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pavlova with lemon curd and berries on a plate with a fork
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5 from 1 vote

Pavlova with Lemon Curd and Berries

A beautiful pavlova with lemon curd and berries makes an elegant dessert and is so much easier than it looks. It's a great party trick for summer or anytime. Makes 1 9-inch pavlova to share, or 6 individual 5-inch ones.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 30 minutes
Additional Time2 hours
Total Time3 hours 50 minutes
Course: Fruit Desserts
Cuisine: American
Keyword: pavlova with lemon curd and berries, summer berry pavlova
Calories: 377kcal
Author: Carolyn Gratzer Cope

Ingredients

For the meringue

  • 4 large egg whites at room temperature
  • ⅛ teaspoon cream of tartar
  • ⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 cup (210 grams) superfine sugar
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon (5 ml) white wine vinegar
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

For the lemon curd layer

For the berry topping

  • 1 cup fresh raspberries
  • 1 cup fresh blueberries
  • 1 cup fresh blackberries
  • 1 cup sliced or quartered fresh strawberries
  • 1 teaspoon (4 grams) sugar
  • 1 teaspoon (5 ml) balsamic vinegar

For the whipped cream (optional)

  • 2 cups (475 ml) heavy cream
  • 2 tablespoons (25 grams) sugar
  • 1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract

Instructions

Make the meringue

  • Preheat oven to 200°F with a rack in the center.
  • Draw a 9-inch circle or six 5-inch circles on one side of a piece of parchment. (You can trace a plate or cake pan for a large circle or an overturned bowl for small ones.) Flip over the parchment and use it to line a half-sheet pan.
  • Place the egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk, or into a large bowl if using electric beaters. Whip on medium-high for about three minutes, until stiff peaks form. (If you lift the beaters or a spoon out of the egg whites, the tips of the peaks that form should stand up without falling over.)
  • With the mixer running, add sugar a tablespoon at a time.
  • Turn machine up to high and beat for five minutes, until you have a big, glossy bowl of what looks like marshmallow fluff.
  • Sprinkle in cornstarch, vinegar, and vanilla, and fold in gently but thoroughly with a spatula.
  • Spoon the mixture into one or more circles on the parchment, using the guide(s) you created. You can give them whatever kind of shape and texture you like simply by using your spoon. I like to leave them fairly rustic and create a divot in the center where the filling will go, but you can get as fancy as you like.
  • Bake until dry and crisp outside (or dry all the way through if you prefer), at least 90 minutes, depending on size and preference.
  • Turn off the oven and let meringue cool completely in the oven to prevent cracking. You can prop the door ajar with a wooden spoon to speed this process if you like.

Make the lemon curd

  • While the meringue bakes, make the lemon curd according to the instructions here.

Prep the berries

  • About an hour before serving, place berries into a large mixing bowl.
  • Sprinkle with the sugar and balsamic and stir gently but thoroughly.
  • Leave to macerate until serving time.

Make the whipped cream

  • Combine the heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whip, or in a large mixing bowl if using electric beaters.
  • Starting on medium-low and increasing the speed to high as the cream thickens enough not to splatter, whip just until cream holds its shape when dolloped.
  • To serve
  • Right before serving, slide large meringue onto a cake plate or small meringues onto individual serving plates.
  • Dollop the center(s) with the lemon curd and spread a bit, leaving plenty of the meringue exposed.
  • Dollop the whipped cream overtop and spread over the lemon curd, leaving some of the curd exposed.
  • Heap the center(s) with the berry mixture.
  • If sharing one large pavlova, cut into wedges to serve.

Notes

  1. You'll start with room-temperature egg whites. Don't use them straight out of the fridge, or they won't whip up as voluminously. (The yolks get used to make the lemon curd.)
  2. You'll use a tiny bit of cream of tartar to help stabilize the egg whites. This fine white powder is a byproduct of winemaking.
  3. A little bit of vinegar also helps strengthen the egg white's proteins. You can use white wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or distilled white vinegar.
  4. Superfine sugar dissolves into the mixture and yields a shinier, smoother final result than regular granulated sugar. If you don't have any (and I usually don't), you can blitz granulated sugar in the food processor for 30 seconds or so, until it's much finer.
  5. Cornstarch helps absorb any extra moisture and prevent the meringue from weeping, especially if you don't plan to use it immediately.
  6. You can make the lemon curd up to a week in advance and store in an airtight container in the fridge. Depending on the heat and humidity level in your kitchen, it's typically okay to make the meringues up to a week in advance, too. Once completely cooled, store at room temperature in an airtight container between layers of parchment.
  7. I like to prep the berries an hour or so before serving and make the whipped cream as close to serving time as possible.

Nutrition

Calories: 377kcal | Carbohydrates: 41.8g | Protein: 4.2g | Fat: 22.4g | Fiber: 1.9g