Slab Pavlova with mango, passionfruit and lime
This pavlova is great for a big crowd as it comfortably feeds 15 people and is easy to serve due to it's rectangular shape. It uses double the amount of egg whites (8) versus my summer berry pavlova (4). Ideally pavlovas are best baked the day/night before so they have time to dry out further to get a crunchy crust, however I have baked and served this recipe in the same day and you can still get a great result, you just need to allow for at least 1.5 hours for it to cool down before adding the cream and fruit. I've gone with mango, passionfruit and lime for this version, but feel free to add any kind of toppings you like.
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Ingredients
Pavlova base
8 egg whites
2 cups (500g) of caster sugar
2 teaspoons of lemon juice
Toppings
600ml thickened cream
2-3 mangoes, thinly sliced
Pulp of 3 passionfruit
Zest of 1 lime
Method
1.Preheat the oven to 140 degrees.
2. Place egg whites into a clean and dry mixing bowl and add the lemon juice. Whip your egg whites with the whisk attachment on medium speed (6 on a kitchen aid) for about 5 minutes or until soft peaks form.
3. Slowly add the sugar, little by little, over the course of another 5 minutes. The soft peaks will turn stiff, glossy and shiny in texture and should not drop when you turn the mixing bowl upside down.
4. Spread the pavlova mixture onto a sheet tray lined with baking paper. Use a spatula to shape the pavlova into a rectangular shape (approx 30cm x 20cm) and level it out.
5. Use an offset spatula or knife to create vertical ridges around the perimeter of the pavlova. This stops the pavlova from collapsing but also gives a nice shape to the border.
6. Bake in the oven for 1 hour at 140 degrees celsius.
7. Turn off the oven and remove the pavlova if serving soon. Otherwise leave in the oven overnight to dry out if serving the next day.
8. Transfer the pavlova to a serving tray. The hardest part is trying to remove the baking paper and it will be impossible to do it without slightly cracking the pav. If you want to avoid this, just serve the pav with the baking paper or use scissors/stanley knife to cut the baking paper around the pav.
9. Whip thickened cream until medium peaks form and the cream maintains its shape when spread.
10. Just before serving spread whipped cream on top and level it out before topping with fresh mango slices, passionfruit and freshly grated lime zest.
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Watch the Process
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