pavlova cake with whipped coconut cream and berries

When we spot a pavlova recipe, we screech to a sudden stop like folks in an old cartoon. With its crunchy, chewy outer shell and gooey insides, pav makes our tummies rumble and our mouths water. It seems a shame, then, to wait for Christmas to enjoy it. Carpe diem and all that.

We like the look of this variation on the traditional meringue by vego food blogger AlphaFoodie. Her twist on the pav cake calls for Eton mess-style layers of meringue, strawberries and whipped cream. She swaps out regular cream for the coconut variety (just to lighten up a super-sweet dessert), and gives you a step-by-step guide to the semi-intimidating meringue-whipping process. Head here for the how-to.