Perth, Australia: Pavlova Cupcakes

As a luxury travel advisor with a passion for gluten-free baking, I’m thrilled to unite these two passions and bring you a mouthwatering cupcake recipe inspired by Perth, Australia and the delicious Australia/New Zealand dessert, pavlova. (One of my favorites!)

Named after the Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova, this delicate meringue-based dessert is claimed to have been created in honor of her visit to Australia and New Zealand in the 1920s. Its crisp exterior and soft, marshmallow-like interior make it a true culinary masterpiece. It’s usually filled with whipped cream and berries or passion fruit.

Perth, the sun-soaked capital of Western Australia, is celebrated for its stunning beaches, outdoor adventures, and a thriving food scene – it just seemed a fitting inspiration for these refreshingly light cupcakes – with their bright notes of raspberry filling and whipped cream cheese frosting, they were made for enjoying on a sunny day.

Perth Raspberry Pavlova Cupcakes

A delicious vanilla sponge with fresh raspberry filling, and delicious cream cheese frosting – inspired by Perth and the classic flavors of berry pavlova. Small batch and gluten free.

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Prep Time 1 hour hr

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

0 minutes mins

Servings: 8

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Calories: 300

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

Cupcakes

• 1 cup 1:1 gluten free flour
• 2 Tbsp cornstarch
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 6 T milk, any kind
• ½ tsp vinegar
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ tsp almond extract

Fresh Raspberry Filling

• 1 cup frozen raspberries
• 1.5 Tbsp cornstarch
• 1 Tbsp water
• ¼ cup granulated sugar

Favorite Cream Cheese Frosting

Method

 

Cupcakes

1. Preheat oven to 350℉ and line a cupcake pan with your cupcake liners. Lightly spray with cooking oil.
2. Stir together the dry ingredients, and set aside.
3. In a measuring cup, add the vinegar to the milk to create a substitute for buttermilk.
4. In you mixing bowl, add the applesauce, egg, sugar, and extracts Mix until well combined.
5. Mix in half the dry ingredients and then half the milk, alternating each until all is incorporated and blending well after each addition.
6. Fill cupcake liners ⅔ full, and bake for 16-18 minutes, until lightly golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
7. While those are baking and cooling, prepare the filling and icing.

Raspberry Filling

1. Cook the frozen berries until they break down, about 10 minutes. Add sugar and bring to a boil.
2. Stir together the cornstarch and water until dissolved. Whisk into the berries, and cook for a minute.
3. Set aside to cool and thicken.
4. Make holes in the middle of each cupcake and fill with the raspberry filling.
5. Top with your favorite cream cheese frosting!

Notes

I didn’t with these, but I love topping these cupcakes with a homemade mini pavlova shell or miniature meringue cookies!

Ingredient Note: Not all gluten free flours are created equal. I used Bob’s Mill 1:1 Baking Blend in this recipe. If you’d like to try something else, Cup-4-Cup is also a good option. Please let me know your results if you use other flours!

Making Them Vegan or Dairy-Free

For those seeking a vegan or dairy-free version of these cupcakes, here are the modifications:

1. Replace the eggs with a suitable egg replacer like flax eggs or applesauce.
2. Opt for almond milk or another dairy-free milk in the cupcake batter.
3. For the cream cheese frosting, select a vegan cream cheese and dairy-free butter substitute.

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Here is a list of my Baking Equipment Essentials and a list of my favorite Gluten Free Ingredients that are available on Amazon!