Pavlova: Cream covered meringue cake

The pavlova has been an iconic New Zealand and Australian dessert for almost 100 years. The cake is a real crunchy delight, based on golden meringues, covered with whipped cream and often decorated with fresh fruit.

The cake is cooked until the outer crust is crisp while the interior of the “cake” is the consistency of a marshmallow.

Meringue is a fluffy mixture that is delicious on its own. Meringues are widely used in the food and culinary industries for the textural and flavor properties offered by a sweetened protein foam matrix. Traditional pavlova meringues are topped with berries and whipped cream. This recipe includes a layer of lemon curd.

Pavlova was invented to honor ballet dancer Anna Pavlova during her 1920s world tour. During Pavlova's tour of New Zealand in 1926, a chef at a hotel in Wellington, New Zealand invented a dessert for her.

Pavlova and meringue cookies are simple product matrixes consisting of sucrose, water, egg whites, and flavoring.
Pavlova: Cream covered meringue cake