sweet, goopy meringue more suited for use in Eton Mess.

So rather than just explaining the how, I’m also going to try to explain the why with this recipe.

Pavlova – serves 6

Ingredients:

4 egg whites – Make sure there’s NO egg yolk in there. Fat is greatest enemy of egg white foam.
½ tsp cream of tartar – Used to stabilise the egg whites.
1 cup caster sugar – Caster sugar is finer than normal white sugar so will dissolve more easily.
1 tbsp (10g) cornflour
1 tsp vanilla essence

Method:

Preheat your oven to 150°C. You will be turning it down later but you want the Pav to get a quick blast of heat at the start. Line a baking tray or 20 cm springform tin with baking paper (no butter or oil).

Beat egg whites with cream of tartar using either a whisk (if you have Popeye sized forearms) or an electric mixer until soft peaks form.

 

When egg white proteins are agitated with a whisk or electric mixer, they unfold and link together. This creates a wall around the air bubbles that are being added through the beating process. At the ‘soft peak’ stage your mix will retain some shape but will droop and the foam won’t cling to the bowl. Don’t add the sugar before this stage as it will make the mix too heavy and you won’t get proper volume.

Gradually add sugar, one third at a time, beating at a medium speed for around a minute between additions until stiff peaks form. Patience is definitely a virtue at this stage. Firstly, you don’t want to over beat the egg whites as the foam will start to collapse but you also want to allow the sugar to dissolve. You can check this by rubbing some mix between your fingertips – you will be able to feel the sugar granules if they haven’t dissolved. The dissolved sugar will add extra strength to the walls around the air bubbles (as well as making the dish sweet). At the stiff peak stage, the foam will retain its shape and cling to the bowl. If you’re feeling game, tip the bowl upside down and it should stay where it is.

Fold in cornflour and vanilla essence with a spatula or wooden spoon. After all your time and effort creating those lovely air bubbles, the last thing you want to do is destroy them by vigorously stirring in the cornflour. Be gentle.

Pile the mix on the oven tray or in the springform tin. I prefer a freeform style so usually do mine on the oven tray. Just blob the mix in the middle and gently push it out with your spatula as you go. You can also use your spatula to add some artistic peaks.

Gently place the tray/pan in the oven and turn the temperature down to 100°C. Cook for around 1 ½ hours. While your Pavlova is in the oven, the water in the egg whites will dissolve and the walls around the air bubbles will harden. The egg white proteins will coagulate and be reinforced by the sugar molecules which will dry out. This process takes a while and it’s important to keep your oven at a low temperature so the sugar doesn’t caramelise and make your Pav go brown.

Allow your Pav to cool completely before removing from the tray/tin. If you try to move it while it’s warm it will most likely collapse.

Decorate! Whipped cream, lemon curd or mousse topped with fruit or grated chocolate are popular choices but really, anything goes. If you want to try something different try whipped cream, strawberries and crushed peppermint crisp.

The Pavlova will go soggy and collapse if you leave it in the fridge too long so I recommend you decorate it just before serving. It will keep in an airtight container for at least a couple of days so you can make it in advance.

I made this monster sized Pav for a kitchen tea recently and tripled the mix. It measured about 40 cm across but unfortunately was also hard to move so it cracked slightly. If this happens to you, don’t worry – it adds character.