Baking Dessert

Jimmy Barnes’ never-fail pavlova recipe, passed down from chef Peter Gordon’s mum

Name: Never-fail pavlova recipe
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 80 min
Yield: 8
Ingredients: 6 large egg whites; 380g caster sugar; 40.00 ml cornflour; 20.00 ml malt vinegar; Whipped cream, to serve; Seasonal fruit, to serve

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by Jane and Jimmy Barnes

Dec 19, 2025

“Jimmy was taught to make this recipe by New Zealand chef Peter Gordon, who learned it from his mum, Timmy.” – Jane Barnes.

This is an edited extract from Seasons Where the River Bends by Jane and Jimmy Barnes, HarperCollins Australia, available now. Photography by Alan Benson.

6 large egg whites
380g caster sugar
2 tbs cornflour
1 tbs malt vinegar
Whipped cream, to serve
Seasonal fruit, to serve

Method

1.

Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan-forced and line a baking tray with baking paper.
2.

Using a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or handheld electric beaters and a bowl), whisk the egg whites until almost stiff. Reduce the beater speed to slow, and add half the sugar, 1 tbs at a time, beating until dissolved between each addition. Once half the sugar has been mixed in, add the remainder in a slow stream, with the beaters still running. Continue to beat for 6-8 minutes, until all the sugar is incorporated and no longer grainy, and the meringue is glossy.
3.

Sift the cornflour over the meringue and drizzle with the vinegar. Gently fold together until combined.
4.

Scoop the meringue onto a rectangular tray, roughly 20cm x 23cm, and spread so it is 3-4 cm thick.
5.

Place the tray on the centre rack in the oven and immediately reduce the temperature to 130°C/110°C fan-forced. Bake for 1 hour, then turn the oven off and leave the pavlova to cool for at least 1 hour in the oven.
6.

Invert the pavlova and carefully peel the baking paper from the base. Transfer to a serving platter. Top with whipped cream and fruit.

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Recipe Notes

“We’re used to seeing pavlovas smothered in kiwifruit, strawberries or bananas, but Peter’s mum used a different ingredient: feijoa, a greenish, plum-like fruit that grows on a low shrub, originally in South America. A bit like a guava, it has a slightly sour taste that complements the sweetness of the meringue. As luck would have it, we have those very shrubs growing in our garden. For years, we didn’t know what to do with them, but feijoa has since become a family favourite. Not only does it take pride of place on our pavlovas, but we also make a fig and feijoa jam.”