Chocolate pavlova
Chocolate pavlova is a delicious, decadent dessert. It’s perfect as a centre piece at any dinner party or special occasion.
Chocolate pavlova is a fabulous decadent dessert. This recipe has a delicious crispy outside along with a soft, chewy marshmallowy centre. It’s everything a great pavlova should be, but with the bonus of chocolate!
I love anything made with meringue – out berry pavlova and meringue kisses are particular favourites of mine. This chocolate pavlova recipe takes everything I love about pavlova and raises it to a whole new level.
The simple addition of cocoa powder turns a traditional pavlova into something slightly fudgy and even more delicious.
With the added topping of cream and raspberries it’s my idea of a perfect dessert.
What’s the best topping to use?
I love raspberries and chocolate together. I think the slight sharpness of the raspberries goes perfectly with the sweet chocolate pavlova.
Other fruit would work just as well. Strawberries, cherries or even orange segments go really well with chocolate.
If you want to really indulge yourself with a decadent chocolate dessert why not add a chocolate topping rather than using fruit? Lots of Maltesers or your favourite chocolate sweets on top would go down a treat with any chocoholic.
How can kids help to make a chocolate pavlova?
Although it looks like a fancy dessert, pavlovas are really easy to make, making them perfect for children to help with.
Kids can start helping to separate and whisk the egg whites. You need a bit of a steady hand to separate the egg white from the egg yolk but most children should be able to manage it.
My children enjoyed the task of adding the sugar to the egg whites. It’s a really simple, albeit time consuming, job so even young children can do it.
The simple decoration of this chocolate pavlova also lends itself to children giving it a go. Children of all ages can whip cream and add the fruit so it’s a great opportunity to let them take charge.
How long can you store the chocolate pavlova?
Before you add the cream the meringue will keep in an airtight container so you can prepare the dessert in advance and finish it just before you want to serve it.
Adapt the size to suit you
Another thing I love about pavlovas is that you can really easily scale the size up or down to suit any occasion.
If you make sure you just add 50g of caster sugar for every egg white you can make the pavlova to any size.
This recipe will generously feed around 8 people so it’s perfect for dinner parties, special occasions or for over the holiday season. But if you half the ingredients you can have a delicious dessert for a smaller family dinner.
Recipes to use the left over egg yolks
When you make a pavlova, you’ll have a few egg yolks left over. You can freeze egg yolks, simply pop them individually into an ice cube tray, freeze them then transfer them to an airtight freezer bag.
When you want to use them up, sometimes biscuit/cookie recipes call for a single egg yolk like our chocolate thumbprint cookies, or why not try out berry icecream or delicious chocolate pots.
Other delicious chocolate desserts
If you enjoyed this chocolate pavlova you’ll love some of our other easy chocolatey desserts:
Chocolate roulade
3 ingredient chocolate mousse
Chocolate Swiss roll
Chocolate eclairs
Chocolate cheesecake
Chocolate waffle pudding
No bake chocolate cheesecake
No bake mini chocolate tarts
Profiteroles
Useful equipment
You might need the following baking tools/gadgets to make this chocolate pavlova
Digital scales
Freestanding mixer
Mixing bowl
Hand held mixer
Measuring cups
Measuring spoons
Spatula
Sieve
Baking tray
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Ingredients
6 egg whites
300g (1 1/2 cups) caster sugar
3 tbsp (25g) cocoa powder
1 tsp white wine vinegar
For the topping
400ml (1 3/4 cups) double or whipping cream
500g (2 cups) raspberries (or you chosen topping)
3 pieces of chocolate, grated
How to make a chocolate pavlova
Preheat your oven to 160C / 140C Fan / 320F and prepare a baking tray.
Line a large baking tray with baking or parchment paper and draw a large circle (approx 23cm wide) on it.
Whisk the egg whites
Start by getting your kids to separate the eggs, or if your children are quite young do this bit yourself as it’s important not to get any egg yolks in the egg whites.
We separate our eggs by cracking the egg in half then tipping the egg yolk from one piece of the shell to the other letting the egg white fall into a bowl below.
Get your kids to add the egg whites to a clean mixing bowl or free-standing mixer.
Whisk your eggs until they are soft and cloud like. It’ll take a couple of minutes.
Add the sugar
Get your kids to measure out the sugar into a small bowl.
Turn the mixer on to a low speed and get your kids to spoon the sugar into the egg whites little at a time.
My kids did this with tea spoons, so it kept them happy and occupied for a long time.
Once the sugar is all added, the meringue should feel smooth and not grainy. If it’s grainy, whisk it for a little longer until it’s smooth.
Add the vinegar
Keep the mixer on and add the vinegar. Let it mix in.
Add the cocoa powder
Finally, get your kids to measure out the cocoa powder and then sieve it into your meringue.
Using a spatula or metal spoon, really gently fold the cocoa powder in. Make sure if your kids are doing this, that they aren’t too rough as you don’t want to knock the air out of it.
Stop mixing as soon as the cocoa powder looks mixed though.
Bake the chocolate pavlova
Get your kids to help you dollop your chocolate meringue mixture on to your prepared baking tray.
Spread the mixture out over the circle on your baking paper. Leave the edge a little higher than the middle, to hold your fruit in later.
Pop your pavlova in the oven and immediately reduce the temperature to 150C / 130 C Fan / 300F.
Bake the meringue for an hour until it has crisped up nicely on top. Turn the oven off but leave your pavlova in the oven as it cools own. Leave it for at least another hour.
If you leave the meringue in with the door shut, that’s how the meringue turns nice and chewy/marshmallowy on the inside.
Decorate the chocolate pavlova
Whip the cream for a minute or two until it’s stiff.
Keep an eye on the cream and turn it off as soon as you think it’s nearly ready – it’s really easy to over whisk it.
If it does over whisk, try adding a little splash of extra cream, or milk just to loosen it.
Get your kids to spread the cream on top of the chocolate pavlova.
Add the fruit on top
If you want to make it extra special you can also grate a few pieces of chocolate on top.
Serve and enjoy.
Chocolate pavlova
Equipment
- Digital scales
- Freestanding mixer
- Mixing bowl
- Hand held mixer
- Measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- Spatula
- Sieve
- baking tray
Ingredients
- 6 egg whites
- 300 g (1 1/2 cups) caster sugar
- 3 tbsp (25g) cocoa powder
- 1 tsp white wine vinegar
For the topping
- 400 ml (1 3/4 cups) double or whipping cream
- 500 g (2 cups) raspberries
- 3 squares chocolate grated
Instructions
Whisk the egg whites
- Separate the eggs add them to a clean mixing bowl or free-standing mixer.
- Whisk your eggs until they are soft and cloud like. It'll take a couple of minutes.
Add the sugar
- Measure out the sugar into a small bowl. Turn the mixer on to a low speed and spoon the sugar into the egg whites little at a time.
- Once the sugar is all added, the meringue should feel smooth and not grainy. If it's grainy, whisk it for a little longer until it's smooth.
Add the vinegar
- Keep the mixer on and add the vinegar. Let it mix in.
Add the cocoa powder
- Finally, measure out the cocoa powder and then sieve it into your meringue.
- Using a spatula or metal spoon, really gently fold the cocoa powder in. Make sure you're not too rough as you don't want to knock the air out of it. Stop mixing as soon as the cocoa powder looks mixed though.
Bake the chocolate pavlova
- Dollop your chocolate meringue mixture on to your prepared baking tray.
- Spread the mixture out over the circle on your baking paper. Leave the edge a little higher than the middle, to hold your fruit in later.
- Pop your pavlova in the oven and immediately reduce the temperature to 150C / 130 C Fan / 300F.
- Bake the meringue for an hour until it has crisped up nicely on top. Turn the oven off but leave your pavlova in the oven as it cools own. Leave it for at least another hour.
Decorate the chocolate pavlova
- Whip the cream for a minute or two until it's stiffened to gentle peaks. Spread the cream on top of the chocolate pavlova.
- Add the fruit on top
- If you want to make it extra special you can also grate a few pieces of chocolate on top.
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Looks absolutely delish – I’ve never thought about making a chocolate meringue before!
Thanks. It’s delicious – a nice alternative to regular meringue.