Raspberry-Key Lime Pavlova

Get ready everyone, all your pavlova dreams are about to come true! I know some of you may be thinking… what in the world is pavlova?!?!?! Well whether you’ve heard of it or not, I’m so excited to introduce you to this incredible, elevated, delicious dessert! Stick with me til the end and we’ll unravel the whole thing together!

What is Pavlova?

Let’s cut right to the chase. Pavlova is basically an elegant mountain of meringue filled with cream and berries (and in this case, key lime curd). The name comes from Anna Pavlova, a ballerina who made a trip down to Australia in the 1900s. While she was visiting, a pastry chef from either Australia or New Zealand (the details are a little fuzzy) made this dessert for her, thus the name Pavlova.

This is one of my favorite things to make, mostly because I absolutely love meringue, but also because it is so fun to make, shape, and bake. Every time I make a meringue I feel like I’m in science class experimenting with egg whites, and I’m here for that lol.

I know meringues can sound challenging from the outside, and just looking at all the ingredients and instructions. BUT, I promise it really is so simple with a little bit of technique and some step-by-step instructions.

What is Key Lime Curd?

I had some extra key limes hanging around from a recipe I made a few days earlier, so I decided to make a spin off of the classic “lemon curd” and go with key lime instead! Curd is like a custard, but instead of using cream to thicken it, we use citrus juice instead. I love making these because they add the perfect balance of sweetness and tartness to whatever you’re adding it to.

Ingredients for Raspberry-Key Lime Pavlova

Ok, so let’s talk about ingredients.

I had some extra key limes laying around after a recipe I made a few days earlier, so I decided to make a key lime curd for the inside of the pavlova. If you don’t want to deal with making your own curd, store-bought lemon curd or lemon curd from the local Farmers Market will be just fine!

Here are the main ingredients for the Key Lime Curd:

Egg Yolks – This is the base of any curd or custard, and it really works out because the meringue needs 5 egg whites, so you won’t be wasting any part of the egg!
Sugar – I used a little bit more sugar to cut the acidity of the key limes, but if you want to use 1/4 cup more or less, feel free.
Key Lime Zest/Juice – I LOVE using fresh key limes, but if you don’t want to go through the hassle of juicing them all by hand, there are some really great bottled juices out there that would be perfect!
Butter – This is the finishing touch on our curd, and it also helps thicken things up a bit at the end!

The meringue really only has a few simple ingredients, mostly consisting of egg whites, sugar, and a few more things.

Egg Whites – PLS do me and yourself a favor, and make sure these are at room temperature!!! If they’re right out of the fridge, they won’t whip up correctly and you’ll end up with wasted eggs and a headache! Pro-tip: if you forget to set the eggs out beforehand, just place them into a large bowl, and fill the bowl with hot tap water. Let them sit for about 5 to 10 minutes, and they should be pretty close to room temperature!
Cream of Tartar – Although you only really need 1 acid in a pavlova (vinegar), I also like to use cream of tartar because it ensures that my meringue will be as strong as possible.
Water – I know it seems weird to add water to the meringue while you’re whipping it up, but TRUST ME. This will really help with the texture of your pavlova! Let’s be honest… no one wants to eat a rock hard meringue, and the water will help create a really nice, tender meringue that’s perfect for a pavlova!
Superfine Sugar – If you don’t have superfine sugar and you’re in a pinch, please use powdered sugar over regular granulated sugar. We definitely don’t want to deflate that meringue by using heavy sugar!
Vinegar – Our acid! This will help make sure our egg whites are strong (but tender), so we can get the depth that we want in the pavlova. I used white wine vinegar, but you can definitely use apple cider vinegar if that’s all you have!
Vanilla – You can absolutely substitute with almond extract if that’s your jam. I’m forever and always a vanilla girl, so that’s my go-to.
Cornstarch – This helps the meringue remain soft, really just so that it doesn’t shatter when you slice into it!

How to Make Raspberry-Key Lime Pavlova

Here’s where we get into the nitty-gritty. But don’t worry, I’m walking you through every step below!

How to Make Key-Lime Curd

Whisk the ingredients: We’ll start by combining all the ingredients except for the butter in a small saucepan. We want to make sure we REALLY whip these in the saucepan, like way longer than you think you should whip them. You’ll notice that the yolks will start to go from a deep yellow color to a pale yellow color–this is what we’re looking for!
Cook the Curd: Once you have everything whipped, place it over medium heat. We don’t want the mixture to start boiling, because we don’t want to scramble the eggs. The main thing here is just to make sure that you’re whisking the mixture pretty much constantly, this will remove the chances of everything getting too hot!
This is the tricky part – deciding when its “done.” When your mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon, you’ll know you’re there. A trick is to dip the spoon in the mixture, remove it, and run your finger down the back of the spoon. If you can clearly see your finger trail, and the mixture is sticking to the spoon, it’s done! You can also use a candy thermometer and wait for the mixture to come to 170°F.
Add the butter – When you remove the pan from the heat, stir in the butter. Stir until you can’t see it anymore!
Chill – Transfer the mixture to an airtight container. You’ll want to make sure you place a small piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the curd. If you don’t do this, you may end up with a thick layer of skin on the top… not exactly ideal lol. Then simply seal the container and let it chill in the refrigerator at least 1 to 2 hours, but really just until its cool. YAY. You did it!!!

How to Make Pavlova

Whip the egg whites – first, we’ll whip the egg whites, salt, and cream of tartar until we get medium-stiff peaks. So, not quite to the level of being stiff peaks.
Slowly add water and sugar – Next we’ll begin slowly adding in the water with the mixer running on low speed. Then, we’ll add the sugar about 1 Tbsp at a time until it’s all combined. Turn the mixer up to high speed and whip it until you see stiff peaks.
Fold in the remaining ingredients – Keyword FOLD. We don’t want to beat the vinegar, vanilla, and cornstarch in because we don’t want to deflate those beautiful egg whites. Simply remove the bowl from the mixer and fold them in with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon.
Shape the pavlova – The fun part!!! Place the meringue on the prepared pan in the middle of the circle you drew. Now you can begin to shape your pavlova. Start by getting a dome shape, then run your offset spatula from the bottom to the top. Gradually make your way around the pavlova and you’ll end up with a shape that looks like the images above! Make sure to create a little indention in the top of the pavlova after you’re all done shaping, this will prevent cracking 🙂
Bake! The most important part of the baking process is to make sure that you DO NOT open the oven door at anytime. I know it’s tempting, but really just do your best! This will give us a really happy end result 🙂 I like to leave mine in the oven until I’m about to serve it.
Fill the Pavlova – YAY! You made it to the end, and now we get to fill the pavlova. Start by adding the whipped cream, then top with the curd and fresh raspberries. You can add whichever fresh fruit you’d like, just make sure they’re in season and perfectly ripe!

Ok, WE MADE IT y’all. Trust me everyone.. this is one of the most fun desserts to make. Let your creative juices flow and enjoy every second of it! If you decide to make this one, remember to tag me so I can see all of your beautiful pavlovas!

XO,

Sarah

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