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

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 8

Calories 300 kcal

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

Instructions

 

Cupcakes

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

Raspberry Filling

• Cook the frozen berries until they break down, about 10 minutes. Add sugar and bring to a boil.
• Stir together the cornstarch and water until dissolved. Whisk into the berries, and cook for a minute.
• Set aside to cool and thicken.
• Make holes in the middle of each cupcake and fill with the raspberry filling.
• 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!

Keyword cupcake, gluten free, perth, small batch

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!