Red Velvet Pavlova Cake
I don't know how I never made this red velvet pavlova cake before! I truly recommend it :)
Equipment
- 1 Mixer
- 1 Baking paper
- 1 Baking tray
Ingredients
Meringue
- 5 egg whites
- 2 cups confectioners sugar (250 grams)
- 2 ½ tbsp vanilla sugar (30 grams)
- 4 tsp cornstarch (10 grams)
- 1 tbsp lemon juice (15 milliliters)
- a pinch of salt
- 1½ tsp powdered food coloring (3-6 grams)
Cream Cheese Custard
- ¾ cup cream cheese (200 grams)
- ½ cup heavy cream (120 milliliters)
- ½ cup powdered sugar (80 grams)
- 5 tsp lemon sugar (≈20 grams)
Topping
- 1 cup pomegranate
- 1 cup pineapple
Instructions
Making the Meringue
- Before you start anything, leave the eggs at room temperature for about half an hour. Only room-temperature egg whites will reach their full potential in fluffiness.
- Divide egg whites and yolks very carefully. There should be no traces of egg yolk in the egg whites. It would be best to separate whites and yolks in a separate bowl, then pour the whites into the mixing bowl.
- Mix egg whites on low speed at first, until they become frothy. That way, the cake won’t crack as much because you’ll reduce air bubbles. Then, turn the mixer on high and mix it till firm peaks appear.
- Now add a pinch of salt, as adding it too early can mess up the texture. Keep mixing and start adding spoon by spoon powdered red dye, powdered sugar and vanilla sugar.
- I always use powdered color, as I don’t want to add even a bit of liquid. If you want it deep red as I do, definitely opt for powdered.
- After all the sugar is added, turn the mixer off and splash some lemon juice. Combine it with the foam using a spatula, lightly folding it to keep it airy. Do the same thing with cornstarch, but add it by sifting.
- Ready cake mixture should be stiff, glossy, and satin smooth.
Baking
- Draw a heart on the parchment paper and fixate it on a cookie sheet by smearing a bit of the batter between them. Form a cake with a help of a spoon or spatula and shape it with a slight hollow in the middle. You can model it as many times as you want until you’re happy with the look, though.
- Calling this process baking is not actually accurate, as drying out is a better term to use. Bring your oven to 210° F (100° C) and leave the cake in for 2 whole hours.
- Never open the oven while baking and until completely cool. The reason for that is crushing hot and cold air will cause the meringue to crack. If you don’t mind that, open the oven slightly after half an hour and let it chill. The well-baked cake is firm and crunchy outside.
Making the Cheese Cream
- Mix cream cheese with powdered and lemon sugar till satiny. Add some heavy cream and mix it more till creamy consistency.
Decorating
- Crack the meringue on top and fill it generously with custard. Now, let’s garnish it!
- The possibilities here are endless. I like to use fresh fruit and loads of confectioners sugar dusted on top. Berries sauce and chocolate are also fine toppings.
Notes
The cake will stay fresh and crispy for about two days. The trick is to avoid humidity coming in touch with meringue, as it will lose its crunchiness. Airtight containers are the top choice for storing.
Nutrition
Serving: 1sliceCalories: 229kcalCarbohydrates: 36gProtein: 3gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.4gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 26mgSodium: 69mgPotassium: 112mgFiber: 1gSugar: 34gVitamin A: 344IUVitamin C: 9mgCalcium: 25mgIron: 0.2mg