Summer is here and so is the season of classic Antipodean dessert, the pavlova. Here’s my latest favourite twist – the Pavlova Roll.

I love pavlova, tall, soft and luscious. Some people like a crispy shell – I’m ok with a little bit of a shell, but for me, it’s all about the squidgy meringue inside.

Which is why this Pavlova Roll is probably my favourite. A perfect balance of squidgy meringue, cream, and fruity zing. And of course, being a roulade, it looks super retro.

You can use any sweet/tart fruit for the Pavlova Roll, but I’ve done some research with strawberry, apricot and mango versions, and so far, mango is my favourite. It is absolutely one of the major perks of living in Australia, and now, with Honey Gold mangoes going for $2 in the supermarket, has never been a better time to whip up this iconic summer dessert.

My Pavlova Roll has a modern twist – a zesty, punchy, mouth-watering jelly layer made with mango, passionfruit and yuzu juice, and a layer of creme chantilly, revved up with passionfruit powder. Can I just say (again) how much I love yuzu flavour. It’s very hip right now, with its lime/grapefruit flavour, and I am very proud to say that I have been using yuzu longer than all the trendy patisseries and restaurants round town :). You can buy bottled yuzu juice in Asian foodstores.

Better still, the pavlova roll itself takes just 20 minutes to make and bake! If you’re in a rush, replace the jelly with sliced mango. The creme chantilly can be replaced with slightly sweetened whipped cream, but beware! On hot days, your roll won’t hold its shape so well, so I have included some gelatine to help stabilise the creme chantilly against the heat!

Australia day is just around the corner – so get those mangoes out! You’ll need 2 firm but ripe mangoes for this recipe. My favourites are Kensington Pride and Honey Gold. Decorate with a few fresh mint leaves or micro herbs to complete the green and gold Australia Day look.

Mango Passionfruit Yuzu Pavlova Roll

serves 8-10

Pavlova Roll

ingredients

4 large egg whites
pinch salt
125g caster sugar

Mango Passionfruit Yuzu Gel (recipe below)
Passionfruit Creme Chantilly (recipe below)
1-2 large mango cheeks, sliced thinly

mixing

Line a 20X30cm swiss roll pan with a single sheet of baking paper.

Place the egg whites and salt in a large mixing bowl, and beat on high speed until soft peaks form. Add the sugar in a thin stream, and beat until the meringue is thick and glossy (all the sugar should be dissolved).

Spread the meringue into the prepared pan, smooth the surface, and bake at 150 degrees Celsius for 10 minutes until the meringue is set and lightly golden. Remove the pavlova roll from the oven and let cool completely. The roll will deflate as it cools.

assembly

Pavlova roll
Mango Passionfruit Yuzu Gel (recipe below)
Passionfruit Creme Chantilly (recipe below)
1-2 large mango cheeks, sliced thinly
snow sugar, gold stars to decorate

Lift the mango passionfruit yuzu gel layer from its mould, and flip this, face down onto the surface of the pavlova roll. Peel back the cling wrap very gently to avoid breaking the gel (alternatively arrange thin slices of mango over the pavlova roll).

Spread about half the passionfruit creme chantilly over the mango passionfruit yuzu gel to a thickness of no more than 1cm, leaving a gap of about 3cm at one short edge.

Now it’s time to roll. Lift the creme chantilly-covered short edge of the cake and, using the baking paper below, encourage the edge of the cake to curl in on itself. At the same time you roll, you’ll need to gently peel the baking paper away from the pavlova. This is a gentle process of persuasion: if you press the roll too hard or curl too tightly, the cream layer will be pushed around. The idea is to get the roll to happen in a way that the cream layer is not disturbed – that will result in a nice even roll. Continue rolling until you reach the end.

Transfer the roll, seam side down onto a serving plate. Spread with half the remaining cream.

Arrange sliced mango on the top. Load the remaining cream into a piping bag fitted with a star tip, and decorate the mango slices with large and small stars. Dust with icing sugar (preferably snow sugar, as this does not dissolve so readily when exposed to moisture) and edible gold stars if desired.

Mango Passionfruit Yuzu Gel Layer

ingredients

300g mango, chopped
pulp of two passionfruit
1/2 cup sugar
1 tbsp yuzu juice (use lime juice if yuzu not available)
15 g leaf gelatine

mixing

Soak the gelatin leaves in ice-cold water for about 10 minutes, to bloom.

In the meantime, using a blender, stick mixer, or food processor, puree the mango with the yuzu juice. Stir in the passionfruit until well combined.

Transfer a the puree to a small saucepan and heat until it reaches 80 degrees (this temperature deactivates certain enzymes in the fruit which interferes with gelatin’s setting properties). Cool the puree until it is about 60 degrees Celsius. Squeeze the excess water from the gelatine and add to the pureed mixture. Stir until completely combined. Let cool.

Line a 20X30cm swiss roll pan with cling wrap and spray with canola spray. Smear the spray evenly over the cling wrap. Pour the cooled mango puree into the pan and spread evenly. Refrigerate until completely set, at least two hours.

Passionfruit Creme Chantilly

ingredients

mixing

Enjoy!xxx