Can I tempt you with an easy dessert that is sure to fetch you a lot of praise? Bonus points: It has chocolate — and mousse.
Chocolate pavlova is the ultimate dessert — light as air, melt in your mouth goodness.
You might think I’m crazy for saying this recipe was easy. You’re probably thinking I’m showing off or something. How can pavlova be easy? It requires egg whites and whisking them till they’re stiff peaks. Then you need the meringue to hold, bake and cool all without breaking apart. It’s all just too much to handle.
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I thought the same — but hear me out and you will be a pavlova convert!
The main thing to keep in mind about making pavlova is to make sure to cleanly separate the egg whites from the egg yolks. You got that? You still with me? Next, the egg whites need to be at room temperature. Lastly, the bowl and the whisk of your mixer need to be very clean. So, take care of that before you start. From here on, you just let your mixer do the work for you. The key with pavlova is to be gentle — so be gentle when folding the ingredients into your whisked-up egg whites and be gentle when you’re shaping them into a circle on the parchment paper.
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I promise I’m not trying to make it sound easier than it is. You’ve got this! You need this pavlova in your life. It’s the ultimate dessert to impress your dinner party guests. This chocolate version with the mascarpone mousse makes it perfect for a date night and it makes the perfect Valentine’s Day dessert.
Raspberry mascarpone pavlova recipe
Have some unexpected dinner guests or a last minute invite? Don’t worry and give this pavlova a try. It comes together in no time and makes the house smell heavenly — that’s a bonus.
Yields 1 large pavlova
Ingredients:
- 4 egg whites
- 1 cup superfine sugar (also known as caster sugar)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
For the mascarpone cream:
- 1 cup mascarpone cream
- 1 cup whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Fresh raspberries for the topping
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F and place the rack in the middle of the oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment and draw a 7-inch circle with a pencil, and then flip the parchment over so the pencil side is down. Set this aside.
- In a clean, medium-size metal bowl, beat the egg whites with a clean electric mixer on medium speed. Beat until the whites form soft peaks.*
- Gently sprinkle the sugar into the egg whites, 1 teaspoon at a time. Continue to beat the egg whites while adding all the sugar. Your egg whites should now be thick and glossy with stiff peaks. Sprinkle the cornstarch, cocoa and vinegar on the meringue and fold in gently with a plastic spatula. Add the vanilla and gently fold the mixture again.
- Now gently spread the meringue in the circle on the parchment to make a circular base. Make sure the edges of the meringue are slightly higher than the center, so you have a very small well in the middle.
- Bake the meringue for about 45 minutes. Turn the oven off and leave the door slightly ajar to let the meringue cool completely. As the meringue cools, it will crack slightly.
- Just before serving, take the meringue out of the oven and remove it gently from the parchment and place it on a plate. (You can also cover and refrigerate the meringue base until you’re ready to serve it.)
For the mascarpone cream:
- Heat the chopped chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl in 20-second increments, stirring between each until it’s almost melted. Do not overheat.
- Whip the cream until it forms peaks. Add the chocolate, sugar and vanilla and whip some more. Then gently fold in the mascarpone cheese. Gently spread the cream on top of the meringue with a spatula.
- Arrange the fruit on top. Slice and enjoy!
*It is very important to have a very clean whisk and bowl. Also, make sure there is no hint of yolk in the whites, or else they won’t rise to stiff peaks.
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