Here’s a never fail and very tasty NZ pavlova recipe. Easy enough for children to make but super yum for adults too. Unlike the Aussie variety which ends up being basically a big merengue, the Kiwi version is hard on the outside and soft and fluffy inside.
Ingredients:
6 egg whites
12 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons of brown vinegar
Pinch of salt
Preheat oven (see below for gas vs electric) and grease a baking tray.
Mix egg whites in a bowl until fluffy. You will need an electric beater for this! Add pinch of salt and then sugar two tablespoons at a time, mixing thoroughgly between each addition. The mixture should be firm and should have ‘peaks’ when removing the beaters – if it doesn’t form stable peaks then its not mixed enough.
Finally, add the vinegar and give one last mix.
Heap mixture onto baking tray. Don’t flatten it out or spread it thinly. It will naturally form into the right shape.
Gas oven: heat oven to 200C (not fan forced!). Once heated, place pavlova in the oven. Close door and turn the oven immediately to lowest heat (less than 80!). Leave for 90 minutes. Whatever you do, do not open the door.
Electric oven: heat oven to 160C (not fan forced!). Once heated, place pavlova in oven. Close door and keep at 160C for 45 minutes. Turn off oven after 45 minutes but do not open the door! Leave for 45 minutes more.
Open door slowly – don’t let all the hot air rush out.
Let cool.
Garnish with whipped cream, and fruit. Recommended combination being passionfruit, kiwifruit, and raspberries. Under no circumstances go for the bogan pineapple and mango.
If you want to make a larger one just upscale the ingredients. I’ve managed to get a 10 egg one to work, but past that it just gets too ‘eggy’.
5 replies on “Never fail New Zealand pavlova recipe”
PERFECT!! thanks for sharing
Thanks, but it did not work, this is my 8 try, am so tired of it. I have a gas oven and I love PAV cake, it is so easy to make up to the baking point, it always collapses. I have folloved your instructions. HELP! Maybe it should be on the lowest rack!
@marta –
If it is collapsing then it is too hot initially. Your oven must be very hot!
Try starting at a lower temperature and/or putting it on a lower rack. Also, remember if you are using gas you must, as soon as you put the pavlova in, turn the oven to almost zero – or whatever the lowest setting is before the flame won’t come on (usually around 70C).
This didn’t work for me. It spread out thinly then
after about 10 minutes it started to brown
a lot on top. 10 minutes more it was so
brown it started to burn so had to take
out. Not what I would call “no fail”.
@kerry –
That sounds like you didn’t beat the mixture for long enough. It should be firm and form peaks when you lift out the electric mixer. I’d also suggest that the mixture spread out too much when it was put on the baking tray, it should be a tall heap, not a flat ‘cake-like’ shape.