The most perfect, easy pavlova recipe. Using Swiss Meringue instead of the traditional French, this pavlova recipe is crispy on the outside and has a perfect, full, marshmallow center, and is much more stable so is resistant to humidity and changes in weather. It is easy to make and the perfect crowd pleaser. This is the most perfect year round dessert. Topped with Manuka Honey whipped cream and golden kiwifruit, this is a New Zealand classic.
The Perfect Swiss Meringue Pavlova
Hi! I hope you’ve had a great week - mine was filled with an excessive amount of pavlovas. I’ve made 16 in the last two weeks on the quest to find the perfect pavlova recipe (perfect to me anyway), which is, to me, a super fluffy, full interior, and a perfect, pale, but thick crusted exterior.
I grew up eating pavlova - I come from a huge family, and so there were at least two at every gathering, and it is my Mum’s go-to dessert, so I’ve probably had hundreds over the course of my life, but it wasn’t until I moved away from home that it ever occurred to me to make my own, and I’ve been on a bit of a mission to develop the perfect one since, but never really got around to it until this week.
Weather resistant pavlova
Pavlovas can be notoriously fussy, particularly when it comes to the weather. It is super humid in NYC and so I wanted to develop something that would stand up to the humidity, and so I turned to Swiss Meringue. Pavlova is traditionally made with a french meringue (egg whites and sugar whipped together), while a Swiss meringue involves cooking together the egg whites and sugar over a water bath before whipping them up. This additional step creates a much more stable meringue, which is much more forgiving, and much more resistant to humidty than a French meringue. I made the one in the photos while it was pouring down with rain, and it came out perfectly!
How to make the perfect pavlova
When I was developing this recipe, my focus was more on getting that nice thick exterior crust and a super full inside, rather than worrying too much about the pavlova cracking. Cracking is just something that happens sometimes, and to be honest, it’s not the end of the world. I was able to get a crack-free outer by keeping the temperature super low and baking the pavlova for a long time, but the inside slumped down and I was left with a hollow pavlova, which wasn’t as nice to eat.
The majority of my testing was playing around with the bake times and temperatures of the pavlova. Too high and the pavlova would come out too golden and would get a little slumpy, and too low and it wouldn’t get totally crispy before the inside filling started to drop down. Initially I was testing without the addition of lemon juice and corn starch, as I figured the meringue was already stable from the cooking, but I added it in after a few tests and found that it made a huge difference in how pale the outside of the pavlova stayed, and also how full the interior was. 2 tsp of each seemed to be the perfect amount - just enough to help stabilise but not enough to make the meringue chalky or overly lemony in flavour.
Swiss Meringue Pavlova with Manuka Honey Whipped Cream
Once I had the perfect base, it of course deserved the perfect topping, and I went for a double hit of Kiwiana - Zespri Sungold Kiwifruit, and Comvita Manuka Honey. I made a honey whipped cream, which is exactly what it sounds like, and because there is no heat involved, you get all the good stuff from the Manuka Honey. Comvita has a whole range of beautiful honeys - I used the UMF 5+ (they have a bunch of other varieties too), and it was perfect to lightly sweeten the cream while providing such a nice delicate honey flavour.
Kiwifruit is a pretty traditional pavlova topping - I like the green ones, but the golden ones are my favourite. They are bald as opposed to furry, so you can eat the skin, and they are a bit sweeter than the green. They were the perfect accompaniment to the whipped cream, and the slight tartness cut through the sweetness of the pavlova so well. You could also do a mix of the green and the golden if you liked, for some colour variation. Perfect Pavlova, Honey whipped cream, and beautiful yellow Kiwifruit are the dream team.
I hope you give this pavlova a go! x
A few wee tips for the perfect pavlova
Your Grandma / Mum / Dad / Grandad / Friend might have a great no-fail pavlova recipe too and that’s all good! This is just another version.
200g of egg whites is about 6 eggs worth, just for when you are working out approximately how much you need!
You can eat the skin of a Sungold Kiwifruit! I left it on for colour contrast when I was shooting, but you can take it off too if you like.
Pavlova is great to make ahead - once you have made it, store in an airtight container or wrapped in plastic wrap (just wrap the whole tray up), until you serve.
Assemble the pavlova close to serving if you can, to help prevent it from going too soggy when the cream comes in contact with the meringue.
Make sure your oven is the correct temperature! If you bake this too hot the outside will go a wee bit golden, or the inside will slump down. Baking for too long causes the inside filling to separate from the crust and you will have a wee gap. It will still taste delicious, but might be a little bit hollow. I really recommend getting an oven thermometer just to make sure your oven is calibrated.
I cooked this on conventional, not on fan. If your oven only has fan, you will need to adjust the temperature a little.
The eggs get cooked over the water bath with the sugar, so there is no need for them to be at room temperature - straight from the fridge is fine!
Make sure your mixing bowl is nice and clean so that the meringue whips up nicely! You can clean it with soap and water and allow to dry thoroughly, or you can wipe the inside down with a piece of lemon to help remove any specks of grease.
My stand mixer bowl is metal, so I just cook the meringue in the water bath directly in the bowl. If yours is not, just use a heatproof bowl for the water bath and then transfer.
Have your cornflour and lemon juice all ready to go in! I like to prep them while the meringue is whipping.
I haven’t tried making this with a hand mixer but it would probably be ok! You just want to whip until you have really stiff peaks. It will likely take longer than 4 minutes, so just watch carefully.
More recipes using New Zealand Products:
- No-bake Small Batch Passionfruit Meringue Bars
- Brown Butter Cinnamon Rolls
- Peanut Butter Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Anzac Biscuits
- Smoked Salmon Hand Pies
Thank you so much to Taste of New Zealand of New Zealand Trade and Enterprise for Sponsoring this post! All opinions are my own.
Made this recipe and love it?
If you made this recipe then I would LOVE for you to leave me a review below to let me know how you liked it! Also, please make sure to tag me on Instagram if you make it!
A note on salt and oven temperature
It is important to note the type of salt that is called for in a recipe. I use Diamond Crystal salt throughout my recipes - if you use a different sort of kosher salt or regular table salt you will need to adjust accordingly as some salt is 'saltier' than others. Morton's salt is twice as salty, so you will need half the quantity. Same goes for a regular table salt. I am working to get gram measurements throughout my recipes for salt but still getting there.
All oven temperatures are conventional unless otherwise stated. If you are baking on fan / convection, you will need to adjust the temperature. An oven thermometer is a great investment to ensure that your oven is the correct temperature.
Using the double / triple function in the recipe card
You will notice that there is a '1X' '2X' '3X' button in my recipe card. This can be used for doubling or tripling a recipe. However, please note that this only doubles the ingredient quantities in the ingredients list and NOT in the method. If there are quantities or pan sizes in the method of the recipe (for example weigh out 150g brown butter), you will need to scale this number manually. It will also not change the baking time in the recipe so you will need to adjust this yourself too. It is always a good idea to read through a recipe fully before doubling it just to check this. If you would like to scale this recipe or convert for another pan size, use my calculator!
Tools and equipment
For a list of my go-to tools and equipment, I have a post you can refer to here.
Why is this recipe in grams?
I post my recipes in grams as it is the most accurate way to bake. Cups are not only inaccurate but they vary in volume worldwide. There is no way for me to provide one cup measure that works for everyone. However, posting in weight fixes this issue. If you would like the recipe in cups you are welcome to convert it yourself via google, but please do not ask me to do it for you as I am not comfortable providing a recipe using a method that I have not tested. Baking with a scale is easy, accurate, and also makes cleanup super simple. Here is the scale that I use if you would like a recommendation! Here's to accurate baking!
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Perfect Swiss Meringue Pavlova with Manuka Honey Whipped Cream
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 120
- Total Time: 2 hours 20 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
Description
The most perfect, easy pavlova recipe. Using Swiss Meringue instead of the traditional French, this pavlova recipe is crispy on the outside and has a perfect, full, marshmallow center, and is much more stable so is resistant to humidity and changes in weather. It is easy to make and the perfect crowd pleaser. This is the most perfect year round dessert. Topped with Manuka Honey whipped cream and golden kiwifruit, this is a New Zealand classic.
Ingredients
Swiss Meringue Pavlova
- 200g egg whites
- 350g granulated sugar
- ½ tsp vanilla bean paste
- 2 tsp corn starch (cornflour if you are in in NZ)
- 2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
Manuka Honey Whipped Cream
- 350g heavy whipping cream
- 45g Comvita Manuka Honey
- ½ tsp vanilla bean paste
- Pinch of Kosher salt, to taste
- 6-7 Zespri Sungold Kiwifruit, to finish, cut into wedges (peeled or unpeeled depending on preference - you can eat the skin, I decided to keep it on for presentation but you can peel them too if you like)
Instructions
SWISS MERINGUE PAVLOVA
- Preheat the oven to 335°f / 170°c (conventional, not fan bake). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and draw an 8” (20cm) circle on it using a round object (I used a cake pan). Set aside while you are making the meringue.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer (see notes), or in a heatproof bowl, combine the egg whites, sugar, and vanilla bean paste, and whisk well to combine. Set the bowl over a small pan of simmering water to make a double boiler - make sure that the water does not touch the bottom of the bowl.
- Whisking constantly, heat the egg and sugar mixture until it reads 170°f / 76°c on an instant read thermometer, and the sugar has dissolved. Carefully transfer the bowl to the stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (be careful grabbing it as it will be hot).
- Whip the mix on high speed for 4 minutes, until stiff peaks have formed that are just starting to clump inside the whisk. This may take a little longer depending on your mixer’s motor capability. Turn the mixer to low, add in the lemon juice and corn starch, then whip on high speed for a further minute to ensure that the mix is well combined.
- Using a little of the meringue on an offset spatula or spoon, place a blob in each corner of the baking sheet, and use it to stick down the parchment paper so that it does not move when you are shaping the pavlova.
- Scrape out the meringue mixture onto your prepared baking sheet, within the circle that you have drawn. Using an offset spatula, and staying inside the circle, spread out the meringue into a mound, then shape it so that it resembles a short cylinder - I like to make it into a mound first, then use the spatula to shape the edges and make them straight, then smooth off the top. You can go around as many times as needed to get it the right shape. I make mine just a little smaller than the drawn circle. If you would like to leave yours rustic then you can, or you can smooth off the edges and top with your spatula, then using the back of a teaspoon, create ridges by dragging upward on the sides of the pavlova (This video shows the process very well).
- Place the pavlova in the oven and immediately reduce the temperature to 220°f / 105°c. Bake the pavlova for two hours, then, WITHOUT OPENING THE DOOR, turn off the oven and allow the pavlova to cool in the oven for a minimum of two hours. You can check on it toward the end of the cooling time, but do not open it at the start as you do not want to shock the pavlova, which can cause it to slump. Some cracks on the top and the edges are totally normal. Do not freak out about them. Take this from me, as someone who freaks out about everything - it will be ok. That is what the cream is for.
- Remove the pavlova from the oven and either transfer to a serving platter carefully, or store until serving (see notes).
MANUKA HONEY WHIPPED CREAM
- Place the heavy cream, Comvita Manuka Honey, vanilla bean paste, and salt in a large bowl. Using a whisk (I prefer to whip cream by hand as it gives me more control), whip the cream until it is still pillowy, and not quite holding a peak. If you go too far and it looks a little grainy, you can add in a little more liquid cream and mix to combine.
TO FINISH
- Prepare your Sungold Kiwifruit - either peel or leave un peeled, and cut into wedges. To do this I slice each end off, then slice the fruit in half vertically, and lay each half cut side down, then slice that lengthwise again, then into wedges.
- When you are ready to serve, pile the whipped cream on top of the pavlova, and top with the Kiwifruit. Leave to stand for 5 minutes or so before cutting.
- Store leftovers lightly covered in plastic wrap in the fridge.
Keywords: Pavlova, Swiss Meringue, Honey Whipped Cream, Kiwifruit, Manuka Honey, Swiss Meringue Pavlova
Comments
looks perfect!!!!!!!!!!
★★★★★
Eee Thank you!
I’ve made this recipe a few times now and every time it’s turned out perfectly. I even made it very late one night after a few wines and it was still perfection! Everyone loves the marshmallowy centre and the outer shell is lovely and thick and crisp. The only pavlova recipe I’ll be using! PS: Erin’s Afghan recipe is also a firm favourite in our house!
★★★★★
Ah so happy to hear you loved!
Hi Erin - do you think this recipe would work as mini pavlovas with cooking time adjusted?
Hi! I haven't tested it so i'm not 100% sure. You can try but I don't know!
I have never made a pavlova in my life. The only experience of eating them has been day old ones that are soggy (yuck). I made this in July for my birthday and let me tell you, this was divine! Perfect mix of crunchy and gooey inside. Loved it!
★★★★★
Hi! ahhhhh yayyyy I love to hear this! So happy it worked so well for you x
I'm interested in your use of lemon juice rather than cream of tartar or white vinegar. While I prefer the idea of lemon, the acidity varies so much depending on variety and ripeness that I'd be dissatisfied with the variability in outcome. Amy thoughts on (quantities of) white vinegar or cream of tartar instead?
Hi, I tested this 16 times while I was developing the recipe and the amount of lemon juice is so small that a small difference in acidity isn't going to be noticeable. The meringue is already very stable due to the cooking of the egg whites so the lemon juice doesn't play as much of a part as it would in a french meringue. I only tested with lemon juice so I don't know about quantities of other stabilisers sorry. I would recommend making as written.
Hi Erin, is granulated sugar caster sugar or more like raw sugar?
Thanks
Hi! it's just white sugar - I use the word granulated to distinguish from 'brown' sugar 🙂
Hi Erin, I want to try this recipe for Christmas but I don't have an instant thermometer - any tricks to do without? Google's coming up empty unfortunately
Hi! So you just want to cook it until the sugar dissolves. The way to test this is by taking some of it and rubbing it between your thumb and finger. If you can't feel any sugar granules then you are good to go - I would take it to that point then give it maybe one more minute over the water and you will be ok!
Awesome! Thanks so much 😀 So excited to make this for the whanau!
I've made this recipe twice now, and I don't think I'll ever go back to making a pavlova meringue any other way. This meringue holds its shape beautifully and the center remains fluffy and doesn't pull away from the shell. Perfect recipe!
★★★★★
Turned out fantastic, followed to the letter. My dad had requested a pavlova for Father’s Day (USA) and he was over the moon about this one and kept taking pictures of it to send to his friends. I’ve never seen him go back for seconds of a dessert before, but he did with this recipe! No cracking or slumping either. Thanks for a great one.
★★★★★
Yayyy this is the best feedback ever!
Is the bake time the same if you double the recipe?
I don't know sorry! I would probably do two separate instead of one giant?
Erin, I made this recipe (first time baking a pav) and it was a success! there were small bits of gooeyness/syrupyness inside but overall, great crust and nice texture inside too! Also, I can confirm that hand whisking works on the meringue too - if you have a few hours free and do not mind your wrist being in pain the next day 😉
Thanks for the recipe! Your tip on how long to cook the sugar without using an instant read thermometer worked well too!
★★★★★
Had this tonight with friends, and much to everyone’s delight when it was cut open, it was absolutely fantastic. It was a nervous wait to see if it was successful, given you can’t really test a pavlova beforehand or during the cooking process, but my doubts were allayed. As someone else mentioned above, there was a pocket of syrup which left a hole, but this is a minor gripe. The rest was textbook stuff, crispy outside, fluffy inside, and extremely stable. Didn’t think I could produce a restaurant quality pavlova, having tried a few times before, but now I know I can! Everyone was very interested in what the recipe was, so it’s definitely a keeper!
Hi! Ah yayyyy so glad you love!!
Hi, what temp would I have to use if I’m using a fan oven? and would the bake time be less of a halved the recipe? Scared to go all out as I’ve always had trouble with pavlovas 😭
Hi! You will need to adjust the temperature but I am not 100% sure to what as I have only tested this with a non fan oven. You should be able to google the conversion though! I also haven't tried halving the recipe so again not too sure unfortunately! You're basically drying it out so bake time shouldn't be too different.
Hi there. This looks fabulous, my only question is for the vanilla bean paste... where do I get it in the US!?? My supermarkets only sell the liquid... any suggestions would be fab, thanks!
Hi! I get it online at heilala.com - you can use the code CLOUDY20 for a discount!
The meringue was crispy on the outside and soooooo fluffy on the inside. Made it for Mother’s Day with roasted cherries and was fantastic! Will 100% make again 😍
★★★★★
Such a good recipe! I pipped it into little meringue baskets and it was perfect. Will definitely make again.
★★★★★
Oh yummm that sounds so good! So happy you loved x
I made this recipe last Christmas (as my first ever pavlova) and the whole family loved it so much I’ve been asked to make it again this year! Even my uncle who told me he usually hates pavlova loved it because of how fluffy and consistent the texture inside was! It turned out perfectly (even with a very temperamental oven) and was a really easy recipe to follow. Looking forward to making it again this year. Thanks heaps!!
★★★★★
Ahhh so happy you loved!
Hi, can I make this the day before please?
Yes! Store in an airtight container or wrap the whole tray up in plastic wrap
Best Pavlova recipe ever.
Made 2 days before being eaten in 30 + degree kiwi summer heat and stood up to it no worries at all. Family were all were super impressed.
★★★★★
I have made this recipe easily more than 10 times and it’s my go-to pavlova recipe. My husband LOVES pav (and has sampled a LOT) but is also a picky eater and he said this was easily the best he’s ever eaten.
Seems to be pretty foolproof, if you follow the recipe correctly. And gives a consistent pav with a crunchy exterior and light and fluffy interior
★★★★★
Amazing sturdy pav with delicious marshmellowy centre
★★★★★
Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful recipe! It's by far the best pavlova recipe I've come across.
I have one question though - I had a little bit of a hollow space in mine. Is that normal? If not, what should I do next time so I get that marshmallow-y center throughout.
Thanks!
★★★★★
Hi! that will just be from baking temp / maybe it cooled too quickly. Make sure you have a thermometer in your oven so you can calibrate! So happy you loved 🙂
Stop looking, call off the search, this is the pavlova recipe you have been looking for. I've tried cooking, I would estimate at least 20 or so pav recipes including pav competition winners but never found a keeper until now. And while a pav always tastes delicious - even if it collapses, or weeps, let's face it - what you are really looking for is one that looks impressive too. This is that pav! Holds up brilliantly even in the middle of an Auckland humid summer, and is even easier than other pav recipes where you spend so much time beating the sugar gradually and it never dissolving properly. This recipe is so brilliant - I'd give it 6 stars if I could!
★★★★★
haha best compliment ever! I developed it during nyc summer which is crazy humid so wanted something which would stand up to the moisture! 🙂
This is the best Pavlova recipe ever! I tried different ones, but this one ... the best! No competition! Thank you!!
★★★★★
hi! I really want to try one of your recipes and this one caught my attention since I’ve never had pavlova and can’t seem to find it anywhere. I just have a couple questions, first can I use vanilla extract instead of vanilla paste and what can I substitute the Comvita Manuka Honey with because I can’t buy it where I live 🙁 can I use simple honey or will it be better to just skip it?
Hi! Yep you can use vanilla extract, and yep regular honey is fine 🙂
Hi, I.like your Swiss meringue recipe , but I use only 138g egg white with 220g of sugar . Bake time I preheat 130 c amd bake with 100c, it crack a bit after 20mins and turn to 80c it seem ok but the top was crack at the side. What should I do for my next try? L
Hi! I would do the quantities called for in the recipe - so if you were using 140g egg whites, you would need 245g sugar. a crack isn't the end of the world though - just pop some cream over it! 🙂
I think this site contains very superb written written content posts.
Hi! Sadly my oven was too hot and my pav browned a little bit on the top (it’s currently sitting in the oven cooling down). Do you think it will be still okay to serve and will taste okay? Or do I give up and try again when I’ve worked out my oven 😂
★★★★★
Oh no! Yep, cream fixes everything!
How can I do chocolate version of this?
I haven't tried it sorry!
I have made a hundred pavlovas using the traditional method but decided to give this recipe a try and I don’t think I can ever go back. The interior texture of the pav is so perfect. I doubled the recipe and formed a large rectangle. If you think there will be leftovers and you don’t want soggy meringue, flip it over onto the platter before topping what was the bottom and the crust will stay crisp in the fridge as it’s untouched by your curds or whipped cream. Thanks for the recipe!
★★★★★
Best meringue recipe ever- made it in a wreath shape for Christmas day+ it was delicious- so easy to make compared with a normal meringue- didn't use a thermometer just whisked for 4 mins till the sugar crystals had dissolved.
★★★★★
Make this recipe, do it! What are you waiting for?! If you have made Swiss meringue buttercream, then you will get the hang of it quickly, and if you haven’t, you will as well.
After making various types of pavlovas and searching for one that was more stable and didn’t seep out, I finally found the queen of them all! This is a sturdy pavlova that has all the inner fluffy goodness it should have. I have not had a single instance in which this has let me down, and everyone in my family is obsessed with this dessert. I like to change up the toppings, but the pavlova remains exactly as the recipe, and for good reason!
If you want something fresh yet decadent, but also not overly sweet, make this, you will not be disappointed!
★★★★★