If you’re looking for a beautiful and delicious way to enjoy winter citrus I have you covered with this winter citrus pavlova! It’s light and airy with a lovely vanilla bean flavor and topped with a variety of delicious winter citrus fruits. It looks fancy but is so easy to make!
If you’re looking for a fun new way to enjoy your winter citrus I have the perfect recipe for you for – winter citrus pavlova!
Now, I know it looks super fancy but pavlova is actually super easy to make!
All you need is some egg whites, granulated sugar, and some vanilla bean powder.
How easy is that?
Pavlova is a simple dessert that consists of making a meringue, baking the meringue, topping with fresh whipped cream, and in this case, then topping with slices of winter citrus and fresh mint leaves.
It’s a great dessert transition into spring.
The topping can be altered to use what you love but I love nothing more than indulging in the greatness of winter citrus. It’s plentiful, packed full of flavor, and reasonably priced.
Table of Contents
What is pavlova?
Pavlova is a meringue based dessert that is typically topped with fresh whipped cream and some sort of fruit.
Texturally speaking it is light and crisp on the outside with a soft marshmallowy center.
It’s a very popular dessert in Australia and New Zealand.
How hard is it to make pavlova?
Not at all!
You’ll want to make sure you separate your eggs correctly so that no yolk makes it into your whites or they will not set up correctly. This is the same rules you’ll want to apply if you’re every going to attempt to make basic meringue.
If it’s an especially humid day you may want to wait to make a pavlova. Its light crunchy outside texture can become soft if exposed to too much humidity. If you have central air this is likely not an issue but can be an issue for warmer homes without AC.
What are winter citrus fruits?
Winter citrus fruits are citrus fruits that are ripe and in season in winter!
Surprisingly a lot of the most delicious citrus fruits are typically in season in winter.
For this recipe I went with a few of my favorites – blood orange, navel orange, and ruby red grapefruit.
You can always use what you can find at your local store if you can’t find one of the above mentioned fruits. The hardest to find on that list will be blood oranges. They are hit or miss on whether I find them at the store.
Delicious substitutions would be tangerines, clementines, kumquats, or even Meyer lemons.
What can I use to top pavlova?
This recipe uses just freshly whipped cream with no sugar or flavor added.
If you want a sweeter topping you can always add some granulated sugar or vanilla extract to the whipped cream to bring in a little more flavor.
I also love topping pavlovas with fruit curds as they make a lovely topping that can go on plain or folded in with whipped cream. I have a few recipes that would great such as my Vanilla Honey Peach Butter, Valencia Orange Curd, or my homemade Homemade Lime Curd.
What is vanilla bean powder?
Vanilla bean powder is dried, ground whole vanilla beans.
It’s very similar to vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste in taste BUT because it’s dried it’s in powder form and contains no other ingredients like alcohol.
If you can’t find vanilla bean powder (or simply don’t feel like buying it) you can always use pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste.
Or, if you do not like vanilla flavor you can substitute almond extract or any other flavor extract.
Can make pavlova in advance?
Yes, but it truly is best eaten the day it is made.
If the pavlova is exposed to too much air it loses its crispy exterior and become softer in texture.
If you need to make it the day before be sure to store the shell only (DO NOT DECORATE UNTIL RIGHT BEFORE SERVING) in an air tight container and the next day before serving top with fresh whipped cream and citrus.
How do I store this winter citrus pavlova?
If you do not eat all of the pavlova in one day it’s best to cover it tightly and store in the refrigerator.
The pavlova will lose its crispy exterior but will still be edible.
Love this winter citrus pavlova?
Why not try a few of my other delicious desserts!
- Vanilla Bean Lemon Sugar Cookies
- Chocolate Orange Pudding Pie
- Homemade Lemon Bars
- Frozen Peach Cobbler
- Fluffy Cream Cheese Frosting
- No Bake Coconut Lime Cheesecake Bites
Winter Citrus Pavlova
Ingredients
For Pavlova:
- 4 large egg whites
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean powder
For topping:
- 2 cups fresh whipped cream
- 1 blood orange peeled and sliced
- 1 navel orange peeled and sliced
- 1 ruby red grapefruit peeled and sliced
Instructions
- For Pavlova:
- Preheat oven to 275 degrees F.
- Line a large rimmed sheet pan with parchment paper or a Silpat liner.
- Add the egg whites to the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment.
- Beat on medium-high speed until they become foamy, about 30 seconds.
- Slowly add the granulated sugar, about a tablespoon at a time.
- Allow the sugar to incorporate fully before adding the next tablespoon of granulated sugar. It should take about 3-5 minutes to add all of the sugar.
- Add the vanilla bean powder and beat until the meringue reaches a stiff peak.
- Pipe or spoon the meringue in a large circle (about 10 inches) on the parchment or Silpat liner on your prepared sheet pan.
- Create a slight well in the center to leave room for the whipped cream and citrus toppings.
- Add to the preheated oven and bake for 2 hours, or until the center is set and no longer wet.
- Turn the oven off and open the door, but leave the pavlova inside.
- Allow the pavlova to cool to room temperature, about 2 hours.
For topping:
- Fill the center of the cooled pavlova with whipped cream and top with sliced citrus.
- Sprinkle over the mint leaves and serve immediately.
Notes
- Your egg whites DO NOT need to be at room temperature.
- If you don’t have vanilla bean powder you can use pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste in its place.
- The pavlova shell is best eaten the day of but can be made up to a day in advance and kept in an air-tight container at room temperature. However, once the pavlova is filled it should be eaten immediately.
