I was never much of a meringue person until I tried pavlova for the first time. Pavlova can be filled with essentially any combination of sauces, fillings, and fruits, but I think this Mango Raspberry Pavlova is one of my favorite combos!
Pavlova is a light and airy dessert made from a crisp meringue shell with a soft, chewy, marshmallow-like center. It’s often topped with whipped cream and fresh fruit. The contrast of textures – crispy, chewy, and creamy – makes it absolutely addicting!
This is one of those desserts that looks super impressive but is actually quite easy to make. For the most part, all you need is egg whites and sugar, although we’ll add a little salt, vanilla, and lemon juice to round out the flavor. A teaspoon of cornstarch will help to stabilize the egg whites.
Meringue is best baked at a low temperature for a long period of time, to slowly dry it out. Since it will take about an hour and a half to bake your pavlova and another hour for them to cool, you can make the mango curd while it’s baking. Just make sure it’s had time to sit in the refrigerator and cool completely before you fill the pavlova!
Tips for making pavlova
Whenever you’re making a meringue or anything that involves whipping egg whites, you want to be sure that no yolk gets left behind when you’re separating the eggs. The fat from the egg yolks will prevent egg whites from being able to whip properly. In fact, even remnant fat left behind in a mixing bowl can cause your meringue to be lackluster.
Fat interferes with egg whites whipping properly because it prevents the proteins in the whites from forming the stable structure needed to trap air. So, it’s crucial to have a grease-free bowl and utensils when whipping egg whites – any trace of fat can prevent them from achieving the right volume and texture!
KArie’s top Tip
Use a yogurt or tupperware lid to trace circles onto parchment paper. This will give you a stencil to follow to ensure the shape and consistency of your pavlovas when you go to pipe them onto the parchment before baking. I used a 5-inch diameter lid to trace 8 circles, spaced evenly apart.
Variations
Want something different from mango raspberry pavlova? There are endless ways to mix this recipe up. The mango curd would also be great with fresh strawberries or blackberries instead of raspberries. Or, swap out the mango curd for key lime, lemon olive oil, grapefruit, or any other flavor of curd.
You could also go super classic and fill the pavlovas with fresh whipped cream and mixed berries. And, if you’d rather make one big pavlova instead of individual ones, just trace an 8- or 9-inch cake pan on parchment paper and pipe your meringue into that shape.
Mango Raspberry Pavlova
Equipment
- Piping bag & large star tip
- Stand mixer or electric beater
Ingredients
Pavlova
- 4 egg whites, room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Garnishes
- 1 pint fresh raspberries
- fresh mint or edible flowers, optional
- powdered sugar, optional
Instructions
For the mango curd:
- Follow the recipe for mango curd here.
For the pavlova:
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Tip: trace circles onto parchment using a yogurt or tupperware lid to ensure all pavlovas are the same size. I used a 5" lid to trace 8 circles.
- Preheat over to 350° F (oven will be immediately turned down once you put pavlova in).
- Combine sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a small bowl and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whip the egg whites using an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Gradually add the sugar mixture, one tablespoon at a time, while continuing to whip. Once all the sugar mixture is added, continue whipping until mixture has stiff, shiny peaks. Very gently fold in vanilla and fresh lemon juice.
- Add meringue mixture to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip. Pipe meringue onto parchment paper, moving in a circular direction. First pipe a bottom layer, then continue piping on top of that layer, leaving a well in the center that can be filled after baking.
- Place in oven and immediately turn heat down to 225° F. Allow pavlova to bake until dry, about 1 1/2 hours. Turn off heat and leave in oven to cool completely, about an hour.
To assemble pavlovas:
- Once pavlovas are dry and cool, fill centers with mango curd and top with fresh raspberries.
Did you try this recipe?
Be sure to leave a comment below!
