Name: Pavlova with Berries and Passionfruit
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 4 h
Total time: 4 h 25 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Australian
Ingredients: 5 g butter, melted, for greasing the foil or paper; 5 g cornflour, extra, for dusting the lined tray; 6 large egg whites, about 210 g in total, strictly at room temperature, with no yolk; 270 g caster sugar; 2 tsp cornflour, sifted; 1 tsp white vinegar; ½ tsp vanilla extract; 300 ml thickened cream or double whipping cream, at least 35% fat, thoroughly chilled; 2 tbsp icing sugar, sifted; 250 g fresh strawberries, washed, hulled and quartered; 125 g fresh raspberries; 170 g fresh blueberries; 60 ml fresh passionfruit pulp, about 2–3 passionfruits, seeds included

Method

Heat the oven to 140°C (120°C fan). Line a flat, sturdy baking tray with foil or good non-stick baking paper. Trace a 24cm circle on the sheet, flip it so the marked side faces down, brush lightly with melted butter and dust lightly with cornflour, shaking off any loose excess.
Make sure your mixer bowl and whisk are spotlessly clean, grease-free and bone-dry. Beat the room-temperature egg whites on medium-high speed until soft peaks form and the peaks gently bend over when the whisk is lifted.
With the mixer running on medium-high, add the caster sugar one tablespoon at a time, beating for 20–30 seconds after each spoonful. Once all the sugar is in, whip on high speed for 3–5 minutes until the meringue is thick, billowy and glossy. Rub a little meringue between your thumb and finger; if it feels gritty, keep beating until the sugar has completely dissolved and the mixture feels silky smooth.
Add the sifted cornflour, vinegar and vanilla. Whisk on low speed, or fold gently with a spatula, just until evenly combined.
Spoon the glossy meringue onto the prepared tray, staying within the 24cm circle. Smooth the top and sides with an offset spatula, making a slight dip in the centre to cradle the cream. Use a small spatula to shape light vertical ridges around the sides to support the outer wall.
Bake on the lower-middle shelf for 1 hour 30 minutes without opening the oven door. The outside should feel completely dry to the touch and remain a pale, chalky ivory colour.
1 hr 30 mins
Turn the oven off and leave the pavlova inside to cool completely, with the door propped open by about 1cm with a wooden spoon, for at least 2–3 hours or overnight. Once completely cold, peel away the lining paper or foil and carefully transfer the pavlova to a flat cake stand or serving platter.
2 hrs 30 mins
In a chilled bowl, whip the cold cream with the icing sugar using an electric mixer until firm peaks form. Pile the cream into the centre of the meringue shell. Scatter over the strawberries, raspberries and blueberries, and finish with a drizzle of passionfruit pulp right before serving.

Serving suggestions

Once completely cold, peel away the lining and transfer the pavlova to a flat cake stand or platter. Pile the cream into the centre, scatter over the strawberries, raspberries and blueberries, and finish with a drizzle of passionfruit pulp right before serving.

Cook’s tips

Undissolved sugar is the main cause of a weeping, syrupy base, so add the sugar one tablespoon at a time and keep beating until the meringue feels silky smooth with no grit. Bake on the lower-middle shelf so the base dries properly. If your oven runs hot, or the pavlova tends to crack and collapse, bake at 100–110°C fan (130°C conventional). Do not open the oven door during the 90-minute bake, and leave the pavlova to cool in the oven with the door barely open for at least 2–3 hours or overnight. Baking paper releases more reliably than foil, which can tear the base. You can bake the shell the night before and leave it in the cooling oven until you are ready to assemble. Add the cream and fruit within 1–2 hours of serving, as the moisture softens the crisp shell.