Cherry Chocolate Pavlova Recipes

CHERRY CHOCOLATE PAVLOVA

Steps:

• To make the pavlova, draw 8-inch circle on a parchment paper and place it on baking sheet, ink side down. Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C).
• In a small bowl, whisk together sugar, cocoa powder and cornstarch. Set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl with whisk attachment, or using handheld electric mixer, beat the egg whites until frothy. Stir in cream of tartar and salt and continue to beat on medium high speed. Add sugar mixture one tablespoon at a time, while mixer is running on medium high speed. Continue to beat the egg whites until hard peaks form. The mixture will look smooth and shiny. Add vanilla extract and white distilled vinegar, and gently fold the mixture with a spatula.
• Transfer the batter onto the parchment paper and spread it inside the circle. Make a shallow well in the center.
• Bake for 50 minutes. Turn the oven off and let it cool for at least 2 hours with oven door ajar. You can leave it overnight. While cooling, the cake will collapse and crack. This is totally normal.
• To make the cherry sauce, place the cherries in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring it to a boil.
• Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, mix together sugar, cornstarch and salt. Add sugar/cornstarch mixture, vanilla extract, almond extract and lemon juice into the boiling cherries. Mix well. Reduce the heat to low. Simmer the cherry mixture stirring constantly until thickened, for 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat and cool completely.
• To make the whipped cream filling, beat the heavy cream with sugar and vanilla extract on medium speed until nice and thick. Keep a close eye on it. Don't over-whip the cream, or you will start making butter.
• When ready to serve, gently run a long offset spatula on the bottom of the cake to separate from the parchment paper. Using a large cake lifter, carefully transfer the cake onto a serving platter. Spread the whipped cream filling over the top of the cake and top with the cooled cheery sauce. Serve immediately.
• Though this cake is best to serve right away, leftover can be refrigerated for 1 day.
• To make ahead, bake the pavlova base the night before serving and keep it uncovered at room temperature. Make the cherry sauce and refrigerate. When ready to serve, make the whipped cream filling and assemble the cake.

CHOCOLATE RASPBERRY PAVLOVA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C Fan/gas mark 4/350ºF and line a baking tray with baking parchment. Beat the egg whites until satiny peaks form, and then beat in the sugar a spoonful at a time until the meringue is stiff and shiny. Sprinkle over the cocoa and vinegar, and the chopped chocolate. Then gently fold everything until the cocoa is thoroughly mixed in. Mound on to a baking sheet in a fat circle approximately 23cm / 9 inches in diameter, smoothing the sides and top. Place in the oven, then immediately turn the temperature down to 150°C/130°C Fan/gas mark 2/300ºF and cook for about one to one and a quarter hours. When it's ready it should look crisp around the edges and on the sides and be dry on top, but when you prod the centre you should feel the promise of squidginess beneath your fingers. Turn off the oven and open the door slightly, and let the chocolate meringue disc cool completely. When you're ready to serve, invert on to a big, flat-bottomed plate. Whisk the cream till thick but still soft and pile it on top of the meringue, then scatter over the raspberries. Coarsely grate the chocolate so that you get curls rather than rubble, as you don't want the raspberries' luscious colour and form to be obscured, and sprinkle haphazardly over the top, letting some fall, as it will, on the plate's rim.

CHERRY CHOCOLATE PAVLOVA

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 140C/120C fan/gas 1. Whisk the egg whites just until they form stiff peaks. Gradually whisk in the sugar, a couple of tbsp at a time, making sure you whisk really well between each addition. When all the sugar has been added, keep whisking for a couple of mins until the mixture is really thick and glossy and looks a little like shaving foam. Carefully stir in the cornflour, vinegar, cocoa powder and chocolate with a large metal spoon, just until incorporated.
• Tear off a sheet of baking parchment and use to cover a baking sheet. Mark a 25cm circle on the paper. Spoon over the meringue mixture, swirling into the circle, building up the sides a little, ready to keep the filling in. Cook for 1½ hrs. Leave to cool.
• When ready to serve, whip the double cream and icing sugar together in a big bowl until soft peaks form. Spoon the cherry compote over the meringue, dollop over the cream, then swirl around. Arrange a few of the fresh cherries on top to finish.
• Heat the oven to 140C/120C fan/gas 1. Whisk the egg whites just until they form stiff peaks. Gradually whisk in the sugar, a couple of tbsp at a time, making sure you whisk really well between each addition. When all the sugar has been added, keep whisking for a couple of mins until the mixture is really thick and glossy and looks a little like shaving foam. Carefully stir in the cornflour, vinegar, cocoa powder and chocolate with a large metal spoon, just until incorporated.
• Tear off a sheet of baking parchment and use to cover a baking sheet. Mark a 25cm circle on the paper. Spoon over the meringue mixture, swirling into the circle, building up the sides a little, ready to keep the filling in. Cook for 1½ hrs. Leave to cool.
• When ready to serve, whip the double cream and icing sugar together in a big bowl until soft peaks form. Spoon the cherry compote over the meringue, dollop over the cream, then swirl around. Arrange a few of the fresh cherries on top to finish.