This is a late late Christmas post but I guess I am still channeling and cherishing the last cheers of Christmas before we switch completely to the rowdy tong tong qiang (cymbals heralding no less!) of the coming Lunar New Year.

I love this Christmas Wreath Pavlova. To me, it’s a delicious and beautiful signature of the Christmastide season. Elegant and beautiful like the Christmas wreaths we hang on our doors, but only better cause you can see it, smell it, touch it and best of all, EAT IT!

So what’s a Pavlova?

The Pavlova dessert is believed to have been created in honour of the Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova when she visited either Australia and New Zealand in the 1920s during one of her tours. Both the Aussies and Kiwis lay claim to its nationality and till today, it’s still unresolved.  

The beautiful ‘Pav’

Well whether it’s Kia Ora or Gd’day Mate!, the Pavlova is an indelibly delicious and good looking dessert! So choose a bite and not a side, cause all are family when it comes to dessert – says The Sugar Crumble 😊 !

The ‘Pav’ is made from whipped egg whites that are slowly baked at a relatively low temperature. The egg whites take on a crunchy crisp texture on the outside with a soft, marshmallowy centre. The ‘Pav’ loves to be dressed up with assorted toppings, mainly fresh whipped cream and loads of fresh fruit. Naturally gluten free, it is light, sweet and an all time favorite in this household.

Creamy pavlova on a spoon

This Christmas Wreath Pavlova is inspired by many friends’ beautiful wreath making during this festive season. Throughout history, wreaths have been associated with life, rejuvenation, and renewal. The circle is a symbol of immortality. The circular Christmas wreath is symbolic of God’s eternal love, his strength, and the creation of new life.

  Lovely eternal ring of hope

The Pavlova is crisp on the edges and marshmallow soft and creamy in the centre. Topped with lemon curd, whipped cream and fresh fruits, it is delicious and gorgeously floral, reminiscent of the coming of spring, of hope, life & His love.

And it’s a simple recipe. Watch the video and I hope you will find this Christmas Wreath Pavlova to be a keeper!

If you like this recipe tutorial and like to see more, subscribe to my YouTube channel here! Thank you 😊

Check out my tips on whipping meringue in this Forgotten Cookies post. And if you like this Christmas Wreath Pavlova, I think you will also enjoy Eton Mess, kind of a super yummy de-constructed meringue cake!

Making the wreath shape

To make the wreath shape, using a tube pan insert as a guide, I cut a hole in the baking parchment and placed it over the tube pan. Then i just piped the meringue around the tube pan insert in circles to make the wreath. You can also do this freehand but if you are dorky like me when it comes to drawing circles, use the tube insert as a guide!

Using the tube pan insert as a guide

Piping circles round the insert

Making a deeper inset

Easy transfer to a bake tray

Make Ahead & Storage

The meringue can be made ahead and stores well for 2-3 days, well-sealed in an airtight container. Meringue tends to attract moisture and may become soft and sticky after some time. To crisp, bake it in a hot oven for 5 minutes, then switch off the heat and leave for another 10-15 minutes for the moisture to dry out. And voila, it’ll be all ready to be assembled!

Love the oozing lemon curd!

Did you make this? I would love to know how it turned out! Please leave me a review or if you took a photo, kindly tag me on Instagram or FB @thesugarcrumble.

Print Recipe

Christmas Wreath Pavlova

This Christmas Wreath Pavlova is crisp on the edges and marshmallow soft & creamy in the centre. Topped with lemon curd, whipped cream and fresh fruits, this Pavlova is light, airy, creamy and delicious. Gorgeously floral with the fresh fruits topping and reminiscent of the coming of spring, of hope and life - Enjoy.

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time1 hour hr

Resting Time4 hours hrs

Total Time5 hours hrs 15 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Servings: 8 persons

Author: Kai

Ingredients

Pavlova

• 190 g egg whites from ~ 6 eggs
• 95 g granulated sugar
• 1 tsp corn flour
• 1 tsp white vinegar
• 1 tsp vanilla

Decor

• Lemon curd ~ 1/3 cup (check here for recipe:https://thesugarcrumble.com/lemon-curd-lemon-heaven/)
• Whipped cream
• Fresh fruits for decoration
• Fresh mint leaves and sprigs of rosemary

Instructions

Pavlova

• Preheat oven at 180C. You will be turning this down to 120C when the pavlova is put in to bake.
• Whisk the egg whites on Low speed until soft peaks.
• Switch to Medium speed and gradually whisk in the sugar.
• Once all the sugar is added, switch to High speed and whisk until stiff peaks. The meringue should be shiny and glossy.
• Add in the cornstarch, vinegar and vanilla extract. (Note: I like to dissolve the cornstarch with the vinegar and add in as a mixture so that there are no lumpy bits of cornstarch in the meringue.)
• Transfer the meringue into a piping bag with a large piping tip. Or you can just cut off the tip of the piping bag and use it without a piping tip, that works too.
• To make the Christmas wreath, using a tube pan insert as a guide, cut a hole in the baking parchment and place it over the tube pan. Pipe the meringue around the tube pan insert in circles to make a wreath.
• Using a spatula or a butter knife, mould the meringue to make the outer sides higher. Gently smoothen and make an inset in the wreath circle where the fruits will sit. I also made little swirls with the butter knife to make it look more wreath-like.
• Once the creative crafting is complete (and it should not take too long), gently lift parchment paper with the meringue off the insert unto a baking tray and the pavlova is ready to bake.
• Once pavlova is put in the oven, turn the heat down to 120C and bake for 60 min or until pavlova is pale gold & crisp outside and soft on the inside. (I know - you probably never know this on your first try. I baked at the lowest rack which worked well, so test with your oven)

Assembly

• Assemble just before serving
• Layer on the lemon curd and pipe on fresh whipped cream.
• Decorate with your choice of fresh fruits. (Optional: to make it more wreath-like, I also stabbed in some rosemary sprigs and fresh mint leaves)

Video

Notes

If you like this recipe tutorial and like to see more, subscribe to my YouTube channel here! Thank you 😊

 

Making the wreath shape

To make the wreath shape, using a tube pan insert as a guide, I cut a hole in the baking parchment and placed it over the tube pan. Then i just piped the meringue around the tube pan insert in circles to make the wreath. You can also do this freehand but if you are dorky like me when it comes to drawing circles, use the tube insert as a guide!

Using the tube pan insert as a guide

Piping circles round the insert

Making a deeper inset

Easily transferring the meringue to a bake tray

Make Ahead & Storage

The meringue can be made ahead and stores well for 2-3 days, well-sealed in an airtight container. Meringue tends to attract moisture and may become soft and sticky after some time. To crisp, bake it in a hot oven for 5 minutes, then switch off the heat and leave for another 10-15 minutes for the moisture to dry out. And voila, it’ll be all ready to be assembled!