6 Egg Pavlova is a simple and easy recipe that makes the perfect dessert. Using basic ingredients whipped together we create the egg white dessert that gets oven baked, cooled and decorated. This 6 egg pavlova recipe is perfect for Christmas, barbecues and special occasions.
Recipes like the 8 Egg Pavlova and the Christmas Wreath Pavlova celebrate this beautiful fluffy meringue.
The Microwave Chocolate Self Saucing Pudding, Lemon Polenta Cake and the Candied Spiced Pecans are other delightful sweet treats.
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🤍 Recipe Highlights
I have summarised everything that you will come to know and love (LOVE ❤) about this pavlova recipe in the points below:
- Easy recipe: we whip some egg whites, add a couple of other ingredients and then pop the pav in the oven. This is an easy recipe with straight forward steps.
- Versatile: this pav will work for birthdays, special occasions, barbecues, Christmas or for get togethers. It is very versatile and will go down a treat at a number of events.
- Pavlova toppings: here is where the magic is! You can use your favorite fresh fruits and berries to top the pavlova and make it as bright and colourful as you wish to 😉👍.
- Summer food: when the weather is hot, hot, hot, you might not feel like traditional cake or pudding. Pavlova is perfect for hot climates and is a 'served cold' dessert.
- Taste and texture: there is the soft fluffy meringue filling, the crisp sugary coating, the dollops of cream and the bursting berries. It is a winning combination!
🥗 Ingredients
The photo below is to show you everything you need to make the recipe. Please refer to the printable recipe card for specific ingredient measurements as well as detailed instructions.
As you can see the recipe calls for:
- Cream of tartar: this gets added to the eggs in the beginning stages to help aerate them.
- Caster sugar: this is the smaller grain sugar than regular white sugar.
- Eggs: it is actually only the egg whites we need not the whole eggs. But separating them is a large part of making the pavlova so I wanted to show you the whole process.
🍒 Toppings for Pavlova
Then we also have the pavlova toppings. These are shown in the photo below:
- Vanilla extract: this gets added to the cream as we whip it for a little vanilla flavour.
- Icing sugar: we add a small amount of icing sugar (confectioners sugar) to the cream for a touch of sweetness.
- Cream: also known as heavy cream, but different from dollop cream. You want to check the bottle at the shops to ensure it says 'whippable'.
- Passionfruit: this tart tasting fruit is the perfect contrast to the very sweet tasting fresh fruit.
- Strawberries: fresh, bright and an excellent contrast to the bright white of the pavlova. We need to trim the green tops of these and then slice them in halves.
- Blueberries: literally bursting with fresh juice, these beautiful berries are fantastic to use for a pavlova topping.
Tasty Tip: I like to provide you with a number of substitutions and variations giving you an array of options when making the recipe. If in doubt of any of the above ingredients, or wanting alternatives, read this section (further below) before jumping into the instructions on how to make the recipe which are coming next 😉👌.
🍳 Instructions
Here are the step by step instructions to make the recipe. We start by separating the eggs.
- Egg whites into bowl (Photo 1)
- Cream of tartar (Photo 2)
- Add sugar (Photo 3)
- Beat till shiny and combined (Photo 4)
👩🍳 How to Make 6 Egg Pavlova
Start to make the pavlova recipe by cracking your eggs into a small bowl and separating the egg white from the egg yolk as you go. After each one add the egg white to a larger mixing bowl.
Once the whites start to bubble add in the cream of tartar. Then continue to whisk to mix this in.
Next slowly add the sugar, a spoonful at at time and keep the beaters going as the sugar gets incorporated.
- Transfer the meringue to a silicon mat (Photo 5)
- Add the cream to a bowl (Photo 6)
- Add the icing sugar (Photo 7)
- Then add the vanilla (Photo 8)
Next transfer the wet meringue to a baking mat and use a spatula to help form the shape that you want.
Then place the pavlova into the oven uncovered on the lowest shelf. Let it bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes. It will be cooked when the outside is firm to the touch.
Once done turn the oven off and let the pavlova cool as the temperature drops.
You can use this time to prepare your toppings as a means to decorate the pavlova. To do so add the cream to a large mixing bowl, then add the vanilla extract and icing sugar. Whip the cream using electric beaters until firm peaks form.
- Add cream layer (Photo 9)
- Then add blueberries (Photo 10)
- Add strawberries (Photo 11)
- Add passionfruit (Photo 12)
When ready to decorate the pavlova start with a layer of cream. You can see me having done this in the photos above.
After the cream add blueberries and strawberries and then dollop the passionfruit on top. As soon as you are done, take it to the table and get ready to serve it (always the best bit right 😉👍).
🍽 Serving Suggestions
With all the good stuff on top of your pavlova all you need to do is use a sharp knife to slice it and plate the slices and pass them around on bowls with spoons right away. This is not a dessert that holds itself upright the way a chocolate cake does, so get a helper and the pieces distributed around the family.
You won't find that it takes long for the pav to find the eaters.
It is such a classic Australian dessert that it almost doesn't seem like a backyard barbecue is complete without it 😉👌.
👍 How to Guide
How to Store
Store leftover pavlova in a sealed, airtight container in the fridge for 2 days. Note: If there is a lot of passionfruit juice this will make the leftovers very tart tasting. So consider if you will have leftovers reducing the amount of passionfruit juice you use and mainly stick to the passionfruit seeds.
Pavlova is not suitable to freeze and is best served cold.
😉 Substitutions and Variations
Here are my sub ins and outs that you might be thinking about as you read the post and I will tell you if I think they will work or why they won't:
- For other pavlova toppings try mango, kiwifruit, blackberries and or raspberries.
- If you can get them and want a festive touch add fresh cranberries (notoriously hard to get in Australia!) and some sliced mint.
- Cherries will work too and you can decide if you want to use pitted cherries or whole fresh cherries.
- For an extra juicy colour and texture try adding a strawberry or raspberry coulis.
💡 Tasty Tips
Here are my top tips and tricks that I want to share with you so that you master the recipe from the get go:
- At some times throughout the year you may not be able to get fresh passionfruit from the grocery store. So head to the tinned fruit aisle as you will be able to get passionfruit with pulp in a tin as a substitute.
- When cracking and separating the eggs, transfer each egg white into a larger bowl after you have separated the yolk from the egg white. This is so that if the next one you crack has yolk that goes into the bowl you haven't lost more than the 1 egg white.
- Egg whites with a bit of yolk in them won't beat. They need to be plain egg whites with no egg yolk in order to fluff up.
- If you are looking for some savory Christmas recipes to go with your sweet dessert, try the Spinach Cob Loaf Dip, Brie Bread Bowl, Bacon And Cheese Cob Loaf or the Baked Brie With Red Pepper Jelly 😉👍.
🤓 Frequently Asked Questions
Is it OK if pavlova cracks?
Yes, it is ok if pavlova cracks. Use the whipped cream to cover and fill the cracks when you decorate it.
Can you leave pavlova in oven overnight?
Yes, you can leave pavlova in an oven overnight. Once the pavlova has cooked, simply turn the oven off and leave the pavlova to cool. You can then decorate it the next day.
How do you tell if a pavlova is done?
You can tell that the pavlova is done when it is firm to the touch on the outside. The inside will still be soft and fluffy.
😍 More Easy Sweet Recipes
Have a little fun in the kitchen getting your bake or no bake on. Here are some ideas to help you get creative:
- Christmas Rocky Road
- Microwave Chocolate Fudge
- Christmas Chocolate Crackles
- Malteser Rocky Road
- White Chocolate Crackles
- Christmas Oreo Balls
- Malteser Truffles
- White Chocolate Oreo Balls
- Rum Truffles
It is time to get our pavlova on my friend! You can also find all of my dessert recipes or Christmas recipes in the one spot.
Adrianne
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📖 Recipe
6 Egg Pavlova (Egg White Dessert)
Ingredients
- 6 large egg whites
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 ¼ cup caster sugar Note 1
Pavlova Toppings
- 1 cup/250 ml cream Note 2
- 2 tablespoon icing sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- strawberries tops trimmed and sliced in halves
- blueberries
- passionfruit
Instructions
- Preheat oven: preheat your oven to 120°C /250°F /Gas Mark ½.
- Egg whites: working 1 at a time crack the eggs into a small bowl separating the whites from the yolks at the same time. After each one, transfer the clean egg white into a larger bowl. Repeat for all 6 eggs.
- Beat: use hand held electric beaters to begin to beat your egg whites at a medium speed. Once they start to bubble add in the cream of tartar.
- Caster sugar: once the egg whites have turned into a fluffy mixture with bubbles, slowly pour in the caster sugar, continuing to beat as you go. Beat until the egg whites have stiffened and formed firm peaks. Note 3
- Baking mat: once combined use a spatula to spoon the meringue mixture onto a silicon baking mat and use the spatula to shape the edges and surface into a round shape with smooth surface. Note 4
- Oven bake: place the pavlova into the oven on the lowest shelf. Allow it to bake uncovered for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Once it has cooked, turn the oven off yet leave the pavlova to cool in the oven. Note 5
- Pavlova toppings: make the whipped cream by adding the heavy cream, icing sugar and vanilla extract to a large bowl and whip till soft peaks form. Then trim the tops from the strawberries and slice in halves.
- Decorate: once the pavlova has fully cooled, gently transfer it from the baking mat onto a serving platter. Then top with a layer of cream. Next sprinkle the blueberries over the top and then do a layer of strawberries. Next pour the passionfruit over the top of the pavlova.
- Serve: use a sharp knife to cut the pavlova into pieces and then slide the knife under the pieces and transfer them to bowls. Provide spoons and serve immediately.
Notes
- Note 1 - Caster sugar: there is a difference between regular white sugar and caster sugar. Caster sugar is finer and less gritty. It is much better to use this (caster sugar) as it blends best with the whisked egg whites.
- Note 2 - Whipped cream: we want to add the vanilla and icing sugar to the cream and then whip this until it is thick and spreadable. You will notice ripples from as it whips then peaks form when it is ready to use.
- Note 3 - Meringue mixture: you want peaks to form when you remove the beaters. This is how you know it is ready. It is possible to over beat it which we want to avoid doing.
- Note 4 - Round shape: I find the best method to make the shape is pilling the meringue mixture onto the silicon baking mat and then using a spatula to form the shape into a circle with slightly pulled up edges.
- Note 5 Cool: it is really important to let the pavlova cool once it is cooked. To do so, turn the oven off but leave the pavlova in there. This will allow it to cool as the temperature drops. Once it is cool you can remove it, transfer it to a serving platter and decorate it.
Belinda says
Yum. We love pavlova at Christmas time so will have to give this a go.
Adrianne says
Thanks Belinda, that is great to hear. I hope that you enjoy the recipe.
Melody says
My guests and I loved this easy, summer dessert! I served it with fresh whipped Jersey cow cream and strawberries.
Adrianne says
Thanks Melody for your feedback! I appreciate you taking the time to leave feedback and am very happy that you and your guests enjoyed the pavlova 😄.