This Almond Cream Pavlova is so refreshingly perfect.
Originally Published 01/22/2022
I think when most people see a pavlova, they just assume it’s super difficult to make.
Any meringue-based dessert does initially appear daunting!
But I promise you, this Almond Cream Pavlova is easy to make and it will leave your dinner guests oohing and awwing over your skills!
I love pavlova as a dessert. It has all the elements for perfection. The crispy, airy, crunchy shell. The light and fluffy whipped cream center. The acidity of the fruit balances the sweetness of the meringue. I love the way it just melts in your mouth!
Ugh… just kind of obsessed with this dessert lol.
I think this Almond Cream Pavlova is great because the flavors are simple, clean, and classic!
If you’ve never baked a pavlova, I challenge you to give it a try!
The worst thing that happens is it turns out wonky and you’re out 4 egg whites and some sugar!
Low pressure here, I swear!
Also, a side note before we jump into the recipe – I read a meme this last week that joked a person could confess to murder in a recipe blog post and still get away with it because no one reads the body of the post. Everyone just hits jump to recipe 😂. I’m not gonna lie. I do this. No judgment here if you’re simply here for the recipe at the bottom of the page lol!
Once the egg whites are starting to get frothy,
add in 1/4 cup of granulated sugar, turn the mixer on high, set a timer for 60 seconds, and whip it, whip it good.
Do this three more times with a 1/4 cup each time and 60 seconds and you’re sure to have a stand-up meringue!
After all the sugar has been added into your Almond Cream Pavlova meringue,
add the vanilla and almond extract, the tsp of white vinegar, and the 2 tsp of cornstarch.
The white vinegar and cornstarch helps to make the meringue more stable.
Scoop the meringue into a piping bag fitted with a large circle piping tip and get ready to pipe the base of your almond cream pavlova.
Pipe a circle about 6″ wide and then fill it in to create the bottom.
Next, keep piping circle upon circle to build up the sides until all the meringue is gone.
At this point, it’s going to look like a dilapidated beehive made of meringue. At least mine did. Actually, at this point, I was certain I’d ruined it, felt like crying, almost threw it away, and quit.
Don’t have a meltdown. I think this is normal (maybe). Grab a spoon and use the backside of it to artfully swoop the meringue sides up into some sort of cute meringue basket-looking thing.
It’s not like bread, so whatever you put in the oven is what’s going to come out of the oven. If you get to a design you don’t mind, put the spoon down and back away lol.
Next, bake the Almond Cream Pavlova
for a full 60 minutes at 250°. At 30 minutes, you can carefully open the door and turn the tray if your oven is hotter on one side than the other like mine. But don’t daddle, you don’t want to cause too much of a temperature shift, as this is what causes meringue to crack.
Speaking of cracking. Once the 60 minutes is up, turn the oven off and let it sit in there with the door closed for at least 30 minutes, and then you can crack the door and let it sit in the open oven for another 30.
This will hopefully help your Almond Cream Pavlova come out of the oven crack-free!
While it’s cooling, you can literally whip up the almond cream which consists of 1 cup of heavy whipping cream, 1/4 tsp of almond extract, and 2 tbsp of granulated sugar.
Whisk the ingredients until stiff whip cream peaks form.
Finally
once your meringue shell is cool, load it up with the delicious almond cream and top it with fruit!
I gave mine a festive sprinkle of powdered sugar just for kicks and giggles. Also because I love photographing powdered sugar sprinkling down lol.
And there you have it, a simple & tasty Almond Cream Pavlova!
No murder mysteries here lol, just semi-sassy recipe instructions!
Let me know if you give this dessert a shot and how it goes? What do you think about the process of shaping the meringue into a pavlova shell?
Thanks as always for reading! Hope you’re having a great weekend!
P.S. If your pavlova was less than perfect and you’ve got questions, check out this super helpful article on The Flavor Bender about making The Perfect Pavlova!
Almond Cream Pavlova
Equipment
- Equipment
- Kitchenaid Mixer
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Baking Sheet
- Parchment Paper
- Piping bag with a large round tip
- Rubber Spatula
- Spoon
Ingredients
Meringue
- 4 Egg Whites room temperature
- 1/8 tsp Salt
- 1 Cup Granulated Sugar divided into 1/4 cups
- 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1/2 tsp Almond Extract
- 1 tsp White Vinegar
- 2 tsp Corn Starch
Almond Cream
- 1 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream
- 1/4 tsp Almond Extract
- 2 tbsp Granulated Sugar
Fruit
- 1/2 pint Blueberries
- 1/2 pint Raspberries
- 1/2 pint Strawberries
Instructions
Meringue
- Preheat the oven to 250 degrees and line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Also, fit a large pastry bag with a large round tip.
- In your Kitchenaid mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, add the four egg whites and 1/8 tsp of salt. Begin mixing on medium speed until the whites begin to froth. Then add in 1/4 cup of sugar and turn the mixer up to high, set a timer for one minute. Turn the mixer back down to medium speed and add the next 1/4 cup of sugar, turn it back up to high and mix again for a full minute. Repeat two more times whipping for a whole minute in between until the full cup of sugar has been added. Finally, with the mixer back on medium-low speed, sprinkle in the 2 tsp of cornstarch, add in the 1 tsp of vanilla and 1 tsp of white vinegar, mix until just combined.
- Scoop all of the meringue into a piping bag and begin by piping a circle about 6 inches across, fill in the center of the circle to form the pavlova base. Next, begin piping circles around the edges of the base, one on top of the other to build up the sides. Once all the meringue has been piped, use the back of a spoon or your rubber spatula to shape the sides.
- Once you've created a shape you are happy with place it on the middle rack of the oven and bake it at 250° for 60 minutes. Once the pavlova is finished baking, turn the oven off and let it sit with the door closed for 30 minutes. Then open the door and let it continue sitting in the oven with the door open for another 30 minutes to prevent cracking.
Almond Cream
- In your Kitchenaid mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, add one cup of heavy whipping cream, a 1/4 tsp of almond extract, and 2 tbsp of sugar. Whisk until stiff peaks form.
Assemble
- Once the pavlova is fully cooled, fill the center with the almond cream, add the fresh berries on top, serve and enjoy!
Notes
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