Recipes
Zoë François' Pavlova Roulade
Makes 8 servings
Ingredients
For THE pavlova
- 5 egg whites, at room temperature
- 1 pinch of kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon cream of tartar (optional, but adds some strength if using older eggs)
- 3 tablespoons cold water
- 1¼ cups / 250 grams of superfine sugar
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon of cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon vinegar (white wine, cider, or distilled)
- Confectioners’ sugar for dusting
FOR rhubarb filling
- 4 cups / 480 grams fresh or frozen rhubarb, cut into 1-inch / 2.5-centimeter long pieces
- ½ cup / 100 grams granulated sugar
- Confectioners’ sugar for dusting
- 1 recipe Perfect Whipped Cream (recipe follows, makes 3 cups)
for the perfect whipped cream
- 2 cups / 480 milliliters heavy whipping cream
- 1 to 2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Method
- For the pavlova: Preheat the oven to 275°F / 135°C and place a rack in the bottom third of the oven. Trace a 6-inch / 15-centimeter circle on a piece of parchment paper and set it, upside down, on a baking sheet.
- In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the egg whites, salt, and cream of tartar (if using) and beat on medium-high speed until medium peaks form, about 3 minutes.
- Turn the mixer speed to medium-low and drizzle in the water. Slowly sprinkle in the sugar a little at a time; this may take a minute or so. Turn the speed to high and whip until very stiff, glossy peaks form, about 5 minutes.
- Using the whisk attachment or a rubber spatula, gently fold the cornstarch, vanilla, and vinegar into the egg whites.
- Mound the egg foam into the circle on the prepared parchment paper. Using a metal spatula, smooth the mound, then swipe grooves in the foam, creating curls at the top. Very gently create a crater at the top, like a volcano, where the grooves meet.
- Bake until the pavlova starts to turn a very pale tan color, about 1 hour 15 minutes. If after about 45 minutes, the pavlova is darkening too fast, lower the oven temperature to 250°F / 120°C. Turn off the oven (don’t open the door), turn on the oven light (if your oven doesn’t have a light, bake 15 minutes more), and let the pavlova sit in the cooling oven for at least 3 hours, but it can be stored like this overnight or even up to 24 hours. Leaving the light on ensures it will stay dry.
- The center of the pavlova will collapse—that’s just the nature of the beast and the place where you will put your filling. If it doesn’t fall into the cavity completely, use a paring knife to carefully open up a hole in the top. The outer edge may crack a touch, too, but I’ve made this shape several times, and it cracks far less if you do not open the oven door.
- Run a metal spatula under the pavlova to release it from the paper and carefully transfer to a serving plate.
- Fold half of the whipped cream into ½ cup / 130 grams of the lemon curd. Fit a pastry bag with a large round tip and fill with the cream-curd mixture. Alternatively, carefully spoon in the mixture. Fill the pavlova with half of the cream-curd mixture. Spoon ¼ cup / 65 grams of the remaining lemon curd over it, then sprinkle with some of the berries. Repeat with the remaining cream-curd mixture and then the remaining lemon curd. Finish with the remaining berries and whipped cream and then dust with confectioners’ sugar.
- 10 Refrigerate the pavlova for about 1 hour before serving to make it easier to cut.
- For the pavlova roulade: Evenly spread the pavlova batter in the prepared pan.
- Bake until the pavlova starts to turn a light caramel color, about 25 minutes. It will puff considerably while it bakes but will settle once it is out of the oven. Let the pavlova cool completely. (Just leave it in the pan, dust with confectioners’ sugar, and cover with a clean kitchen towel for up to 1 day.)
- For the rhubarb filling: In a medium saucepan over low heat, combine the rhubarb and granulated sugar and cook, stirring gently, until the juices thicken and the rhubarb becomes very tender.
- Dust a clean kitchen towel with confectioners’ sugar. Invert the pavlova onto the prepared towel and carefully peel off the parchment paper.
- Cover the cake with half of the whipped cream, then top with half of the rhubarb.
- Using the towel to get started, roll the cake, starting at the short end, into as tight a log as you can manage. Transfer the log to a serving platter. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Remove the log from the refrigerator, then top with the remaining whipped cream and rhubarb. Dust with confectioners’ sugar before serving.
- For the whipped cream: In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the cream, confectioners’ sugar, and vanilla and beat on medium speed (you read that right) until just thick—it will start to leave marks from the whisk in the cream.
- Remove the bowl from the mixer and, using the whisk attachment, continue whipping by hand for several seconds until the cream reaches the desired consistency; this way, you can ensure the mixer won’t take it too far. Whipped cream is best used right away.
Divider
Reprinted from Zoë Bakes Cakes. Copyright © 2021 by Zoë François. Published by Ten Speed Press, animprint of Random House, a division of Penguin Random House
Links
| Title | Check Out Zoë’s Book |
| Image |  |
| Button | buy the book |
| Description | We'd love for you to order from your favorite bookstore! If you order from our shop, please note, some of the items we link to may earn us a small commission. |
| Title | Zoë Chats All Things Pavlova With Jessie Sheehan On She's My Cherry Pie |
| Image |  |
| Button | tune in |
