Fig And Cinnamon Pavlova

This fig and cinnamon Pavlova is a summer twist on a timeless Australian dessert. It is a stunning meringue combined with praline cream and decorated with fresh figs that are perfect for a special occasion or a dessert for whenever just because.

Have you ever been obsessed with any fruit? You will not believe how much I love figs and how I wait for fig season each year.

Once they first appear in a grocery store, I return home with a box of fresh figs each time I go shopping. So, I get the most out of fig season every year.

After making Fig and almond cake and Fig tart with hazelnut praline, I am up for another sweet summer delight - fig and cinnamon Pavlova.

What is Pavlova?

Pavlova is a white meringue dessert with a gooey, almost toffee-like center topped with traditional whipped cream and fresh fruit. Pavlova dessert is usually served as a whole cake, but mini Pavlovas are another variation.

The origin of Pavlova is considered to be Australia or maybe New Zealand. It depends on who you ask. Australians and New Zealanders are proud of being the first to create the stunning dessert.

However, there is no doubt that the Pavlova cake was named after the Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova.

Fig and cinnamon Pavlova recipe

• Fig Pavlova with brown sugar and cinnamon is quintessential of the fall season.

• The recipe is easy and straightforward.

• It is perfect for birthdays, anniversaries, and other celebrations.

Ingredients

For ingredients and detailed instructions, refer to the recipe card below.

• Egg whites: The recipe calls for large egg whites at room temperature. It is easy to separate egg whites from egg yolks with an egg separator while the eggs are right from the fridge. Then, let egg whites warm up to room temperature for 30 to 60 minutes before you start making the meringue.

Pro tip: If you want to use up your egg yolks, don't miss my Italian pastry cream, Bavarian cream,or crème Anglaise recipes.

• Sugar: Use regular granulated or caster sugar. Process granulated sugar in a food processor for a few seconds to make it superfine, which helps to whisk the meringue.

• Brown sugar: Use golden brown sugar or replace it with dark brown muscovado sugar.

• Ground cinnamon: Use Ceylon ground cinnamon, but if you want to intensify the flavor, you can consider trying Saigon cinnamon.

• Hazelnut praline: Make hazelnut praline paste yourself or use a store-bought hazelnut praline.

• Heavy cream: Choose heavy or heavy whipping cream with at least 30% fat content. Whisk the cold cream in a chilled metal bowl for the best results. Keep the empty container in the freezer for about 15 minutes before you start.

• Pistachios: Use either raw or toasted unsalted pistachios.

• Figs: Fresh seasonal figs are the stars of this Pavlova.

• Honey: Use your favorite brand of honey as a topping. Please read my comprehensive guide if you want to learn how to liquify honey.

• Mascarpone cheese: Use your favorite brand of mascarpone to stabilize whipped cream.

How to make fig and cinnamon Pavlova

Step 1. Heat oven to 250°F (120°C). Get ready a large baking tray covered with parchment paper. Draw a 9-inch circle (23 cm in diameter) with a pencil and turn the baking paper so the drawn circle will face down.

Step 2. To make the meringue, prepare a bain-marie or water bath. In a large bowl, place egg whites, superfine white, and brown sugar, and combine with a hand whisk.

Step 3. Bring the bowl over a water bath and beat egg whites for 4 minutes, using the hand whisk (photo 1). Ensure that the water in the bath is not boiling: it has to simmer.

Step 4. Once the sugar is melted, take the bowl out of the water bath. Transfer the meringue mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment.

Step 5. Whisk it at high speed for 5 minutes until the stiff peaks form. Add ground cinnamon and whisk for 20-30 seconds (photo 2).

Step 6. Spoon meringue into the center of the circle on a lined baking sheet. Shape the nest using a palette knife or the back of a spoon. Try to lift the edges of the meringue nest (photo 3).

Step 7. Bake in the preheated oven for 3 hours.

Step 8. Once the meringue is ready, turn the oven off, but do not remove the meringue from the oven. Let it cool with the closed oven door for 2 hours (photo 4). 

Step 9. To make the praline cream, place cold heavy cream, cold mascarpone cheese, and hazelnut praline in a bowl of the stand mixer and whip cream for 1 minute. Refrigerate it till assembly (photo 5).

Step 10. To assemble Pavlova, cut figs into 1 cm thick rings. Place the cooled Pavlova meringue on a serving dish.

Step 11. Garnish the Pavlova center with the praline cream and arrange fresh figs (photo 6).

Step 12. Warm up the honey in a water bath, and add raw pistachios. Pour the honey and nuts mixture on top of the Pavlova. Serve immediately.

Expert Tips

1. Ensure a metal bowl is clean and dry before whisking egg whites. Any residual moisture or grease traces prevent egg whites from whisking.
2. Opt for homemade or store-bought superfine Baker's sugar.
3. Don't open the oven door during baking.
4. Avoid over-whisking the praline cream to prevent its splitting. If the cream begins to split, add some cold heavy cream and whisk again.
5. Refrigerate the praline cream until assembling the dessert. Once you fill the meringue shell with cream and fresh figs, serve immediately.

Recipe variations

The original fig Pavlova recipe, a creation of Yotam Ottolenghi and Helen Goh, is made with dark brown muscovado sugar and flavored with cinnamon, but you can experiment.

• Pavlova shell: Use different types of sugar, from golden brown sugar to cane sugar or white sugar.

• Filling cream: Replace hazelnut praline paste with almond praline. Or simply replace praline cream with sugar-free whipped cream or French Chantilly cream.

• Flavorings: Flavor the whipped cream with rose water, vanilla extract, or orange blossom water.

• Fruits: Swap seasonal figs with other fresh fruit. If you want to learn about the different fruit flavor combinations and how to use them in baking, please download my fruit flavor pairing chart.

Storing and freezing

Once the Pavlova dessert is assembled, you should serve it right away. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for no longer than 24 hours.

Can you freeze fig and cinnamon Pavlova? Unfortunately, you cannot freeze the assembled Pavlova. But the meringue shell can survive in the freezer for up to three months.

To do so, transfer the cooled Pavlova meringue to a baking sheet lined with parchment and freeze for at least 3 hours.

Then, place it in a freezer bag, remove as much air as possible, seal and label the bag, and freeze for up to 3 months.

To thaw, simply bring the meringue back and let it sit at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours before assembling it.

Recipe FAQ

Love Pavlova desserts? Try these next!

• Plum Pavlova
• Christmas Pavlova wreath
• Pavlova Roll (Meringue roulade)
• Mandarin and Gingerbread Pavlova
• Or browse all the cake recipes.

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Recipe card

The nutritional information has been calculated using an online recipe nutrition calculator such as Verywellfit.com and is intended for informational purposes only. These figures should be used as a general guideline and not be construed as a guarantee.

The recipe was adapted from https://ottolenghi.co.uk/. It was originally published on September 14, 2018. The recipe has been updated and may differ from what was initially published.