My double stacked berry Pavlova is as light as a cloud and goes down a treat! With two layers of meringue filled with softly whipped cream and berries, it’s the perfect summer dessert!
For another berry treat, give Summer Berry Tart a try!
I’ve been in love with meringues ever since I was little and was given these meringue kisses as a treat by my mum. I discovered Pavlova much later in life but quickly learned that this cream and fruit meringue cloud is infinitely lighter and tastier than my childhood sweets.
Summer seems to be the perfect season for making and indulging in a Pavlova cake, so I decided to make two meringues and stack them up tall.
The result…well you can see what it looked like and a photo is worth a thousand words. I only wish I could give you all a bite to enjoy this light, crispy, fluffy summer on a plate.
Why is Pavlova such a good summer treat? It tastes fresh, doesn’t feel dense or heavy, and is the perfect platform for deliciously ripe berries. Divine!
I made this easy Pavlova recipe to share with you, friends but it is meant to be served to a crowd. It is IDEAL for entertaining since you can bake well ahead of time and store in an airtight container.
Then decorate shortly before serving, bring it out and wow your guests!
Now let’s talk about actually making this delicious dessert!
How to master a classic Pavlova recipe
A perfectly executed Pavlova is not difficult to achieve as long as you follow a few simple and straightforward tips.
- Whip room temperature egg whites.
- Add sugar slowly, one tablespoon at a time allowing it to dissolve before adding more.
- Continue whipping until you have a stable and glossy fluff. An electric mixer is a must.
- Rub a small amount of the meringue between your fingers to ensure the it is smooth and not gritty. If the sugar is not fully dissolved, it will make your meringue “weep” in the oven.
- Bake in a low temperature oven to avoid your Pavlova turning a shade of brown.
- Keep the meringue in the oven until it is firm to the touch. If it is still jiggly, continue baking it.
- Moisture in the air (humid days are the worst) will affect how long it will take to bake a perfect Pavlova.
More berry bakes:
- Layered Blackberry Fool
- Strawberry Galette
- Summer Peach Cake with Red Berries
- Strawberry Marsala Cobbler
Double Stacked Berry Pavlova
Ingredients
For the meringue
- 4 egg whites
- 150 g /3/4 cup caster sugar
- ½ tsp white wine vinegar
- ½ tsp corn starch
For the whipped cream
- 500 ml /2 cups double/heavy cream
- 50 g /1/2 cup icing sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 570 g /3 cups blackberries, raspberries, cherries combined
Instructions
For the meringue
- Preheat the oven to 100C/200F. Carefully separate egg whites from the egg yolks. In a very clean, grease free mixer bowl begin whipping the egg whites on a low speed. First they will turn frothy and then will start forming soft peaks, at this stage turn the speed to high and start adding caster sugar one tablespoon at a time making sure the sugar is dissolved into the mix before adding more.
- Continue mixing until all sugar is dissolved and the meringue is thick, glossy and smooth. Scrape the sides of the bowl occasionally. You can test whether the sugar is all dissolved by rubbing a small amount of meringue between your fingers, it should be smooth and not gritty.
- Mix vinegar and corn starch in a small cup and add to the meringue mixture. Mix well to combine.
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and draw two 8 inch circles on it. Fill each circle with the meringue mix and bake in the oven for 1.5 hours until firm to the touch.
- When the meringue is firm, turn the oven off and let it come to the room temperature in the oven for approximately 2 hours.Then take it out and let it cool completely. At that stage you can either layer the meringue with whipped cream and berries or store in an airtight container until needed.
For the whipped cream filling
- Whip double/heavy cream with icing sugar and vanilla until soft peaks form.
To assemble Double Stacked Berry Pavlova
- Set one meringue layer on a cake stand or a large plate and fill with half of the whipped cream, scatter berries on top.
- Top with the second meringue layer and repeat the process. Dust lightly with icing sugar and decorate with edible flowers if using.
Jolene Walters says
Miami, FL is very humid most of the year. Would it work in an air conditioned environment?
Also, could you translate some of the ingredients to American style English. What is Caster Sugar? What is icing sugar? I have already submitted this comment; however, I don’t know if it was received.
vikalinka says
Hi Jolene, caster sugar is superfine sugar and icing sugar is powdered sugar. Pavlova should work in an air conditioned environment since it removes moisture from the air but I guess you have to try to find out for sure! 🙂
Ilse says
Should the meringue be soft and marshmallowy on the bottom?
vikalinka says
It should be soft in the middle but still crisp on the outside including the bottom.
Brittany says
Can you store this after the topping has been added?
vikalinka says
Hi Brittany, you should serve it right away after you added the toppings. I recommend waiting to do so until you are ready to serve the pavlova, otherwise it starts to get soft.
Jessica Pavec says
Hi looks delicious – I may have misunderstood but I think you may have meant to say rub between 2 fingers it should be smooth not gritty. Not “shouldn’t”…
Thx
vikalinka says
You are absolutely right, Jessica. It was a typo, which has now been fixed.