Sheet cakes decorated with red, white and blue berries for the Fourth of July are the summer version of Halloween’s graveyard dirt cakes—sort of comforting in their ubiquitousness, but not terribly appealing and usually produced more for looks than taste. But I must have a soft spot for holiday-themed desserts, because I’ve made a revamped version of a graveyard cake and now this, a sophisticated spin on a red, white and blue dessert. Instead of soggy sheet cake, light and airy meringue shells are the base for a bright strawberry sauce, fresh whipped cream and handfuls of sweet summer berries. And this recipe is gluten-free!
It always surprises me that pavlovas aren’t more popular here in the U.S., especially given the popularity of gluten-free desserts in general. When I serve them, there is usually at least one guest who has never heard of pavlovas, and is always amazed at how good they are—light yet decadent, full of fresh fruit and whipped cream, with the special crisp-but-soft texture of the meringue base.
