Chocolate Pavlova Brownie Cake with Berries
Total Time: 2 Hours
30 Minutes
Servings: 8
Take a box of Betty Crocker™ Triple Chocolate Brownie and turn it into a delicious dessert for the festive season – just add a layer of crisp chocolate meringue, whipped cream and fresh berries!
All You Need Is ...
For the brownie base
- Vegetable oil, for greasing
- 1 box Betty Crocker™ Triple Chocolate Brownie Mix
- 2 extra large eggs
- 125g butter, melted (or 1/2 cup vegetable oil and 1 tablespoon water)
For the meringue
- 3 extra large egg whites
- 150g caster sugar
- 1 teaspoon cocoa powder
For the topping
- 300ml thickened cream, softly whipped
- 75g raspberries
- 75g small strawberries, hulled and halved
- 120g cherries
- Chocolate curls, to decorate
Betty's Easy Steps
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan forced). Grease a 20cm round spring form cake pan and line the base with baking paper. Make up the brownie mix as directed on the box using the eggs and butter.
- Spoon the mixture into the cake pan and gently level the surface. Bake for 25 minutes, or until the surface is dry and the brownie is just firm to the touch. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for 10 minutes.
- For the meringue, whisk the egg whites in a large, clean, grease-free bowl until stiffly peaking. Gradually whisk in the sugar, a tablespoon at a time (making sure each addition has been incorporated before adding the next), to form a firm and glossy meringue. Sift over the cocoa powder and gently fold in to give a rippled effect (see Tips).
- Spoon the meringue over the warm brownie, leaving a 1cm gap all around the edge. Bake for 25-30, minutes or until the meringue puffs up and is crisp on top. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for 10-15 minutes – the meringue may crack and drop down a little as it cools. Run a palette knife around the edge of the meringue to loosen it from the pan, then gently unclip the pan and leave to cool completely.
- Carefully remove the baking paper lining from the base of the brownie cake and transfer the cake to a serving plate. Spoon the whipped cream on top of the meringue and arrange the raspberries, strawberries and cherries on top. Decorate with chocolate curls to serve.
Betty's Tips
- Don’t over mix the cocoa into the meringue or it will lose some of it’s volume. You want to achieve a slightly rippled effect.
- The brownie and meringue topping can be baked a few hours in advance. Add the cream and berries just before serving. The finished dessert will keep in the fridge for another day or so, but the meringue and brownie will become softer and more gooey – although still just as delicious!
