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    Gingerbread Pavlova

    19/12/2015 by thebakingexplorer 9 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Gingerbread Pavlova

    This Gingerbread Pavlova is a brilliant alternative Christmas dessert if you want to change things up a bit, or if you're just not a fan of Christmas cake and pudding. Not only is it a stunning centerpiece for any dinner table, but the meringue is sweet and spicy, with a crispy outer shell and soft centre. The soft cream, dark chocolate and crystallised ginger all compliment each other perfectly. And the mini gingerbread men are so cute! It really is a heavenly dessert!

    Gingerbread Pavlova

    Ingredient Tips & Equipment Information

    • Make sure your eggs are at room temperature before you start baking.
    • If you don't have any cream of tartar, you can replace it with 2 tsp white vinegar, 2 tsp cider vinegar, or 2 tsp lemon juice.
    • You can use either fresh eggs, or to avoid having lots of egg yolks to use up you can now buy cartons of egg whites from brands like Two Chicks. I do find that you get the best and most consistent results with fresh eggs, but the cartons are great for avoiding egg yolk waste.
    • If you need recipes to use up leftover egg yolks, check out my Leftover Egg Yolks recipe collection.
    • Make sure your mixing bowl is completely grease free before making your meringue, as grease will stop the egg whites from foaming. You can wipe your bowl down with lemon juice or white vinegar before you start to ensure any traces of grease is removed.
    • When separating your eggs make sure not to get any egg yolk in the egg whites, as this will also stop it from foaming.
    • If you can't find mini gingerbread men, you can use gingernut biscuits.
    • Although I provide cup measurements, I highly recommend weighing your ingredients out using digital kitchen scales*. It is the most accurate way to measure ingredients and will ensure the best results. Digital scales are very low cost and can be purchased for around £12 ($16.50) .
    • For teaspoon (tsp) and tablespoon (tbsp) measurements, please use measuring spoons* and not the type of spoons you eat with. Again this will ensure accuracy and provide the best results.

    For the full recipe with measurements, head to the recipe card at the end of this post.

    How to make Gingerbread Pavlova

    To make the meringue, whisk the egg whites and cream of tartar with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form - you know this has happened when you can tip the bowl upside down without the mixture falling out. With the mixer running, add the sugar slowly one spoonful at a time. Then add the vanilla extract and ground ginger. Keep mixing it until it is smooth, glossy and thick enough to hold its shape.

    Arrange the meringue into a circular shape on a lined baking tray, making it flat and slightly dipped in the centre and more textured around the edges. Bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes. Turn the oven off (without opening it) and leave the meringue to cool completely inside. To decorate, whip up the cream and spread it in the middle of the pavlova, then drizzle over the melted dark chocolate and add the crystallised ginger and mini gingerbread men.

    For the full recipe with measurements, head to the recipe card at the end of this post.

    Gingerbread Pavlova

    Can you make the pavlova in advance?

    The meringue can be made up to 2 days ahead. To store it, wait for it to fully cool as described in the recipe. Keep it in an airtight container in a cool place. It will not keep well in humid weather. Once you add the whipped cream and other decorations, the pavlova needs to be stored in the fridge and be eaten within 2 days.

    What can you do with the leftover egg yolks?

    You can check out my post on Things To Do With Leftover Egg Yolks for recipe ideas! Or if you want to avoid any leftovers you can now buy cartons of egg whites only, which you can use for this recipe. I've used Two Chicks egg whites several times, and Happy Egg is another brand I know of.

    Is this recipe gluten or dairy free?

    Good news for coeliacs - this recipe is gluten free! Do double check the labels though of everything you use as sometimes there can be a cross contamination risk. You will also need to decorate with gluten free biscuits, gluten free gingernuts are a great option if you can't find gluten free mini gingerbread men. To make it dairy free, try whipped coconut cream for the filling, or another dairy free cream option. Also make sure the dark chocolate you use is dairy free.

    Do you have to use cream of tartar?

    I always use cream of tartar when making meringue as it stabilises the egg whites, speeds up the foaming process and gives meringue it's melt in the mouth texture. If you don't have any, or can't get hold of it, you can substitute it with 2 tsp white vinegar, 2 tsp cider vinegar, or 2 tsp lemon juice. If you don't use cream of tartar, or any substitute, there is a slightly higher risk that your meringue could collapse and/or not puff up when baking.

    Gingerbread Pavlova

    What size baking tray do you need for this recipe?

    The tray I used was 13" square. You can use any similarly sized tray, you will just need to adjust the shape of the meringue. Remember that the meringue will expand slightly when cooking so leave a little space between the edge of the meringue and the sides of the baking tray.

    How do you stop the meringue from cracking?

    The best way I have found to do this is to not open the oven at all until the meringue is fully cool. This is because meringues do not like sudden changes in temperature, even opening the oven door slightly can cause cracks. Once the meringue is baked, turn the oven off and do not open the door until the oven is completely cold. I find it easiest to make the meringue in the evening and leave it overnight in the oven cooling down.

    More tips for making the Gingerbread Pavlova:

    • Make sure your mixing bowl is completely grease free before making your meringue, as grease will stop the egg whites from foaming. You can wipe your bowl down with lemon juice or white vinegar before you start to ensure any traces of grease is removed.
    • When separating your eggs make sure not to get any egg yolk in the egg whites, as this will also stop it from foaming.
    • The gingerbread men will go soft after being in contact with the whipped cream for a while, so add them right before serving.
    Gingerbread Pavlova

    Troubleshooting

    If you have any questions about this recipe, or if something went wrong and you need help, please use the comment form below and I will get back to you. You can also get in touch with me on my Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. I'd love to hear from you!

    Recommended equipment & ingredients*

    • Baking tray
    • Mixing bowls
    • Cooling rack
    • Kitchen scales
    • Electric hand mixer
    • Piping bags
    • Stand mixer

    *I earn a small amount of money if you buy the products after clicking on the links. You will not be charged anything extra for this. Thank you for supporting The Baking Explorer!

    Gingerbread Pavlova

    More gingerbread recipes:

    • Gingerbread Loaf Cake
      Gingerbread Loaf Cake
    • Gingerbread House
    • Gingerbread Baked Donuts
      Gingerbread Baked Donuts
    • Gingerbread Cupcakes
    • Gingerbread Cake with Ginger Buttercream
      Gingerbread Cake with Ginger Buttercream
    • Gingerbread Traybake
    • Ginger & Lemon Cake
      Ginger & Lemon Cake
    • vegan gingerbread men
      Vegan Gingerbread Men
    • Vegan Gingerbread Trifles
      Vegan Gingerbread Trifles
    • Gingerbread Men
      Gingerbread Men
    • Gingerbread & White Chocolate Cookies
      Gingerbread & White Chocolate Cookies
    • Halloween Skeleton Gingerbread Men
      Halloween Skeleton Gingerbread Men
    • Gingerbread Rocky Road
      Gingerbread Rocky Road

    More meringue recipes:

    • Blackberry Meringue Roulade
    • Chocolate Meringue Easter Nests
      Chocolate Meringue Easter Nests
    • Nutella Meringue Roulade
      Nutella Meringue Roulade
    Gingerbread Pavlova

    Gingerbread Pavlova

    Ginger spiced brown sugar meringue with whipped cream, dark chocolate drizzle, crystallised ginger and mini gingerbread men
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: British
    Keyword: meringue
    Prep Time: 35 minutes
    Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
    Total Time: 2 hours 5 minutes
    Servings: 8
    Author: thebakingexplorer

    Ingredients

    For the meringue

    • 6 g Egg whites (approx 200g)
    • 200 g Caster sugar
    • 200 g Light brown soft sugar
    • 1 tsp Cream of tartar
    • 1 tsp Vanilla extract
    • 1 ½ tsp Ground ginger

    For decoration

    • 45 g Dark chocolate melted
    • 300 ml Double cream
    • 1 tsp Vanilla extract
    • 1 tbsp Icing sugar
    • 35 g Crystallised ginger
    • 6 Mini gingerbread men
    Metric - US Customary

    Instructions

    • Pre heat your oven to 100C Fan/225F/Gas Mark ¼
    • Whisk the egg whites and cream of tartar together with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form - you know this has happened when you can tip the bowl upside down without it falling out
    • Keep the mixing running and add both types of sugar one spoonful at time, let each spoonful mix in before adding the next
    • Again, keeping the mixer running, add the vanilla extract and ground ginger
    • Keep mixing for a few more minutes or until the meringue is thick, glossy and holds it's shape very well
    • Arrange the meringue into a circular shape on a lined baking tray. Make it flat with a slight dip in the centre and more textured around the edges
    • Bake the meringue for 1 hour and 30 minutes. Then turn the oven off, without opening the door at all, and leave it to cool completely until the oven is cold (this is best done overnight)
    • To decorate, whip the double cream up with the vanilla extract and icing sugar until soft peaks form, spread it in the middle of the meringue
    • Drizzle over the melted dark chocolate, and decorate with the mini gingerbread men and crystallised ginger
    • Serve immediately, store any leftovers in the fridge and eat within 2-3 days
    Made this recipe?Share on Instagram with me @TheBakingExplorer or tag #thebakingexplorer!

    Notes

    • Make sure your eggs are at room temperature before you start baking.
    • If you don't have any cream of tartar, you can replace it with 2 tsp white vinegar, 2 tsp cider vinegar, or 2 tsp lemon juice.
    • You can use either fresh eggs, or to avoid having lots of egg yolks to use up you can now buy cartons of egg whites from brands like Two Chicks.
    • If you need recipes to use up leftover egg yolks, check out my Leftover Egg Yolks recipe collection.
    • Make sure your mixing bowl is completely grease free before making your meringue, as grease will stop the egg whites from foaming. You can wipe your bowl down with lemon juice or white vinegar before you start to ensure any traces of grease is removed.
    • When separating your eggs make sure not to get any egg yolk in the egg whites, as this will also stop it from foaming.
    • If you can't find mini gingerbread men, you can use gingernut biscuits.
    • Although I provide cup measurements, I highly recommend weighing your ingredients out using digital kitchen scales*. It is the most accurate way to measure ingredients and will ensure the best results. Digital scales are very low cost and can be purchased for around £12 ($16.50) .
    • For teaspoon (tsp) and tablespoon (tbsp) measurements, please use measuring spoons* and not the type of spoons you eat with. Again this will ensure accuracy and provide the best results.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 378kcal | Carbohydrates: 58g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 52mg | Sodium: 25mg | Potassium: 173mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 55g | Vitamin A: 554IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 50mg | Iron: 1mg

    If you like this, check out more of my Dessert recipes!

    « Stollen Muffins
    Parsnip & Maple Syrup Cake »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. belleau kitchen

      December 19, 2015 at 9:53 pm

      oooh yes! Once of my most favourite ingredients, ginger... and how lovely to see it here in something that looks so light and rich... so perfectly christmassy. Thanks for linking to Simply Eggcellent x

      Reply
      • Kat BakingExplorer

        February 07, 2016 at 7:04 pm

        Thanks Dom,!

        Reply
    2. Baking Addict

      December 21, 2015 at 1:14 pm

      These looks like a stunning Christmas centrepiece and a refreshing change from the traditional Christmas pudding. Wishing you and your family a very Happy Christmas and a wonderful New Year x

      Reply
      • Kat BakingExplorer

        February 07, 2016 at 7:06 pm

        Thanks Ros! I'm not a fan of Christmas pudding so this is a much better choice I think 🙂

        Reply
    3. Kate Glutenfreealchemist

      December 23, 2015 at 10:38 pm

      I adore pavlova....... any pavlova! This one has a lovely Christmassy twist to it. It sounds and looks delicious!
      Have a wonderful Christmas Kat. Enjoy! x

      Reply
      • Kat BakingExplorer

        February 07, 2016 at 7:04 pm

        Thanks Kate! I know...cream and meringue - always a good combination!

        Reply
    4. Eb Gargano

      December 24, 2015 at 9:10 pm

      What a lovely Christmassy twist on a pavlova. Looks delicious!! Eb x

      Reply
      • Kat BakingExplorer

        February 07, 2016 at 7:05 pm

        Thanks Eb! We can't just keep this yummy dessert for summer time

        Reply
    5. Laurie J. Rivenbark

      August 19, 2016 at 10:31 am

      5 stars
      This post make me wanna eat something right now. Then I will try to make this one for the Christmas this year. It will be delicious, hope so.

      Reply

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