Easy Meringue Number Cake with Mascarpone Cream and Summer Berries

A number cake is such an amazingly fun way to celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, or other special occasions. And when it’s made as a pavlova, you get an extra light, sweet and delicious cake that melts in your mouth and looks incredibly impressive—but is easy to make!

For my daughter’s 6th birthday, I baked two pavlova number cakes for our 20 guests and decorated them with fresh summer berries: strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and cherries. They were gone in no time because our guests couldn’t get enough of the light and fresh combination of sweet meringue with tangy and fresh berries.

What is a Pavlova?

Pavlova is a classic dessert that originated in Australia/New Zealand. It features a fluffy meringue base that’s soft in the center and crisp on the outside. It’s traditionally topped with whipped cream or cream with fresh fruit, creating a delightful balance of sweet, tangy, and crunchy.

Pavlova Makes the Perfect Birthday Cake

I love serving pavlova for birthdays and parties because:

• It looks impressive and festive but is easy to make.
• It’s great for serving a large group of guests.
• The meringue base can be baked one or two days before serving, and the mascarpone cream can also be made in advance.
• It’s adaptable to the season: use summer berries, winter fruits, tropical fruits, etc.
• It’s naturally gluten-free, which makes it a perfect choice for guests following gluten-free diets.

How to Pipe the Meringue Base for a Pavlova Number Cake

The great thing about meringue is that it holds its shape when baked, meaning it doesn’t rise, shrink, or change form. This is fantastic because the cake will look exactly like you pipe it—so take your time to make it pretty! 😉

When piping a meringue base shaped like a number, it’s helpful to use a template. Draw the number in reverse on a piece of parchment paper, then flip the paper over (so the pencil doesn’t touch the meringue) and place it on a baking sheet. Now you’re ready to pipe!

Here’s how you do it:

1. Fill meringue into a piping bag with a large round tip (10-16 mm).
2. To get that lovely “bubble” shape to your meringue, pipe small meringue bubbles along the outer and inner edges of the number.
3. Then fill in the middle of the number with meringue, smoothing it slightly with a palette knife.

Tips for Baking Pavlova Without Cracks

Meringue is easy to make, but if baked incorrectly, it can crack or brown too much, which will ruin the look of your perfect number cake.

To get the best result, follow these instructions:

• Always bake meringue in a preheated oven (80°C / 175°F – fan-assisted).
• Place the baking tray in the middle rack of the oven.
• Bake the meringue base for 2 to 2.5 hours. It’s done when it’s so dry that it can almost cleanly be lifted off the parchment paper.
• Turn off the oven and leave the meringue in with the door slightly ajar for another hour.
• Take the baking tray out of the oven and let the meringue rest on it for at least 15 minutes before moving it

How to Decorate a Pavlova Number Cake

Decorating your pavlova number cake is easy and fun! I decorated mine with a delicious, fluffy vanilla mascarpone cream and plenty of fresh summer berries (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and cherries).

Here’s how you do it:

1. Wash the berries and dry them thoroughly with paper towels.
2. Fill your cream or whipped cream into a piping bag with a round tip and pipe little bubbles along the outer edges of the number, just like you did with the meringue. Then fill in the center with cream.
3. Decorate the number cake with berries on top of the cream. Avoid berries touching the meringue base, as the moisture from the fruit can soften the meringue.

How to Store a Pavlova Number Cake

The great thing about pavlova is that some of the elements can be prepared in advance if stored properly. Here’s how:

• Meringue base: Store it in a dry, airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. Cover it loosely with plastic wrap or foil.
• Mascarpone cream: Can be made in the morning of the day you plan to serve and kept in the fridge.
• Pavlova topped with cream and fruit: Make it as close to serving as possible (within 2 hours), and store it in the fridge.

Pavlova is best eaten the same day it’s assembled, so share any leftovers with your neighbors! 😉

Recipe

Pavlova Number Cake

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This stunning and delicious pavlova number cake is perfect for a summer birthday party! Crispy meringue, to-die-for vanilla mascarpone cream and lots of fresh fruit is the perfect combination that is sure to make anyone's day.

Time: 3 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Difficulty: Moderate

Yield: 12 servings*

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Ingredients

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Meringue Base:

• 150 g egg whites
• 150 g sugar
• 150 g powdered sugar
• 1 ½ tsp lemon juice
• 1 ½ tsp cornstarch
• 1 vanilla bean

Vanilla Mascarpone Cream:

• 125 g mascarpone
• 350 g heavy cream
• 25 g powdered sugar
• 1 vanilla bean

To Decorate (approx. amounts):

• 200 g strawberries
• 150 g raspberries
• 125 g blueberries
• 150 g cherries

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Instructions

Preparation:

• Draw a number template on a piece of parchment paper (in reverse). Flip the paper over (so the pencil side is facing down) and place it on a baking sheet, so you can see the template through the paper.

Meringue Base:

• Whisk the egg whites on medium speed in a stand mixer with a whisk attachment for 30-60 seconds, until they begin to foam. Gradually add sugar while continuing to whisk. Once all the sugar is added, whisk on high speed until the meringue is stiff and forms peaks that only slightly curve at the top.
  150 g egg whites, 150 g sugar
• Turn off the mixer. Add powdered sugar, lemon juice, cornstarch, and the scraped seeds from the vanilla bean. Use a spatula to gently fold these ingredients into the meringue.
  150 g powdered sugar, 1 ½ tsp lemon juice, 1 ½ tsp cornstarch, 1 vanilla bean
• Transfer the meringue to a piping bag fitted with a round tip (10-16 mm). Pipe meringue bubbles along the outer and inner edges of the number. Fill in the middle of the number with piped strips of meringue and smooth the middle slightly with a palette knife.
• Bake the meringue base at 80 °C (176 °F) (fan-assisted) for 2-2 1/2 hours. Turn off the oven, leave the door ajar, and let it rest in the oven for an additional hour.
• Remove the baking tray from the oven and let the meringue base cool on the tray for at least 15 minutes. Carefully loosen the meringue with a palette knife and transfer it to a serving platter. If you plan to use the meringue the next day, loosely cover it with aluminum foil and store it in a dry place at room temperature.

Vanilla Mascarpone Cream:

• Place your stand mixer bowl and whisk attachment in the fridge for 15 minutes.
• In the cold bowl, combine mascarpone, heavy cream, powdered sugar, and the scraped seeds from the vanilla bean. Whisk at medium speed until the mixture thickens and soft peaks form. Important: Don’t overwhip the cream, as it can separate!
  125 g mascarpone, 350 g heavy cream, 25 g powdered sugar, 1 vanilla bean
• Transfer the mascarpone cream to a piping bag fitted with a round tip (10-16 mm). Pipe bubbles of mascarpone cream along the outer and inner edges of the number. Fill in the middle of the number with a strip of cream and smooth it slightly with a palette knife.

To Decorate:

• Wash the berries and pat them dry with a paper towel.
  200 g strawberries, 150 g raspberries, 125 g blueberries, 150 g cherries
• Decorate the number cake with the berries on top of the mascarpone cream. Avoid the fruit touching the meringue base, as the moisture from the berries can soften the meringue.
• Serve immediately, or store the pavlova in the fridge until ready to serve.

Notes

*Yield: 1 number cake. Number of servings depends on the number you’re making (for example, a "1" will serve less than an "8").

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