"chocolate swirl pavlova topped with chocolate pastry cream (vanilla bean pastry cream with melted chocolate stirred in), whipped cream, chocolate curls, and drizzled with caramel sauce and chocolate sauce."
Chocolate Pavlova with Fresh Whipped Cream
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Prep time 3hrs
Cook time 1hr 30mins
Serves or Makes: 6-8
Recipe Card
ingredients
- For the Pavlova:
- 6 large egg whites
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 teaspoon white vinegar
- Chocolate Pastry Cream:
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1/2 vanilla bean, cut open down the middle, seeded
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 4 tablespoon butter, cubed
- 1 cup dark chocolate, finely chopped; divided
- For the Whipped Cream:
- 1 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
Method
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 250 F. Cover a baking sheet with parchment, and trace a 7-inch circle on the parchment. (The pavlova will grow a bit as it bakes, so make sure you have a little space on the sides of your circle.) Spray the parchment lightly with nonstick cooking spray, and dust it with powdered sugar.
Step 2
Make the Chocolate Pastry Cream:
Step 3
Heat the milk, vanilla seeds and salt in a pan and put over medium heat, and bring to a boil.
Step 4
In a large mixing bowl, whisk the sugar, cornstarch and eggs until smooth. Slowly add 1/2 of the milk mixture into the egg and whisk constantly to temper them. Add the remaining milk and return the whole thing to the saucepan. Cook until you get a thick consistency, whisking non-stop.
Step 5
Remove from heat and pour into a bowl. Off the heat, whisk in the dark chocolate until melted. Let cool for 10 minutes and then incorporate the butter, one tablespoon at a time, until smooth. Set aside.
Step 6
Make the Pavlova:
Step 7
Melt a half cup of the chopped chocolate in the microwave, 15 to 30 seconds at a time, until smooth.
Step 8
Place the room temperature egg whites and the salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Whip the whites with the salt on medium-high speed until they hold stiff peaks.
Step 9
Once at stiff peaks, turn the mixer to medium speed and add the sugar, a tablespoon at a time, over the course of 2-3 minutes. You want to incorporate the sugar gradually so it all dissolves easily. After all the sugar is added, scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, then beat the egg whites on high speed for 5-6 minutes, until the whites are very glossy and stiff, and the sugar is completely dissolved.
Step 10
When the whites are done, add the vinegar and sift the cornstarch over them, and gently fold them in, stopping as soon as everything is mixed. Gently swirl melted chocolate into meringue, being careful not to fully incorporate it. Scrape the meringue onto the parchment and spread it into a circle on your pattern, making the edges a bit higher than the center, shaping it into a cake shape.
Step 11
Bake the pavlova for 1 hour and 30 minutes at 250 F, then turn the oven off. As the oven cools you can crack the door slightly, but don’t open it all the way or remove the pavlova until it’s completely cool. The cooling process will take another hour or two.
Step 12
For the whipped cream, whisk the heavy cream and sugar together until soft peaks. Top the Pavlova with chocolate pastry cream, whipped cream, chocolate sauce. You could also add caramel sauce too! Serve immediately.