Kiwi and Raspberry Pavlova is a delicious and decadent dessert made with egg whites. Totally gluten-free topped with whipped cream, sweet raspberries, kiwi and a drizzle of honey.
If I really want to impress my friends and family, I make a pavlova! They are just so pretty look at and they are not as complicated to make as you may think!
Making a pavlova is pretty easy and relatively fool-proof! The results: crunchy on the outside and as fluffy as a marshmallow inside. Topped with luscious whipped cream and gorgeous kiwis and raspberries...this is a dessert to IMPRESS!!
You could decorate your pavlova with whatever you prefer: fresh berries, cooked pears or apples (very fall!). For the chocolate lovers: you could add cocoa powder to the meringue and top with chocolate and cream...a chocolate pavlova delight!
The pavlova is as fluffy as a cloud and very delicate! Be super careful (it's very fragile!) when you remove it from the parchment paper.
Important to remember: When the egg whites have quadrupled in volume, that is the time to add the sugar just a little bit at a time and keep on beating! and adding them slowly while whipping the mixture continuously. Even more important, when they are whipped to perfection...don't wait to bake them. It's important to get them shaped on your pan and put in the oven. No hesitating.
My very important tip for you: let it cool completely on the pan before transferring to your serving plate. I didn't wait the most recent time I baked it and my pavlova did break apart a bit before I had a chance to decorate it. Luckily, nobody complained! Even not so perfect to look at...it was perfection to taste!
What is the difference between a meringue and a pavlova?
A meringue is a mixture of whisked egg whites and sugar and a pavlova is a type of meringue. Pavlovas have a marshmallow-like center from the cornstarch.
How Do I Know My Pavlova Is Done?
The pavlova will look dry and pale when it is perfectly baked. When you insert a skewer into the meringue it will have a sticky almost like marshmallow consistency.
Traditional Italian Birthday Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- PAN DI SPAGNA CAKE
- 12 inch round cake pan
- 5 eggs
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 cup flour
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- FILLING
- 1 small box Jell-O instant vanilla pudding mix
- TOPPING
- 1 pint whipping cream
- container of strawberries
- SUGAR SYRUP
- 1 cup water
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/4-1/2 cup of Rum or your favorite liqueur use more or less depending on your taste.If you don’t like taste of alcohol, add orange juice or lemon juice to the sugar syrup
- WHIPPED CREAM
- pint of heavy whipping cream I used organic
- 1/4 cup confectioner’s sugar
Instructions
- Chill a medium sized metal bowl in the freezer. Remove bowl from the freezer and add the heavy whipping cream to the bowl. Using a hand mixer on high speed, whip the cream until soft peaks begin to form; gradually add in the 1/4 cup of confectioner’s sugar. Continue to beat the whipped cream until it is thick and velvety. (about 1-2 minutes). Take care not to over beat or you will have butter. Store whipped cream in fridge while you prep and bake the cake.
- PAN DI SPAGNA- CAKE
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12-inch round cake pan with parchment paper (or 2 9-inch cake pans). Beat the eggs all at one time with the sugar on high speed until it is nice and frothy. Beat in the vanilla.
- Sift the flour and baking powder.
- Beat in the sifted flour on medium speed in small doses.
- Pour the batter into the lined cake pan. Teresa didn’t butter and flour it. She put it in dry.
- Bake the Pan di Spagna batter for 30 to 40 minutes, until it is well risen and feels firm when pressed gently with the palm of the hand. Check the cake after the first 20 minutes to make sure it isn’t getting too brown. Every oven is different. If needed, lower the temperature to 325 for the rest of the baking time.
- PUDDING
- While the cake is baking, whisk together your pudding mix according to directions. Set aside to cool down.
- ASSEMBLE CAKE
- Let the cake cool completely.
- Slice the cake carefully in half. Let boil one cup of water with 2 tablespoons sugar.
- In a bottle add your liqueur and the sugar syrup (we used mandarinetto, which is an orange liqueur that Teresa made and brought from Italy. She recommends Rum very highly). Squirt the syrup on the bottom layer very well with 1/2 the bottle.
- Spoon on the pudding around the bottom layer.
- Spread out the pudding evenly with a spatula.
- Carefully place the second layer on top.
- Squirt on the other 1/2 bottle of syrup on the top of the cake.
- Remove the whipped cream from the fridge. Start spreading the whipped cream around the top and sides of the cream.
- Decorate with fresh strawberries slices or any other fruit you like. We decorated the top with strawberries sliced in half.
- Pipe the sides of the cake with more whipped cream.
Nutrition Disclaimer
Please keep in mind that the nutritional information presented below is an approximation and may vary depending on the exact ingredients used.
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