Black Forest Pavlova
This recipe is brought to you by Lovaan
Serves the 8-10
Ingredients
Meringue
6 egg whites
300g caster sugar
1 ½ teaspoons cornflour
1 ½ teaspoons white vinegar
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 tablespoons cocoa powder, sifted
40g dark chocolate, coarsely grated
Topping
600ml thickened cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
250g fresh cherries
30g dark chocolate, coarsely grated
Method
Preheat your oven to 150°C. Draw a 20cm circle on a sheet of baking paper, flip it over, and place it on a baking tray.
Place the egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer. Whisk on high speed until soft peaks form, about 3–5 minutes.
Add the sugar, one tablespoon at a time, beating well after each addition to ensure it's fully dissolved. To check, rub some of the mixture between your fingers; it should feel smooth.
In a small bowl, combine the cornflour and vinegar. Add this to the meringue, along with the vanilla extract, and whisk for 30 seconds.
Gently fold in the sifted cocoa powder and grated chocolate using a metal spoon, taking care not to deflate the mixture.
Spoon the meringue onto the prepared baking paper, staying within the drawn circle. Use a spatula or palette knife to shape the pavlova, smoothing the edges and brushing upwards to create height.
Immediately reduce the oven temperature to 120°C. Bake for 1 hour, then turn off the oven and leave the pavlova inside to cool completely, at least 2 hours or overnight.
Just before serving, whip the cream and vanilla extract in a clean mixer bowl on high speed until soft peaks form.
Spoon the whipped cream onto the cooled pavlova. Top with fresh cherries and finish with chocolate shavings.
