I originally made this blackberry pavlova for a blog post waaaaay back in 2012 as a part of a larger dinner party post with a few other old recipes. Like many of the posts I created back then, the food was good, but the recipe writing needed improvement, and the images weren’t what I’d call my best work. But, I like having some of those old images around because they show how far anyone can come at any task (given lots of practice), so I have a few of them at the bottom of this post (Brace yourselves!) 🙂

Originally, I’d made this as a multi-layered pavlova rather than a single one. But since pavlova’s meringue base makes them a bit fragile, I didn’t like the idea of the weight of the toppings crushing all the beautiful meringue. Part of the joy of a pavlova is having that satisfying ‘CRUNCH’ of the outer crisp shell break away to reveal the marshmallow-like soft pillow of meringue inside—and when the weight of the layers has already crushed that shell, you kind of miss out on all that magic. So, I updated it to be a nice big solid single layer of pavlova goodness.

Aside from some quantity adjustments, the blackberry pavlova recipe held up *very* well and was just as insanely delicious as I’d remembered it being. Something about that sweet tannic blackberry flavor paired with the spiced, almost floral, flavor of ground cardamom creates an unforgettable duo. It’s encouraging my mind to go all a-flutter with more ways to incorporate cardamom and blackberry together…from pastry swirl buns to fruity crumble bars, it looks like I have quite the blackberry season ahead of me!

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Blackberry Pavlova with Cardamom

Servings 12 people

Ingredients

Blackberry Jam

• 1/2 pound blackberries fresh or frozen
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

Cardamom Pavlova

• 5 egg whites
• 1 1/2 cups superfine sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon cardamom

Blackberry Whipped Cream

• 8 ounces heavy whipping cream
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/4 teaspoon lemon zest
• 2 teaspoons blackberry reduction
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Garnish

• 3/4 cup fresh blackberries
• 3/4 cup fresh blueberries
• 2 tablespoons honey

Instructions

Blackberry Jam

• Heat the blackberries in a medium-sized pot over medium heat, stirring every few minutes until they break apart. Lower the heat and allow the mixture to simmer for 15 minutes. Remove 2 teaspoons of the blackberry reduction mixture and set it aside. Stir in the sugar and honey and allow the blackberry jam mixture to continue simmering over low heat for 45 minutes, stirring every 8 minutes or so. Remove from heat, stir in the lemon juice, zest, and cardamom, and allow to cool to room temperature then refrigerate.

Cardamom Pavlova

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites until they hold soft peaks. Gradually beat in the sugar, about 1/4 cup at a time. Continue beating on high speed until the egg whites are shiny, thick, and hold stiff peaks, then fold in the vanilla extract and the ground cardamom.
• Trace a 9-inch circle on a piece of parchment paper, then flip it upside down and place it on a baking sheet down so the traced side won't touch the meringue. Lift up each corner of the parchment paper and dab a small teaspoon-sized blob of meringue on the corner of a large baking sheet, then press the parchment paper back down firmly onto the bit of meringue (doing this on each of the four corners of the baking sheet will keep the parchment paper from sliding around while you spread your pavlova shape).
• Using a rubber spatula, spread the remaining meringue into a 9-inch circle shape using the tracing to guide you. Try to make the edges of the pavlova slightly higher than the center to allow space for the toppings later on. Use an offset spatula to make vertical lines around the edge of the pavlova, starting your offset spatula at the bottom of the pavlova and then lifting straight up, and repeating all the way around the edges of the pavlova (optional).
• Place the pan in the oven and bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until the meringue is crisp on the outside and easily lifts off the parchment. Turn off the oven and allow the pavlova to cool to room temperature over several hours. Pavlovas will deflate and collapse if cooled too quickly. Once cooled, remove the pavlova from the oven.
• If your pavlova has cracks, do not fret. If any part looks like it may crack off after cooling, just gently press it back into place (the toppings will help hide any large cracks on the top).

Blackberry Whipped Cream

• To make the whipped cream, beat whipping cream, sugar and cardamom until lightly fluffy and smooth and holds soft peaks. Then add lemon zest, blackberry reduction and vanilla and beat on low speed until it's combined thoroughly but be careful to not over beat!

Assembly

• To assemble the pavlova, place the pavlova on a serving plate. Spread the blackberry whipped cream on top of it, then the blackberry jam. To garnish, arrange some of the fresh blackberries and blueberries on top and drizzle with the honey. Serve immediately and enjoy!

This Recipe was Based on a post from 2012, You Can See the Original Image Below!

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