Dark Chocolate Pavlova

February 11, 2025
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Have you met a pavlova yet? This Australian dessert is like the love child of a meringue and a marshmallow in cake form and I absolutely love them!

With an ultra light and crispy shell and a gooey, chewy center, a pavlova is usually flavored with vanilla and topped in a variety of whipped creams and fruity toppings, but today we are doing this a little different…

While I love the classic vibe of vanilla, there is something romantic about a beautiful chocolate dessert and with Valentines Day right around the corner, this dark chocolate pavlova will be perfect for the occasion.

Not only does the meringue-esque batter contain just the right amount of cocoa powder, but we are going to fold chopped dark chocolate into the mix right before we bake things to airy perfection.

If this sounds like something you may want to try (and of course it does), let’s get started…

The ingredients needed to make a pavlova are super simple… just egg whites, sugar and cream of tartar, but since we are creating a chocolate variation of pavlova, we will also need some cocoa powder, cornstarch and dark chocolate.

The egg whites, sugar and cream of tartar are self explanatory. We will beat them to stiff peaks just like a traditional meringue.

The cocoa powder is there to bring a punch of deep, bitter chocolate flavor and then we double down on that by folding roughly chopped dark chocolate into the batter.

We are adding cornstarch into the mix to help stabilize the whipped egg whites and keep them fluffy throughout the baking process.

Now that we have the ingredients sorted out, let’s talk about the process…

The task of whipping egg whites to stiff peaks is often thought of as frustrating, but here are a few things that you can do as insurance for a successful pavlova (or any other meringue situation you may find yourself in)…

#1. Use a clean bowl – this may sound obvious, but when it comes to whipping egg whites, any additional moisture, greasiness or specs of debris in the bowl or on the mixer can absolutely prevent your success

#2. Use room temperature egg whites – cold egg whites will not expand as much as room temperature ones will, so setting your egg whites out an hour before you plan on whipping them is definitely time well spent

#3. Add the sugar gradually – sugar has some weight to it, even superfine sugar, so it needs to be added a little at a time in order to give the egg whites a chance to successfully re-stabilize after the additional sugar has been added

#4. Don’t under or over beat – when we talk about whipped egg whites, there are 3 stages… soft peaks (when the peaks droop down after you pull the whisk out), stiff peaks (when the peaks will hold their shape as the whisk is pulled out) and over done (when the texture turns grainy, appears dried out or splits). Stiff peaks are the goal for pavlova, so as soon as the egg whites look glossy and will hold their shape, you are ready to move on

See how the egg whites are standing tall at the top of my whisk? This is exactly what you are looking for. Once the egg whites are at this stage, it is time to start adding the chocolate…

Hold a mesh sifter over the egg whites and add 2 teaspoons of cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder into it. Sift until it has all been gently dusted over the egg whites then turn your mixer on medium low speed for just a second or 2 to incorporate the dry ingredients into the mix.

Note: Do not turn the mixer on anything faster than medium low or even just low or your dry ingredients will get flung out of the mixer instead of dragged down into the egg whites.

Also, we are going to fold chopped chocolate into the egg whites next, so do not worry if the cocoa powder is streaky. It will be further incorporated with the chocolate.

Last, but not least, very gently fold about 1/3 cup of roughly chopped dark chocolate into the egg whites. Neither the chopped chocolate or the cocoa powder need to be completely distributed throughout the egg whites. Steaks are totally fine and its not worth the risk of deflating the egg whites to mix the chocolate in perfectly. Just fold a bit and move on…

Now that the batter is ready, gently transfer the mixture onto a sheet of parchment paper and use a spatula to shape it as you want.

Place the pavlova into a 350 degree oven, close the door and immediately reduce the ovens temperature to 300 degrees. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

After 1 hour and 15 minutes, turn the oven off and prop the door open a few inches. Let the pavlova cool completely in the oven before taking it out. Pulling a screaming hot pavlova out into the cool air can shock it and cause it to collapse or deflate and while it will still taste fabulous, it will not win any beauty contests, so let it relax in the oven until it feels cool to the touch…

Would you look at that crispy crust? It is just begging to be sliced into to expose the beautifully chewy, marshmallowy center, so add some whipped cream and maybe some shaved chocolate or berries and prepare yourself for a delicious experience…

Let’s look at the side view of this pavlova. Can you see the top crust? That top layer that is thin and lighter than the rest of it? It is airy and crisp and it shatters when you slice into it. That shatter is all apart of the pavlovas charm, but it is not the best part…

This chewy, gooey marshmallow like interior is what a pavlova is all about and this one is fully of rich chocolate flavors that you are going to love. This dark chocolate pavlova is sweet and intensely flavored, so it will be plenty to share with friends.

Once you add some whipped cream and fresh berries, this dark chocolate pavlova will undoubtably be added to your favorite desserts list.

Cheers!

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