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Smoking Chimney

Recipes from a working kitchen · Cape Town

Pavlova

By Marna Ross Updated 12 August 2026 4.75 from 12 ratings Australian
This Pavlova recipe is from my early days as chef. The other day I was cleaning out my chef recipe - and through out some unnecessary stuff. I came across a lovely recipe (not this one) with the lovely story about how the Pavlova originated from the Russian ballerina, Anna Pavlova. This specific recipe I have made almost everywhere in my whole chef career. It is quick and easy, and definitely trustworthy. I have decided today to share this recipe as this one was the recipe that I found looking the worst after the thieves stole my recipe container out of the back of my car. The top part of the recipe got wet and the intro part faded away...but luckily the ingredients and method part stayed untouched! A word of advice: Don't bake it in any type of fan ovens where the fans are blowing. I found out on the hard way while too busy with other tasks, that the wind blow too fast and on such a high speed that the Pavlova move and it smashes. A second word of advice: Whip the egg whites VERY VERY STIFF. You will see why the moment when you start piping them on your lined baking tray. If the egg whites are not stiff enough, you will get a runny mixture and when you are about to pie them you will see they will make very awful meringue/Pavlova nests and they will not look good. So take the time to make them beautifully, it is after all a lovely recipe to work with. When you serve them, they go very well with my  vanilla ice-cream or a flavoured variation thereof. You can decorate them beautifully with a variety of fresh fruits such as kiwi, blueberry, strawberry, raspberry, mango, paw-paw, star fruit (for a different beautiful shape), pineapple and many, many more. You can make a Pavlova with a selection of 4-5 different fruits on top or an individually one such as: A strawberry flavoured one. And try out lovely fruit coulis to go with such as a gooseberry compote or a raspberry coulis. Strawberry coulis, Blueberry Coulis or a frozen berry coulis. The ideas, my dear, are endless!
A light and airy crisp pavlova meringue shell topped with whipped cream and fresh fruits.
Prep 20 min
Cook 1 h
Total 1 h 20 m
Serves 1

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Ingredients

  • 4 egg whites
  • 2 ml salt
  • 225 g caster sugar
  • 20 ml cornflour or maizena
  • 10 ml vinegar
  • 5 ml vanilla essence
  • 250 ml whipped cream, for garnish
  • granadilla pulp for garnish
  • fresh seasonal fruits to garnish

Method

  1. Pre-heat the oven between 140 and 150° Celsius

  2. Beat the egg whites and salt together until VERY VERY STIFF

  3. Add the caster sugar 15 ml at a time, until all the sugar has been added and the whites are stiff and glossy

  4. Fold in the cornflour, vinegar and vanilla essence lightly

  5. The pavlova mixture is now ready to become a pavlova or individual meringue nests to fill with lemon curd or cream and decorated with fresh fruits

If making a PAVLOVA

  1. Turn the mixture out onto a flat ovenproof plate, shape it into a rough 20 cm round that is about 6 cm in height.Flatten it and slightly hollow the top.Bake for about 1 hour, remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.Top with whipped cream, a layer of granadilla pulp and then pile on the fruit

If making MERINGUE NESTS

  1. Line a baking tray with baking paper and spray with spray and cook.Add the mixture into a piping bag with your preferred nozzle, and pipe meringue nests of your seize choice. Leave enough space in between each other, 6 -8 if medium shaped, 4 if large shaped

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