Pavlova Cake

Pavlova: is a meringue-based dessert named after the Russian ballet dancer Anna Pavlova. (Wikipedia)

I had been on a meringue kick having started with baking a lemon meringue pie, then Forgotten Kisses (meringue cookies) and now this. I never heard about Pavlova Cake until an Australian buddy brought it to my attention. Researching this dessert, I found there have been arguments over where this cake originated from, whether it was in Australia or New Zealand. The last I’ve read, New Zealand is the winner but I’m sure many people will dispute this. I was a bit apprehensive about this cake and how it would taste but now I’m hooked. It has a light, airy, white mashmellow type filling with a crisp, egg shell colored crust on the outside. It is usually topped with homemade whipped cream and fresh fruit. I topped mine with strawberries and kiwi as this time of year in Saskatchewan doesn’t provide a wide variety of fresh fruit that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg.

Pavlova cake with strawberries and kiwi.

In baking this cake, one difference I noticed was the addition of white vinegar that my other meringue baking didn’t include. It also baked at a lower temperature and the resulting color was an off white egg shell coloring versus the pure white coloring in my other baking. I found the cake harder to remove from the parchment paper without the help of adding cornstarch to the parchment paper prior to adding the batter. You should be prepared that the cake may cave in and it can crack easily but it is definitely worth it in the long run.