Chocolate Pavlova with Mascarpone Cream & Raspberries
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.
A dream of a dessert, this chocolate pavlova features a fudgy, marshmallowy center encased in a crisp shell, all topped with rich whipped cream and fresh raspberries.
The pavlova, named after the renowned ballet dancer Anna Pavlova during her 1920s tour of Australia and New Zealand, is pure dessert magic. It features a meringue that’s crisp on the outside with a marshmallow-soft inside, usually topped with whipped cream and fresh fruit. This rich chocolate pavlova, inspired by Nigella Lawson, mixes cocoa powder and bittersweet chocolate into the meringue for a decadently fudgy base. To make it even more luxurious, I whip a little mascarpone into the cream. It’s perfect for Passover, or anytime you need a light, gluten-free dessert that’s sure to impress. I can’t wait for you to try it!
“People go WILD over this pavlova, and honestly it’s easier to make than most desserts. It truly is a showstopper. I’d give it 10 stars if I could.”
What You’ll Need To Make Chocolate Pavlova
Step-by-Step Instructions
The nice thing about pavlovas is that even though they look fancy, they are incredibly easy to make. To begin, add the egg whites to the bowl an electric mixer.
Beat until foamy and then gradually add the sugar.
Continue beating until the meringue is glossy and stiff (when you slowly lift the whisk out of the mixture, it will hold stiff peaks). Be patient; this takes 8 to 9 minutes.
Next, sift in the cocoa powder and add the chopped chocolate and vinegar.
Using a rubber spatula, fold the mixture together until no streaks of cocoa powder remain.
Mound the meringue onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and spread into a 9-inch “cake.”
Place in the oven and cook for 65 to 75 minutes, or until the meringue is puffed and crisp all over, yet still a bit wobbly underneath if you touch the center. Don’t worry if the top is cracked (or if it collapses while it cools) — this is normal and it all gets covered with whipped cream in the end.
When the meringue is cool, make the topping. In a medium bowl, combine the mascarpone cheese, heavy cream, and vanilla. Gradually add the sugar and continue beating until it holds soft, pillowy peaks.
Mound the mascarpone cream onto the meringue and gently spread it out about 1 inch (2.5 cm) from the edge (don’t worry if the meringue cracks in the process).
Top the pavlova with the raspberries and sprinkle the shaved chocolate over top.
Cut the pavlova into wedges, wiping the knife in between slices, and serve.
You May Also Like
Chocolate Pavlova with Mascarpone Cream & Raspberries
A dream of a dessert, this chocolate pavlova features a fudgy, marshmallowy center encased in a crisp shell, all topped with rich whipped cream and fresh raspberries.
Ingredients
For the Pavlova
- 6 large egg whites
- Pinch salt
- 1¾ cups superfine sugar (see note)
- 3 tablespoons natural unsweetened cocoa powder, such as Hershey's
- 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
- 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
For the Marscapone Cream
- 8 ounces (1 cup) mascarpone cheese, cold
- 1½ cups heavy whipping cream, cold
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Topping
- 1½ cups fresh raspberries
- 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, grated or shaved into curls (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300°F and set an oven rack in the middle position. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a dark marker, draw a 9-inch diameter circle on the parchment paper by tracing around a 9-inch cake pan or plate. Flip the paper over so your meringue won't touch the marker.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites and salt on medium speed until foamy soft peaks form, about a minute. Increase the speed to medium-high and gradually add the sugar; continue beating until stiff peaks form, 8-9 minutes. (The meringue will be glossy.)
- Pass the cocoa powder through a sieve or sifter and add to the meringue. Add the vinegar and chopped chocolate. Using a large rubber spatula, fold the mixture until well combined. It should be a light mocha color with no white or brown streaks.
- Secure the parchment paper to the baking sheet by adding a dab of meringue under each corner. Mound the meringue onto the parchment inside the circle. Using the spatula or a butter knife, spread the meringue to fill the circle. Even the top and sides just slightly -- it shouldn’t be perfectly smooth or overworked. Place in the oven and cook for 65 to 75 minutes, or until the meringue is puffed and crisp all over, yet still a bit wobbly underneath if you touch the center. Don't worry if the top is cracked -- that's normal and it all gets covered with whipped cream in the end. Turn off the oven, prop the oven door open, and leave the meringue in the oven to cool to room temperature, at least 30 minutes. (The meringue won’t collapse as much if it cools gradually.)
- Before serving, carefully peel the meringue off of the parchment paper and place it on a serving platter. In a medium bowl, beat the mascarpone cheese, heavy cream, and vanilla on medium speed until just combined. Gradually add the sugar and continue beating until it holds soft, pillowy peaks. Do not overbeat; it should not be too stiff or grainy. Mound the mascarpone cream onto the meringue and gently spread it out about 1 inch from the edge (don't worry if the meringue cracks in the process). Top the pavlova with the raspberries and sprinkle the shaved chocolate over top. Cut the pavlova into wedges, wiping the knife in between slices, and serve.
- Note: If you don't have superfine sugar, place regular granulated sugar in a food processor and pulse until fine, about 30 seconds.
- Note: This pavlova can be made ahead and assembled up to 12 hours ahead of time. Keep in the refrigerator.
Nutrition Information
Powered by 
- Per serving (10 servings)
- Calories: 429
- Fat: 25 g
- Saturated fat: 15 g
- Carbohydrates: 51 g
- Sugar: 47 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Sodium: 136 mg
- Cholesterol: 74 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
See more recipes:
Comments
Add a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
My relatives were in town. I wanted the perfect dessert to go with our Italian meal that would also be something my cousin who is gluten-free could eat. I was curious to see how this cake would turn out as I never have made anything like it much less have made anything that is gluten free. The pavlova was such a success! My family is still talking about it. So delicious! Sweet decadence and deliciously creamy but still light. I would make this as a main desseret even when we don’t have any guests who are gluten-free.
This was amazing. I was a little intimidated to try this, as it looked super fancy to me. But I followed the instructions exactly and it turned out perfect. The outside was crisp and the inside marshmallowy, I really liked chopped pieces of chocolate on the inside as well.
So good! Made it few times for family gatherings and everyone loved it. Very light! Perfect dessert after a meal.
Hi, Jenn, A couple of questions: First, have you tried making this into individual small pavlovas? Second, for Passover is it ok to use butter (flourless chocolate cake), whipping cream, marscapone, etc. I’m trying to learn more about, and plan, a Seder meal. I’m going to use one of your brisket recipes for the meat. Thanks so much in advance.
Hi Sue, I haven’t made the Pavlova’s in mini form, but I think it will work without modifications. Cooking time will be shorter but it depends on the size of the Pavlovas. (Just keep a close eye on them.) And I’m not sure I understand your other question – is it in reference to the flourless chocolate cake?
Hi, Jenn, thanks for the answer about the individual sized pavlovas. In regard to my question, I might not have been clear enough. From what I understand, you are not supposed to have dairy and meat in one meal. But is it ok to use dairy in the dessert course – so for example the mascarpone cheese in the dessert if you have had meat for your main course? Do you just need to wait a while before dessert? Thanks!
Thanks for clarifying, Sue. While technically, meat and dairy should not be eaten at the same meal, the thoughts vary in terms of how long you need to wait before eating dairy if you’ve eaten meat and vice versa. I’ve included a link here that may provide some clarification. Hope you find it helpful!
Thanks so much!
Hi Jenn, Wondering if I could make the meringue portion of this the night before and then before serving spread with non-dairy whipped topping and top with berries for a gluten free/dairy free guest? I would like to make the meringue the night before–should I store it at room temp covered in a cake container or in the fridge? I’m worried it may wilt or weep or get too chewy if I refrigerate it?
You know how lemon meringue pie can get kind of sticky if you refrigerate it overnight?Anyway, hoping to do the night before without sacrificing taste or texture and then use the non-dairy topping…Sound good? Any thoughts would be most appreciated.
Hi Diane, This one can be made a day ahead and stored in the fridge. It won’t wilt or have any impact on the texture. Enjoy!
Great to know, Jenn. Thanks a million. So helpful!
I loved this dessert! So glad I tried it.
We are only a family of 3 and didn’t want to eat this for more than one meal, so I made the meringue into two discs rather than one large one and delivered the second dessert to a (grateful) neighbor. It was the perfect size for our small family. I made each disc around 6″ diameter and reduced the baking time to 45 minutes.
I’ll make this again in a heartbeat!
I’ve made this multiple times and love it. I’d like to do a plain pavlova with lemon curd/whipped cream on top. Can I simply delete the 3 TBS of cocoa?
Hi Alicia, so glad you like this! While it may work to just eliminate the cocoa powder, I’m not sure if that would affect the amount of sugar that needs to be added. Instead, I’d look for a non-chocolate pavlova recipe. This one from Ina Garten looks good (and you can obviously skip the berry topping if you want). Hope that helps!
This was a fairly easy recipe and is tasty but very unusual. Mine came out like astronaut ice cream on the outer shell. A creamy, light crispy layer approximately 1/4″ thick. The inside was 1/2 – 1″ lower / pulled away from the shell so cutting it was really a challenge, awkward, and messy looking. We all ate it and enjoyed it but there is NO way I would serve this outside of my family…. too much explaining and reassuring to be done. All in all it tasted good but then presentation and serving was not pleasing.
Hi Jen.. I have made this a couple of times to rave reviews … but I always seem to cook it less than the required time… also I gave it to my cousin and she followed the instructions exactly and the pavlova came out as dust… I had forgotten to tell her about using less time than the recipe says… last night another friend called me and she was watching her meringue in the oven and she said she was under an hour and felt it would not last til 1 hour and 15… she ended up taking it out and t was fantastic!! is this usual in a Meringue?? We all live in the north east so doubt there are any altitude or other issues.. I know you test all your recipes so was wondering what you think.. thanks! Mary I only rated it 4 stars due to this timing problem…
Hi Mary, That’s a head-scratcher! I’ve never had any issues with the timing of this – are you by chance making any substitutions or reducing the sugar in the meringue?
Mmm… following recipe exactly.. except for the timing.. strange..
Could it be that I didn’t bring eggs to room temp??
No, Mary, I don’t think that would have an impact on the recipe. Some people’s ovens do run a bit hotter, so feel free to remove it from the oven a bit earlier if you get the best results that way.
Easy to make and tasted delicious!