Pavlovas are one of my all time favorite spring desserts. It is light, airy, chewy, crispy and topped with some yuzu curd, whipped cream and fresh berries…it truly does not get any better 🤩
I am going to be honest here and say it does take a bit of time, but since the base can be make in advance and only requires 5 pantry staples its actually not that bad at all. While I used some yuzu juice (a Japanese citrus fruit that crosses between a lemon, orange and grapefruit), you can totally just swap it for lemon juice and it would be just as good!!
Toppings are interchangeable as well and so is the shape!!! If you don’t feel like piping, that is fine!! Just add little mounds onto the sheet tray and that will also do the trick. My only word to the wise is try to keep the oven closed during the entire cook and cooling of the pavlovas. This will prevent at cracking to the exterior…I recommend taping a piece of paper onto the oven “DO NOT TOUCH” if you have a nosey family like me 🤣
Without further to do, here is the recipe!!! Get the FREE PDF printout at the bottom :)
Yuzu Curd Pavlova
Ingredients:
Pavlova
3 eggs whites
1 cup sugar — optionally, but for ultra smooth texture, blend the sugar to a finer texture (such as castor sugar) before adding to the egg whites.
Pinch of salt
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp lemon juice
Yuzu Curd
3 egg yolks
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup yuzu or lemon juice
1/2 tsp cornstarch
Toppings
Whipped Cream
Mixed Berries
Fresh Mint
Lemon Zest
Steps:
Pre-heat the oven to 225 degrees F. In a stand mixer or a bowl with a hand mixer, add the egg whites and sugar. Begin mixing and whipping the egg whites until stiff peaks form (about 4-5 minutes.) It should be shiny, thick, and hold its shape well.
Add the lemon juice and corn starch and using a spatula gently fold into the egg whites. Place the mixture in a piping bag or large zip lock with the corner cut off.
On a parchment lined sheet tray, pipe circular nests about 4inch diameter evenly spaced. (For me this yielded 6 nests, but if you go smaller you can get more!)
Transfer the tray into the oven and allow to bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Then turn the oven off and allow it to sit untouched for an additional 30 minutes. DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN AT ANY POINT!! Opening the oven will cause the meringue to crack, which is totally fine too, but that’s how to avoid it.
While the pavlova cooks, make the curd. In a small sauce pot, combine all the ingredients except the butter. Cook over medium heat, whisking continuously until the mixture starts simmering and thickens. Taste and adjust sugar to acid ratio according to your preference. Remove from the heat and add the butter. Mix until it has melted and incorporated. Then, cover with plastic wrap (making sure it touches the mixture) and refrigerate until cold.
If it get’s too thick, just add in a touch of water until you reach desired consistency.
Prepare whipped cream, if making from scratch, and wash berries.
Once the pavlovas have come out of the oven, fill the center with a dollop of yuzu curd, followed by the whipped cream piped (or not) and some fresh berries.
Store in the fridge for up to 3 days. Recommended to serve the same day once filled and topped. Unfilled pavlova shells can be made in advance and stored airtight at room temp for 5 days.
ENJOY!!
Full recipe PDF:
Have a question? Feel free to comment below!!!
Tried it out? Send me a picture and leave a review!! I love to see how your recreations turn out ❤️