Pavlova with mascarpone cream and fresh fruit

Tip: tap a step to mark it as done.

1. Beat all the egg whites with a pinch of salt and 100 g powdered sugar until stiff peaks form.
2. In a small bowl, mix 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice with 2 tbsp cornstarch or pudding powder.
3. Add the remaining sugar to the beaten egg whites and continue beating. Finally, beat in the lemon juice and cornstarch mixture.
4. Transfer the meringue to a round nonstick base, such as the bottom of a cake pan, or to parchment paper with a circle drawn on it. Place the base or paper on a baking sheet to make it easier to handle.
5. Use a spatula to shape the meringue into a smaller circle.
6. Use the spatula to build up the edges, drawing the meringue upward from the bottom and outward from the center toward the edges. The meringue will sink slightly during baking, so this will keep it from becoming too flat.
7. Bake at 150 °C (300 °F) for about an hour, then lower the temperature to 100 °C (210 °F) and bake for about another half hour. Turn off the oven and leave the meringue inside for another hour to dry out.
8. For the cream, beat the mascarpone with the Bacardi and the two portions of vanilla sugar. Whip the heavy whipping cream separately, then fold the mascarpone mixture into it.
9. Pile the cream onto the center of the cooled meringue base and decorate with fresh fruit.

Tip: The meringue should stay white to pale cream; if it starts browning at 150 °C (300 °F), lower the temperature to 100 °C (210 °F) immediately rather than waiting the full hour. Keep it in a dry place at room temperature until you add the cream, as it would absorb moisture in the refrigerator.

This recipe was translated from the Slovak original: Snehová torta Pavlova s mascarpone a ovocím