Caramel Cashew Pavlova Cake with Toasted Nuts

This Thing Happened

The first time I made this, I forgot the cornstarch.

Not a small thing, apparently. Pavlova without cornstarch weeps. Little caramel-colored tears running down the sides. Looked sad but tasted fine. My daughter said it looked like a crying cloud.

I made it again the next week. Properly this time.

And now I make it for almost every celebration where I want people to stop talking and just eat.

What This Thing Actually Is

It is a pavlova cake. Not a cake that is a pavlova. A pavlova that looks like a cake.

Crisp shell on the outside, soft marshmallow inside, cream on top, caramel and nuts everywhere. You cut it like a cake. Everyone gets a piece with crunchy edges and gooey middle.

I call it a cake because my brain cannot handle calling a dessert that sits on a plate like a round beautiful thing a "pavlova" and serving it with a spoon. Cake implies slices. This deserves slices.

Why This One Works

The caramel and the nuts do the heavy lifting here.

Pavlova is sweet. Very sweet. That is its job. But sweet plus sweet plus sweet is boring. So the toasted almonds and hazelnuts bring bitterness. The sea salt on top cuts through everything. The caramel adds a slightly burnt, deeper sweetness than the meringue.

Every bite has crunch, soft, chewy, creamy, salty, sweet. That is the whole point.

You do not need to be a pastry chef. You do not need a stand mixer but it helps. You need patience while it bakes and cools. That is it.

What You Need

Let me save you one trip to the store.

Egg whites must be room temperature. Set them out an hour before. Or put them in a bowl of warm water for ten minutes if you forgot like I do every single time.

Superfine sugar matters. Regular granulated sugar can work but it takes longer to dissolve and sometimes leaves a grainy texture. If you do not have superfine, blitz regular sugar in a food processor for 30 seconds. You just made superfine sugar. Congratulations.

Cornstarch and vinegar seem weird but they stabilize the meringue. Without cornstarch it cries. Without vinegar the structure is less forgiving. Do not skip either.

For the nuts—sliced almonds and chopped hazelnuts or pecans. Toast them in a dry pan over medium heat until they smell nutty and look slightly darker. Do not walk away. They burn fast. I burned them twice. The third time I sat on the counter and watched them the whole time.

Putting It Together

Draw a 9-inch circle on parchment paper. A plate works if you do not have a kitchen compass. I do not know anyone with a kitchen compass.

Beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. This is when you lift the whisk and the peak flops over. Not stiff. Soft.

Add the sugar one tablespoon at a time while beating. This is the crucial part. Do not dump it all in. Do it slowly. The sugar needs to dissolve into the egg whites, not sit on top of them.

Keep beating until stiff glossy peaks form. The mixture should look like shaving cream. When you rub a little between your fingers it should feel smooth, not gritty. If it feels gritty, beat longer.

Fold in the vanilla, cornstarch, and vinegar gently. Do not stir. Fold. Like you are hugging the egg whites instead of punching them.

Spread the meringue onto the parchment circle. Make a flat base with slightly raised edges. Think of a shallow pie crust shape. Not a mound. A nest.

The Baking Part Where You Do Nothing

Bake at 300°F for 1 hour 15 minutes. It will look pale golden on the outside. Do not open the oven door during baking. Just do not. The heat escapes and your pavlova will collapse. I learned this the hard way and served a flat sad disk to my in-laws.

After it bakes, turn off the oven and crack the door open. Leave it in there until completely cool. Minimum one hour. Two is better. Overnight works too.

This step is not optional. The slow cooling prevents cracking. Also makes the inside stay soft while the outside stays crisp. The oven does the work. You just walk away and ignore it.

One Thing That Can Go Wrong

Humidity.

Pavlova hates humidity. If you live somewhere damp or it is raining, the meringue may not crisp up. It will stay chewy and soft. Still delicious but not the crunchy outside you want.

Fix: bake it on a low-humidity day if possible. If not, accept the chewy version and call it a marshmallow pavlova. Everyone will still eat it.

Another thing—do not make the cream or assemble until ready to serve. Pavlova absorbs moisture from the cream over time. Within two hours it will be soft all the way through. That is fine for leftover breakfast the next day but not for presentation.

Putting The Whole Thing Together

Whip the heavy cream with powdered sugar until stiff peaks form. Do not overwhip or you will have butter. I have done that. Not recommended for pavlova.

Transfer the cooled pavlova to a serving plate. The parchment peels off easily if you are gentle. If the bottom sticks, slide a thin spatula under it.

Spread or pipe the whipped cream on top. I pipe because it looks fancy and hides any cracks. But spreading works fine too.

Drizzle the caramel sauce generously over the cream. Do not be shy. A drizzle is not enough. Pour it like you mean it.

Sprinkle the toasted almonds and chopped hazelnuts over the caramel. Add a pinch of sea salt. Just a pinch. Maldon flakes if you have them.

How To Serve It

Cut it like a cake. Use a sharp serrated knife. Press down gently and saw a little. The shell will crack but that is okay. Cracks are part of pavlova.

Serve immediately. The cream cannot sit long on the meringue. If you need to prep ahead, bake the pavlova shell and store it in an airtight container for up to three days. Whip the cream and toast the nuts the day of. Assemble right before serving.

Each slice should have a bit of everything. A crunchy edge, a soft middle, cream, caramel, nuts. If someone gets only cream, chase them with extra caramel.

What People Say

The first bite is always quiet. That moment when people are chewing and figuring out what they think.

Then someone says "oh this is good" in a surprised voice. Then someone else says "what is in this?" Then the whole table starts talking about how they have never had anything like it.

My brother-in-law called it "cloud dessert" and asked for the recipe. My mother said it was too sweet and then ate three slices. My daughter picked out all the hazelnuts and left them in a little pile on her plate. I pretended not to notice.

That is the thing about pavlova. Everyone has an opinion. But nobody stops eating.

A Few Notes

Leftover pavlova gets soft overnight. Store it in the fridge uncovered. The meringue absorbs the cream and becomes a weird pudding-cake hybrid. Some people hate this. I love it.

You can swap the nuts. Cashews, pistachios, walnuts, pecans. Whatever you have. Just toast them first. Un-toasted nuts are a waste of potential.

Caramel sauce matters. Use a good one. Homemade if you have time, good store-bought works fine. Do not use the squeeze bottle stuff that tastes like plastic. Use real caramel with butter and cream.

If you are dairy free there is no good substitute for heavy cream here. Sorry. Save this recipe for a day when milk is not a problem.

This serves 8 to 10 people. Unless those people are my family. Then it serves 6.

But that is fine. Leftover pavlova for breakfast is a good problem to have.

Just do not forget the cornstarch.