This gorgeous Christmas Pavlova is fluffy & soft inside with a crispy meringue crust. An irresistible dessert that’s bound to please!
Oh wow, did I make this?
After placing the last lot of pomegranate arils on top of my Christmas Pavlova Wreath, I stood back from a distance to admire it.
It was far from perfect looking, and it had a few cracks here and there, but I was still ecstatic. This pavlova wreath looked so glorious sitting on my table in the sun. I couldn’t believe I had made it!
I’ve made this pavlova wreath many times and have taken it with me to Christmas functions. It’s just magical the way it captures people’s attention. Whatever they’re doing, they’ll stop for a few seconds to admire the beauty of this Christmas Pavlova.
However, as we know, looks aren’t everything, especially with food. The important part is the taste! Let me tell you that this pavlova tastes even better than it looks.
This pavlova has a nice crispy crust that stays crispy for a few days, even when decorated. Meanwhile, the inside is pillow-soft and it just melts in the mouth.
My pavlova needs generous lashings of whipped cream and seasonal berries and fruits. Yes, I am a happy girl! It’s so dangerously light and indulgent that you may find yourself having another slice. I didn’t, but I may have served myself a bigger slice!
Cracks are not worth crying over
It’s now less than one week to Christmas and we haven’t even got our Christmas tree up. My husband, Tomi, puts the tree up every year and I do the decorations. However, Tomi has done everything else but put up our Christmas tree!
I’m thinking it’s now not worth the effort to put it up because we’ll have to take it down a week after. The thing is, last year we bought ourselves a large and expensive tree. It would feel like a big waste not to get it out of the box! Most importantly I would like our toddler Kai, to appreciate the beauty of Christmas.
As Christmas creeps closer, I can feel myself getting anxious and I’ll probably end up having a panic attack. Silly us agreed to host our family Christmas party again this year!
Gosh, I sound like a drama queen, but I’m actually not! Well, at least not when it comes to baking.
I don’t strive for perfection in how my desserts look because I’m not a professional chef or baker. Do I want it to look amazing? You bet I do! But if it has slight imperfections in its appearance, I’ll live with it. Just as long as it tastes AMAZING, it’s a pass by me!
No matter what recipes I follow or how I change the methods, my damn pavlova always has cracks in it. Don’t despair if your one has cracks too as I’m yet to witness anyone turn down a cracked pavlova. Take a deep breath and use the whipped cream as glue to hide some flaws, then after you add the fruits, it’s going to look and taste SENSATIONAL!
More beautiful desserts to try:
Tiramisu Cake
Brazilian Caramel Flan
Persian Love Cake
Chocolate Guinness Cake
Ingredients for Christmas Pavlova Wreath
Eggs – I used 7 large eggs (58g/2oz per egg). After separating the eggs, the egg whites weighed 240g/8.5oz in total. Eggs are easier to separate when they’re chilled, so I separated the eggs whilst they were cold and left them at room temperature for minutes (this depends on how warm the day is)
Caster sugar (superfine sugar) – Caster sugar has finer granules than regular white sugar. However, it’s not the same as confectionary, icing, or powdered sugar. Many baking or candy recipes call for caster sugar as it dissolves faster and better into mixtures. If you can’t find caster sugar, you can make your own by placing regular sugar in a food processor or blender. Pulse the sugar a few times until it looks finer, but take care not to over-blitz it to a powder consistency.
Thickened cream (whipping cream) has gelatine added to it and contains 35% milk fat. I don’t recommend using low-fat cream because it may not whip up well and be a little runny. We need to whip the cream to medium-firm peaks to hold its shape and the fruit topping.
Icing sugar (powdered sugar, confectionary sugar) – Icing sugar usually comes in two forms over here: icing sugar mixture and pure icing sugar. Icing sugar mixture is softer and lump-free because there’s starch or flour added to it. For this recipe, I used icing sugar mixture as the cornstarch helps stabilise the cream.
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How to make Christmas Pavlova Wreath
Step-by-step guide with photos
Preheat the oven to 110°C (230°F). Make sure your equipment is free from grease, as this may prevent the egg whites from whipping up. To be safe, I like to wipe my bowls and balloon whisk with paper towels lightly dipped in vinegar.
Use a round object that is approximately 25cm (9.8in) in diameter to trace a circle on non-stick baking/parchment paper (I used the base of a cake tin). Use another round object with a diameter of 12cm (4.7in) and trace it inside the larger circle to create the ring. Flip the paper over, and place it on a large flat baking tray.
Prepare a large piping bag, with a 1.5cm (0.6in) plain circle nozzle tip.
In a stand or hand mixer, whisk the egg whites on medium-high speed using the balloon whisk attachment. When the eggs foam, increase the speed to high and gradually add in the sugar, one tablespoon at a time. Whisk for 6 to 8 minutes or until they reach stiff peaks. Add in the cornflour, vinegar and vanilla extract and whisk on high for another minute.
Place the meringue into the piping bag, then secure the baking paper to the tray by using the meringue as glue in each corner.
Pipe large mounds using the drawn ring as a guide. Once you’ve made a single layer, go over the mounds again, until you’ve used all the meringue (mine were three layers high). Use the back of a spoon to flatten the top of the mounds to make an even surface for the pavlova toppings.
Bake for 75 minutes (1 hour and 15 minutes), then turn the oven off and leave the oven door slightly ajar. Leave the pavlova in the oven for at least 6 hours or overnight before decorating.
Use a large flat plate or cake board to help turn the pavlova upside down, then carefully peel off the baking paper, then turn it upright.
Place the cream, icing sugar and vanilla extract in a large bowl and whisk it to medium-firm peaks using a stand or hand mixer. Place the whipped cream over the pavlova and decorate it with your choice of fruits and mint.
Leftovers – Transfer the pavlova wreath into an airtight container and store it in the fridge. It’s best when served within 2 days, but will last for 3 days.
I’ve used a third-party application to calculate the calories and nutritional information, so please use this as an approximate guide only.
Cooking measurements are in Australian standard spoon and cup measurements. For specific details and conversions, visit our Australian Cooking Measurements page.
I would love your feedback and support if you made this recipe. To do this, please rate this recipe and provide a comment by scrolling down this page or by clicking that green circle on the bottom left. An email address is required (for spam), but it won’t be published. I would also love to see your dish, so don’t forget to tag me on my Instagram account ‘3catsfoodie’
Cheers – Cat T
Christmas Pavlova Wreath
Ingredients
Meringue
- 7 large eggs (egg whites only, at room temperature, 240g/8.5oz) (NOTE 1)
- 2 cup caster sugar (superfine sugar 440g/16oz) (NOTE 2)
- 2 tbsp cornflour (or cornstarch)
- 2 tsp white vinegar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the whipped cream
- 2 cup thickened cream (NOTE 3)
- 2 tbsp icing sugar (powdered sugar) (NOTE 4)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Fruit topping & garnish (swap with any fruits you like)
- raspberries
- blueberries
- cherries
- pomegranate arils
- mint leaves
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 110°C (230°F). Make sure your equipment is free from grease, as this may prevent the egg whites from whipping up. To be safe, I like to wipe my bowls and balloon whisk with paper towels lightly dipped in vinegar.
- Use a round object that is approximately 25cm (9.8in) in diameter to trace a circle on non-stick baking/parchment paper (I used the base of a cake tin). Use another round object with a diameter of 12cm (4.7in) and trace it inside the larger circle to create the ring. Flip the paper over, and place it on a large flat baking tray.
- Prepare a large piping bag, with a 1.5cm (0.6in) plain circle nozzle tip.
- In a stand or hand mixer, whisk the egg whites on medium-high speed using the balloon whisk attachment. When the eggs foam, increase the speed to high and gradually add in the sugar, one tablespoon at a time. Whisk for 6 to 8 minutes or until they reach stiff peaks. Add in the cornflour, vinegar and vanilla extract and whisk on high for another minute.
- Place the meringue into the piping bag, then secure the baking paper to the tray by using the meringue as glue in each corner. Pipe large mounds using the drawn ring as a guide. Once you've made a single layer, go over the mounds again, until you've used all the meringue (mine were three layers high). Use the back of a spoon to flatten the top of the mounds to make an even surface for the pavlova toppings.
- Bake for 75 minutes (1 hour and 15 minutes), then turn the oven off and leave the oven door slightly ajar. Leave the pavlova in the oven for at least 6 hours or overnight before decorating.
- Use a large flat plate or cake board to help turn the pavlova upside down, then carefully peel off the baking paper, then turn it upright. Place the cream, icing sugar and vanilla extract in a large bowl and whisk it to medium-firm peaks using a stand or hand mixer. Place the whipped cream over the pavlova and decorate it with your choice of fruits and mint.
Great recipe. It was the best pavlova I have ever made and everyone was suitably impressed. Thanks!
Hi Lena,
I’m absolutely ecstatic after reading your comment. Thank you for giving this recipe a try. I’m sure your pavlova turned out beautifully! Enjoy the rest of this festive season to the fullest 😊.