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Total Time: 3 hours

Mango and Blackberry Pavlova Cake

"As my friend Paula Mendoza would say about her own meringue birthday cake (which I make almost every year), meringue towers are “another level.” I’ve always been a huge fan of meringues as a concept. Once you take those chewy, decadent, stacked layers and add creamy mascarpone, salty pistachios, and ripe mangoes, you’ll understand. Assemble the cake right before serving to maintain the meringue’s crisp and chewy texture." Mariana Velásquez
Servings: 12 to 16
Author: Mariana Velásquez

Ingredients

MERINGUE (See my notes at the bottom to make a smaller batch)

  • 15 egg whites* at room temperature
  • 2 1/2 cups superfine sugar*
  • 1 cup powdered sugar* sifted
  • 2 tablespoon white vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

FILLING

  • 2 cups very cold heavy cream
  • 8 ounces mascarpone cheese at room temperature
  • 1/4 cup powdered sugar
  • 1/2 tablespoon orange blossom water
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 12 ounces blackberries
  • 2 mangoes peeled and sliced 1/4-inch thick
  • 1/2 cup salted pistachios chopped
  • Edible flowers and silver leaf for garnish (optional)

Instructions

To make the meringue

  • Line three rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. On the paper, use a pencil to trace the following circles: on the first baking sheet, a 12-inch circle; on the second baking sheet, a 9-inch circle; and on the third baking sheet, a 6-inch circle and a 4-inch circle. Set aside.
  • Preheat the oven to 250°F. Arrange 3 racks at the top, middle and bottom of the oven.
  • Pour the egg whites into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and begin whisking on low speed. Incrementally increase the speed to medium-high and whisk the whites until they’re frothy, about 2 minutes.
  • In a bowl, combine the superfine sugar and powdered sugar. With the stand mixer still running on medium-high speed, add the sugar mixture 1 tablespoon at a time to the frothy egg whites and continue whisking until glossy and thick, about 15 minutes.
  • Add the vinegar and vanilla to the stand mixer and whisk for a minute or two longer. Transfer about 2 cups of the meringue into a piping bag, fitted with a large star tip (Ateco 9825) to pipe small decorative shapes (see my video). Transfer the remaining meringue to a piping bag fitted with a large circle tip (Ateco #806)** and pipe the meringue in concentric circles onto the traced paper to form the 4 meringue disks.
    **or just pile it onto the parchment and smooth with a metal spatula to the size of the circles.
  • Fit the piping bag with a medium star tip (Ateco #825) and use the remaining meringue to pipe 18 stars all around the edge of the 4-inch meringue disk***. This will be the top of the pavlova cake.
  • Bake the meringue disks for 2 hours, rotating the pans halfway through for even baking. Turn the oven off and allow the meringues to cool inside the oven for 1 hour.

To make the filling,

  • Chill the bowl and whisk of a stand mixer in the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes. This will help the cream whip up faster and will prevent curdling. Pour the cold cream into the bowl and whip until stiff peaks form, 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer the whipped cream to a new bowl and refrigerate.
  • Put the mascarpone into the bowl of the stand mixer you just used (no need to wash).
  • Add the powdered sugar, orange blossom water, and salt. Whisk on medium-high speed until the mixture is light and fluffy, 4 minutes.
  • Gently fold the whipped cream into the mascarpone until combined; reserve until you are ready to assemble the pavlova.

To assemble the cake

  • Right before serving, place the largest meringue disk on a cake stand or platter. Spread one-fourth of the mascarpone filling on top, then scatter with berries, mango slices, and pistachios. Repeat with the remaining meringue disks, filling, fruit, and nuts, and crown with the smallest disk. Garnish with edible flowers and silver leaf, if desired.
    Serving this cake is messy—enjoy it!

Notes

Zoë's Baking Notes:
*Smaller batch to fit a 5 quart stand mixer
The first time I made this recipe I used my 7 quart mixer, because my 5 quart machine can't really handle a 15 egg white meringue. (Don't get me started on how big egg whites are these days and how small the yolks can be. That's a discussion for another day, but it plays a role in why the 15 won't fit in my mixer.) So, I made the next batch a little smaller and it worked great. It made enough meringue to make a cake big enough to feed 8 people. 
10 egg whites / 350g
1 3/4 cups sugar / 350g
2/3 cup confectioners' sugar / 80g
4 tsp vinegar
2 tsp vanilla extract
***I used a separate baking sheet to pipe the decorations