Perfect Pavlova Recipe with Red Wine Cherry Compote & Mascarpone Whipped Cream

LAST UPDATED: November 25, 2019 ~ FIRST PUBLISHED: September 14, 2015 ~ By Julie & Debbie

The perfect pavlova recipe. Fruity, sweet, chewy and creamy. This light and delicious dessert is so easy to make and its the perfect summer dessert especially when entertaining because you can make this pavlova recipe ahead of time then just assemble before serving.

Doesn’t this pavlova look spectacular!

I promise, it tastes as good as it looks and it is pretty easy to make. Debbie and I don’t do a lot of desserts, though I always jump at the chance to make one. I really enjoy baking, it was the first thing I loved to do in the kitchen and I used to bake all the time, but my waistline can’t handle baking like it used to…

This pavlova recipe is not super easy on the calories, but it is light and fluffy and doesn’t leave you with a heavy feeling in your tummy.

What is pavlova?

Pavlova is a traditional New Zealand and Australian dessert. It’s basically a meringue dessert made by whipping egg whites and adding sugar and a little vinegar. It’s usually topped with whipped cream and fresh fruit or fruit compote.

Can you make this Pavlova recipe ahead of time:

Yes! That’s one thing that makes this dessert so great for entertaining. You can make the meringue and the cherry compote even a couple days ahead of time, but you can’t assemble the dessert until right before you serve it.

As long as your house isn’t really humid, you can keep the meringues wrapped in plastic wrap or in an airtight container on the counter and they will stay firm for a day or two. Don’t put them in the fridge as the meringues will absorb the moisture from the fridge and they will wilt and get wrecked.

If your house is humid, eat them right away 🙂

Did I mention how gorgeous it is?

Say you are having a dinner party and you bring this beauty pavlova out for dessert. It looks impressive. Like you really know what your doing, but if you can beat eggs in a mixer, stir some sugar and cherries together with wine in a pot, and whip some cream to top it all off then you can make this pavlova recipe.

The hardest part is keeping your fingers out of the whipped cream and not drinking the wine you need for the cherry compote!

How do you make pavlova?

whip egg whites, sugar, and a little vinegar to stiff peaks and then form it into round discs on parchment lined baking trays.
bake it slowly so that the outside gets a nice crust and the inside is soft and fluffy. Let it cool completely before trying to take it off the baking tray.
You can bake it as one tall layer slightly concaved in at the top to fill with fruit and whipped cream, you can layer it like we did and fill the layers with billowy mounds of whipped cream and mascarpone cheese, or you can also make mini pavlovas and serve them as individual desserts. Love that idea.

They look impressive and fancy, but as you can see, they are quite easy to make!

Alternative toppings for this pavlova recipe:

This dessert is fabulous with fresh fruit, but we love a good fruit compote/sauce and this one with fresh cherries and red wine was our top pick, but there are countless ways to make this desert your own.

I have made it with a raspberry sauce which was delicious and I have seen it made with chocolate added to the meringue or drizzled on top. Strawberries, kiwi’s, or passion fruit on top or a combination of fruits would be sooo good too. Any fruit in season is the best fruit to use.

Any kind of fruit curd would be amazing. Like lemon, or rhubarb or a raspberry curd! Holy yum!! (also a great way to use up the leftover egg yolks)

If you want this to be an even lighter dessert, leave the whipping cream out altogether and just serve the Pavlova with fresh fruit alone or topped with a fruit compote.

So many delicious options!

Useful tools to make this perfect pavlova recipe even easier:

Parchment Paper – a staple in our kitchens and a must for this pavlova recipe
Silicone Baking Mats – these are so awesome and versatile! We often use parchment paper, but these work the same and are reusable.
Baking Sheet – these sheets without sides are great because you can easily slide the Pavlova off the trays without having to lift and possibly wreck the rounds.
Cake Stand – you need a cake stand to display this beautiful dessert. We LOVE these ones:
- white cake stand
- rustic cake stand
- another rustic cake stand – I think this one is my favorite…
- this blue cake stand is soooooo pretty too!

If you’ve tried this pavlova recipe then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let us know how it turned out in the comments below. We love hearing from you!

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Pavlova with Red Wine Cherry Compote & Marscapone Whipped Cream

3.84 from 92 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Canadian

Prep Time: 45

Cook Time: 1 15

Total Time: 2

Servings:

Calories: 450kcal

Author: Julie & Debbie

Ingredients

OR THE PAVLOVA

6 egg whites
1 1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp vinegar
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla clear vanilla if you have it

MARSCAPONE WHIPPED CREAM

2 cups whipping cream , chilled
1 cup mascarpone cheese
1 cup icing sugar

CHERRY COMPOTE

1 1/2 cup cherries
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup red wine
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp lemon juice

Instructions

Make the pavlova first so preheat the oven to 275 degrees.
Beat the egg whites in a mixer on low speed at first and then increase the speed to medium and beat until they get frothy and start to turn white. Add the sugar into the egg whites bit by bit until its all incorporated. Beat the egg whites until they form stiff peaks. Add the vinegar and the salt and mix it in on low speed for about 5 - 7 seconds.
Line a baking tray with parchment then take the parchment and put a 9-10 inch plate on top on one end of the paper. Draw a line around the plate and do the same on the other end so you have two perfect circles. Turn over the paper and put it back on the tray. Take the egg whites and spread them inside the two circles evenly.
Place them in the oven and cook for 1 hour and 15 mins then turn off the heat and let the pavlova cool in the oven slowly. Don't take the pavlova off the parchment paper until it has completely cooled or it could stick and break.
Next make the cherry compote. Pit the cherries and slice them in half. Put the red wine in a sauce pan and heat to a boil. Reduce the wine to 1/2 a cup. Add the cherries and the rest of the ingredients. Simmer for 30 mins or until the cherries are nice and soft, then set aside to cool.
When the pavlova has cooled completely its time to make the whipped cream by pouring the chilled whipping cream into a chilled mixer bowl. Beat on high speed until the cream starts to get fluffy. Add the sugar and the mascarpone cheese bit by bit and be careful not to over whip the cream. You don't want butter! Set the whipped cream aside.
Assemble the pavlova by placing one of the rounds on a serving platter. Top with half of the whipping cream and a good ladle of the cherry compote. Place the second round on top of the filling and cover with the rest of the whipping cream and another good ladle of the cherry compote.
Serve!

Notes

The pavlova can be wrapped in plastic or sealed in an airtight container and kept for several days on the counter unless your house gets very humid (in which case, eat your pavlova right away!)

Don't store pavlova in the fridge, the fridge can make it soggy.

Nutrition

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