Berry Brownie Pavlova Cake Recipes

THREE-LAYER BERRY AND BROWN SUGAR PAVLOVA

Steps:

• Make meringue:
• Preheat oven to 275°F with rack in middle. Lightly butter 3 (8-inch) round cake pans, then dust sides of pans with confectioners sugar, knocking out excess. Line bottom of each pan with a round of parchment paper.
• Pulse superfine sugar, brown sugar, and cornstarch in a food processor until well combined.
• Stir together vanilla and vinegar in a small bowl.
• Beat egg whites with a pinch of salt using an electric mixer at medium speed until they hold soft peaks. Increase speed to medium-high and add sugar mixture 1 tablespoon at a time. After all sugar has been added, beat 1 minute more. Add vinegar mixture, then beat at high speed until meringue is glossy and holds stiff peaks, about 5 minutes. Spoon meringue into pans (about 2 1/2 cups per pan) and smooth tops.
• Bake until meringues have a crisp crust and feel dry to the touch, about 1 hour (insides will still be marshmallow-like).
• Turn oven off and prop door open slightly with a wooden spoon. Cool meringues in oven 1 hour. (Meringues may sink slightly and crack while cooling.)
• Run knife along sides of cake pans and carefully turn meringues out of pans. Carefully peel off parchment (meringues will be fragile and the crust may crack further). Carefully turn right side up.
• Macerate fruit while meringues cool:
• Toss berries with sugar and let stand at room temperature until ready to use (up to 1 hour).
• Assemble dessert:
• Beat heavy cream with sour cream using an electric mixer until it just holds soft peaks. Put 1 meringue on a serving plate and spread one third of whipped cream over it. Spoon one third of fruit (with juice) over top. Repeat with remaining meringues, cream, and fruit.

BERRY BROWNIE PAVLOVA CAKE

Steps:

• Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of gently simmering water, ensuring the bowl doesn't touch the water, or in short bursts in the microwave, then set aside to cool a little. Butter two 20cm loose- bottomed deep cake tins and line the base and sides with baking parchment. Heat the oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3.
• Put all the brownie ingredients, including the melted chocolate, in a bowl, then beat with an electric whisk until well mixed. Divide between the cake tins and level the tops using the back of a spoon or a palette knife.
• Work quickly to make the meringue, ensuring your whisks and bowl are entirely clean and grease-free (or the egg whites won't whip up to their full volume). Put the egg whites in the bowl and whisk for a couple of minutes until stiff. Add the sugar, a spoonful at a time, whisking continuously to stiff peaks, then whisk in the cornflour. Use a spoon to dot the meringue all over the top of one of the cakes, then using the back of the spoon, spread it to the edge of the tin, being careful not to disturb the cake mixture underneath. Make nice swirly dips and peaks as you spread.
• Bake both cakes for 45 mins, then remove the cake without the meringue topping and quickly close the oven door. Cook the meringue-topped cake for a further 30 mins, then remove from the oven and leave both cakes to cool completely in their tins.
• Slice any strawberries (if using), keeping a few with stalks on for the top of the cake. Whisk the cream and icing sugar to soft peaks. Remove the brownie base cake from its tin and peel off the baking parchment. Place it on a plate or cake stand. Use a spoon to swirl a little over half of the cream over the cake and top with half of the berries. Carefully remove the meringue-topped cake from the tin and remove the parchment. Place it on top of the cream and berries, and spoon dollops of the remaining cream on top, filling any cracks or dips in the meringue. Top with the remaining fruit and some chocolate shavings, if you like, and serve within an hour. Leftovers will keep in the fridge for two days.

PAVLOVA LAYER CAKE WITH WHIPPED CREAM & BERRIES

Steps:

• Make the Pavlova: Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and draw three 8-inch circles on the parchment paper (I traced 8-inch parchment rounds, but you could cake pans or anything else about the same diameter). Spray lightly with non-stick cooking spray.
• Using an electric mixer with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on medium speed until frothy, then add the cream of tartar. Increase the mixer speed to medium-high and beat to soft peaks. While continuing to beat the egg whites, gradually add the granulated sugar (I estimate that I added about 3 tablespoons at a time) and beat until glossy and stiff peaks form. Divide the meringue evenly between the three circles and use an offset spatula to form a circular shape.
• Bake for 30 to 45 minutes, or until firm to the touch. Turn off the oven and prop the oven door open with a wooden spoon. Allow the pavlova to cool completely in the oven.
• Make the Whipped Cream: Place the heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla extract in a large bowl and beat on medium-high speed until it holds soft peaks.
• Assemble the Cake: Very gently lift one of the pavlova layers off of the parchment paper and place on a serving plate. Top with one-third of the whipped cream, and sprinkle with a mixture of raspberries, blueberries, and chopped strawberries (I didn't measure how much I used, feel free to use a little or a lot!). Gently place another pavlova layer on top of the fruit, spread another one-third of the whipped cream and sprinkle with fruit. Finally, top with the last pavlova layer, remaining whipped cream and more fruit. Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 4 hours.