Chocolate Pavlova Recipe

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Have you been searching for decadent dessert ideas? Then look no further, as this chocolate pavolva recipe from developer Jennine Bryant is just about as chocolatey and decadent as it gets. With the combination of whipped egg whites, rich cocoa, and whipped cream, this dessert is the most sensational way to provide for lucky dinner guests. 

So, where did pavlova come from? "The origin of the pavlova is somewhat hotly debated," Bryant says. "A lot of different old recipes refer to 'foam like' cakes or call themselves pavlovas, but aren't what we know today as a meringue based cake." It's also unclear exactly what pavlova's country of origin is, though there are a couple of main contenders. As Bryant explains, "Various countries lay claim to 'meringues and cream' as a concept, with Australia and New Zealand coming up a lot."

Of course, there's the story of a dancer, which is perhaps the most well-known of all. "I think my favorite origin story is that it was created for the famous ballet dancer, Anna Pavlova," Bryant says. Regardless of pavlova's complicated history, it is one delicious dessert, and this chocolate variation takes things to a whole new level.

Before you do anything, you'll want to make sure that you have the right ingredients for this recipe. To begin, drop by the market and select large eggs (kept temporarily at room temperature), granulated sugar, cocoa powder, and balsamic vinegar for a little added tanginess. This recipe also calls for dark chocolate, whipping cream, vanilla extract, and milk chocolate.

Start by setting the oven to preheat at 350 F. As the oven warms, line a large baking tray with parchment paper. Use your best method to separate out the egg whites from the yolks. Add the egg whites into a clean mixing bowl and beat until they become foamy and stiff. 

"I keep my mixer on a high speed the whole time I'm beating the egg whites and meringue," Bryant says. "Sometimes I reduce the speed slightly when adding the sugar because when it's going that fast it can throw a whole lot of the sugar straight back out."

With the beaten egg whites still in the mixing bowl, without pausing the mixer, slowly begin dropping the sugar in a spoonful at a time. Once you've measured a full cup of sugar into the mix, the meringue should be thick and glossy. The meringue should stick to the bottom of the bowl if you turn it upside down, and the sugar should be fully dissolved, with no gritty feeling when you rub a bit in-between your fingers.

It wouldn't be a chocolate pavlova without some chocolate, right? Sieve 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder and gently fold it into the whipped egg whites. Drizzle in 1 teaspoon of balsamic vinegar along with the ½ cup of chopped dark chocolate. "Do not over mix, it's okay if the meringue is not uniform in color," Bryant advises.

After folding the ingredients together, divide the meringue into two. Mound the mixtures into two equal-sized, fat circles on the parchment-lined baking tray. Use a spoon to smooth out and shape the meringues. Place them directly in the oven, immediately reducing the temperature to 300 F. Bake the meringue mounds for 1 hour. Afterwards, turn the oven off and slightly open the door. Allow the meringues to cool completely before removing them.

In a clean bowl, whisk up the whipping cream until it is thick, then add in the vanilla. Place one of the baked pavlova meringues on a plate or a cake stand as the foundational layer. Evenly heap half of the whipped cream atop the first meringue mound. Drizzle a bit of the melted milk chocolate on top. Top it with the second pavlova meringue, drizzling the rest of the melted chocolate atop of that layer and finally adding the top layer of cream. 

Finish off the pavlova with some chocolate shavings and serve immediately. Our developer says you don't have to be an expert to achieve this, "I used a sharp knife and a block of chocolate, nothing fancy. Just angle the blade and then pull it gently across the top of the chocolate and you'll get thin shavings!"

This exquisite dessert will be the talk of the engagement. No matter the event, your guests and family will indulge with excitement. "I would serve this either for someone's birthday, or a special occasion, a celebration or a nice dinner party," Bryant says. She does assent that the dessert is perhaps a bit too elegant (not to mention too big) for an everyday snack or dessert, but says that "it would be totally possible to make a load of mini meringues with the recipe, instead of two big ones."

Whichever way you serve up this chocolate pavlova, it's best served right away. If necessary, you can keep leftovers in the fridge, but you'll need to cover them with either cling wrap or place them in an airtight container. 

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It's not always easy making bakery-worthy meringue at home — in fact, the egg-white based treat can be notoriously fickle. There are also different types of meringue out there, with various meringue-based desserts like cookies, macarons, lemon meringue pie, and pavlova all requiring different preparation or cooking methods to get those egg whites just right.

This chocolate pavlova recipe opts for simple French meringue as the base, meaning that you simply need to whip the egg whites and sugar until you have glossy, stiff peaks. A common meringue-making mistake is using a dirty bowl, or one that has a little bit of oil in it. The bowl matters here, so make sure your bowl is clean and completely dry, and make sure to whip your egg whites until they're nice and stiff — this will take several minutes, so let your stand mixer handle the heavy lifting.

Finally, make sure the sugar fully dissolves into the egg whites before proceeding with the recipe. You can ensure this process occurs simply by rubbing some of the meringue between your fingers and checking for any grittiness. If there is some grit, simple beat the meringue a few minutes more until it's perfectly silky. 

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