Crisp on the outside and marshmallowy inside chocolate Pavlova topped with whipped cream, brulee bananas, crunchy peanut, and homemade salted caramel is one of the best Pavlova ever! The amazing sweet, salty, and slightly tang flavor and the amazing contrast of textures in this Pavlova are simply amazing!
OMG! I don’t even know how to describe how good this chocolate banoffee pavlova is with salted caramel! I guess I kinda underestimated it at first. I didn’t expect much. I know it’s going to be good! I always love meringue-based dessert, but I didn’t expect it to be THIS GOOD!!!
Why we love it so much
Taste: There is that combination of sweet, salty, slightly bitter from the chocolate, and a strong toffee aroma from the meringue is just awesome
Texture: The slight crispness from the meringue, the gooey marshmallowy inside, that slight crunch from peanuts and the banana brulee. It’s amazing!
Ease: Medium
Pros: Pavlova looks elegant but it’s easy to decorate and it taste amazing
Cons: It is best served on the same day as the meringue tends to get soggy the longer you keep them
How to bake chocolate banoffee Pavlova
1. Preheat the oven to 300 F (150 C) for a conventional oven and 280 F (140 C) for a convection oven. Position the rack in the middle of the oven. Line one large baking sheet with parchment paper. Don’t use a wax paper because it’s going to stick badly
Beat the egg whites until they are foamy and white using a mixer (a stand mixer is best if you have one) I beat on speed 4 on KA. Gradually add the sugar 2-3 tablespoons at a time and wait for about 20-30 seconds in between before adding the next. Once all the sugar is in, increase the speed to 6 and continue to beat until the meringue is glossy, thick and sugar has dissolved. You may need to stop halfway to scrape the sides of the bowl because some sugar sticks to the side of the bowl. This can take 10-15 minutes or even longer. Don’t rush the process. Use your clean fingers to feel the meringue. If you feel some grittiness, that means the sugar hasn’t completely dissolved yet. Continue beating. The meringue should be thick and glossy and can hold its shape and some sharp lines
2. Sift in cornstarch, cocoa powder, instant coffee. Make sure you sift because cocoa powder and instant coffee can clump up. Add balsamic vinegar
3. Just fold until combined with a spatula. Don’t overmix it. Don’t be obsessed with trying to get the color all even out. It’s okay. It’s Pavlova (a beautiful mess!)
4. I actually bake two smaller Pavlovas, about 4 inches or so each, but you can bake one larger one, about 6 inches. Place half of the meringue on the baking sheet. Use a spatula to try to make it roundish, about 6 inches in diameter. It won’t be perfectly round and that’s okay too! Then gently pile another half on top and use a spatula to smooth the side so it’s more like a “dome”. Don’t shape your Pavlova too tall as it has a higher risk of collapsing. I shaped mine roughly about 2 inches tall. Smooth the surface a bit and flatten slightly to give you some room to pile on cream and topping later
5. Lower the temperature to 200 F (93 C) for a conventional oven, 180 F (82 C) for a convection oven. Place the baking sheet on the middle rack. Set the timer to 2 hours for two small ones and 2 hours 30 minutes for one large one. DO NOT open the oven door during baking. When the time is up, turn off the oven but DO NOT open the oven door. Let the Pavlova cool down in the oven for at least 4 hours or overnight is fine too. I usually just left them overnight in the oven until the next day
How to make dry salted caramel
I use a dry caramel method, which basically melts sugar in the pan without any liquid.
1. Mix instant coffee and salt with heavy cream. Place sugar on a dry pan over medium heat and let the sugar gradually melt.
2. You will see the edge will start to melt first
3. Use a spatula to gently push the side in and start stirring. The sugar will be clumpy at this point, don’t worry, just keep stirring and sugar will continue to melt. Watch your heat not to crank it up pass medium. I kinda stay in between medium and low (that’s my stove, you have to adjust yours)
3. Once the sugar is all melted, add the butter and stir until butter is melted
4. Gradually pour in the heavy cream. The mixture will start sizzling and bubbling. Some of the sugar will seize and crystallized because of the cold temperature of the cream. It’s normal! Just keep stirring until the caramel started to thicken. Turn off the heat. Please note that the caramel will thicken further as it cools down. Store this in a clean heat-proof container and keep in the fridge until it is ready to be used
How to assemble Chocolate Banoffee Pavlova with salted caramel sauce
1. Put the very cold heavy cream, Greek yogurt, powdered sugar, and a pinch of salt in a mixing bowl. Use a whisk to manually whisk or use a hand mixer to whip until the mixture thickens and has a medium-firm peak. Don’t over whisk until the cream turns too stiff and grainy
2. Put the meringue base on a serving platter. Gently pile the whipped cream on top of the base.
3. Roughly chop the salted/unsalted roasted peanuts. Peel the bananas and cut them into half lengthwise and then half again, so you get 8 slices from 2 bananas. If you want to make banana brulee, sprinkle each slice generously with sugar. Use a blow torch to caramelize the sugar until it is dark golden brown
4. Use a sharp knife to scrap a chocolate bar to create the chocolate shaving. This is such an easy way to do thin beautiful chocolate shaving. Try not to touch the shavings with your hands as they melt easily
5. Arrange the banana slices on top of the cream. Drizzle with some salted caramel generously. Let some of the caramel drizzles down the side of the pavlova. Add the peanuts. Scoop it up with a help of a spatula or bench scraper and pile them on top of everything else
6. It is best to serve immediately or on the same day. Store any leftovers in the fridge and try to consume within 2-3 days as the meringue will continue to soften by the cream the longer you keep them in the fridge
Tips
1. Separate the egg yolks from the whites when they are still cold. Then let the whites come to room temperature. The meringue will whip up easier at room temperature
2. Make sure your mixing bowl and whip attachment are grease-free. Any specks of grease or yolks will ruin your meringue. You will have trouble whipping the meringue to the consistency we are looking for
3. Add the sugar gradually into the egg whites. DO NOT rush this process. The meringue will be glossy, thick, and can hold it shape
4. Don’t shape your meringue too tall. I suggest keeping it at about 2 inches tall. The higher you pile it, the higher the risk of the meringue collapses
5. Preheat at higher temperature and then lower temperature. We want to bake low and slow so the meringue can crisp up on the outside while maintaining that marshmallowy interior without collapsing. Some cracks are normal for Pavlova
6. Assemble the Pavlova on the day you want to serve it
7. Unassembled Pavlova base can be kept in an air-tight container for 2-3 days at room temperature. Avoid a humid place. The base freezes very well in the freezer for up to one month
Did you make this chocolate banoffee Pavlova with salted caramel recipe?
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The recipe is adapted from here with some modifications
Chocolate Banoffee Pavlova with Salted Caramel
Ingredients
For the meringue:
- 120 gr egg white
- 150 gr granulated sugar
- 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
- 4 gr cornstarch
- 15 gr cocoa powder
- 1 tsp instant coffee
Salted coffee caramel:
- 75 gr granulated sugar
- 25 gr butter
- 90 gr heavy cream
- 1 tsp instant coffee
- ¼ tsp salt
Whipped cream:
- 240 gr heavy whipping cream
- 60 gr Greek yogurt at least 4% milk fat preferred
- 15 gr powdered sugar
- ¼ tsp salt
Topping:
- 2 large bananas
- 50 gr sugar
- 40 gr roasted peanuts salted or unsalted is your choice
- Shaved dark chocolate I used 70% dark chocolate
Instructions
- Separate the eggs while they are still cold. It's easier. Separate the yolks from the whites. Keep the yolks in the fridge for other use. Let the whites come to room temperature before using
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. You can trace a 6 inches circle on the parchment to help guiding you with shaping the pavlova later
Prepare meringue:
- Preheat the oven to 300 F (150 C) for a conventional oven and 280 F (140 C) for a convection oven. Position the rack in the middle of the oven. Line one large baking sheet with parchment paper. Don't use a wax paper because it's going to stick badly
- Beat the egg whites until they are foamy and white using a mixer (a stand mixer is best if you have one) I beat on speed 4 on KA. Gradually add the sugar 2-3 tablespoons at a time and wait for about 20-30 seconds in between before adding the next. Once all the sugar is in, increase the speed to 6 and continue to beat until the meringue is glossy, thick and sugar has dissolved. You may need to stop halfway to scrape the sides of the bowl because some sugar sticks to the side of the bowl. This can take 10-15 minutes or even longer. Don't rush the process. Use your clean fingers to feel the meringue. If you feel some grittiness, that means the sugar hasn't completely dissolved yet. Continue beating
- The meringue should be thick and glossy and can hold its shape and some sharp lines. Make sure the meringue is really firm and stiff
- Sift in cornstarch, cocoa powder, instant coffee. Make sure you sift because cocoa powder and instant coffee can clump up. Add balsamic vinegar. Just fold until combined with a spatula, using. Don't overmix it. Don't be obsessed with trying to get the color all even out. It's okay. It's Pavlova (a beautiful mess!)
Shaping:
- I actually bake two smaller Pavlovas, about 4 inches or so each, but you can bake one larger one, about 6-7 inches
- Place half of the meringue on the baking sheet. Use a spatula to try to make it roundish, about 6 inches in diameter. It won't be perfectly round and that's okay too! Then gently pile another half on top and use a spatula to smooth the side so it's more like a "dome". Don't shape your Pavlova too tall as it has a higher risk of collapsing. I shaped mine roughly about 2 inches tall. Smooth the surface a bit and flatten slightly to give you some room to pile on cream and topping later
- Try not to shape it too much. You'll notice that the more you try to shape it, the messier it gets.
Baking:
- Lower the temperature to 200 F (93 C) for conventional oven, 180 F (82 C) for a convection oven. Place the baking sheet on the middle rack. Set the timer to 2 hours for two small ones and 2 hours 30 minutes for one large one. DO NOT open the oven door during baking. When the time is up, turn off the oven but DO NOT open the oven door. Let the Pavlova cool down in the oven for at least 8 hours or overnight is fine too
- The meringue may crack and that's totally normal. Don't be alarmed. It's totally fine.
Store the Pavlova until ready to be assembled:
- Store the cooled-down Pavlova in an air-tight container and not a humid place for about 3-4 days
- I have made extra Pavlovas base and freeze them. They freeze well. Once it cools down completely, wrap with a cling wrap and then another layer of foil and put in air-tight container and keep in the freezer for up to one month. Simply take it out on the day you are ready to assemble the cake. It will thaw as you assemble it
Prepare salted coffee caramel (can be done ahead of time):
- Mix instant coffee and salt with heavy cream. Place sugar on a dry pan over medium heat and let the sugar gradually melt. You will see the edge will start to melt first. Use a spatula to gently push the side in and start stirring. The sugar will be clumpy at this point, don't worry, just keep stirring and sugar will continue to melt. Watch your heat not to crank it up pass medium. I kinda stay in between medium and low (that's my stove, you have to adjust yours)
- Once the sugar is all melted. Add the butter and stir until butter is melted. Gradually pour in the heavy cream. The mixture will start sizzle and bubbling. Some of the sugar will seize and crystallized because of the cold temperature from the cream. It's normal! Just keep stirring until the caramel started to thicken. Turn off the heat. Please note that the caramel will thicken further as it cools down. Store this in a clean heatl-proof container and keep in the fridge until it is ready to be used
Prepare the whipped cream:
- Put the very cold heavy cream, Greek yogurt, powdered sugar, and a pinch of salt in a mixing bowl. Use a whisk to manually whisk or use a handmixer to whip until the mixture thickens and has a medium-firm peak. Don't over whisk until the cream turns too stiff and grainy
Assembly:
- Put the meringue base on a serving platter. Gently pile the whipped cream on top of the base.
- Roughly chop the salted/unsalted roasted peanuts. Peel the bananas and cut them into half lengthwise and then half again, so you get 8 slices from 2 bananas. If you want to make banana brulee, sprinkle each slice generously with sugar. Use a blow torch to caramelize the sugar until it is dark golden brown
- Arrange the banana slices on top of the cream. Drizzle with some salted caramel generously. Let some of the caramel drizzles down the side of the pavlova. Add the peanuts
- Use a sharp knife to scrap a chocolate bar to create the chocolate shaving. This is such an easy way to do thin beautiful chocolate shaving. Try not to touch the shavings with your hands as they melt easily. Scoop it up with a help of spatula or bench scraper and pile them on top of everything else
- It is best to serve immediately or on the same day. Store any leftovers in the fridge and try to consume within 2-3 days as the meringue will continue to soften by the cream the longer you keep them in the fridge
