Mandarin and Gingerbread Pavlova

Published: Nov 19, 2020 · Modified: Sep 30, 2023 by Irina Totterman · 50 Comments

This easy mandarin and Gingerbread Pavlova is a delightful twist on traditional Christmas desserts during the holiday season. Give a try to the perfect combination of spiced meringue, fluffy mascarpone whipped cream, and tangy citrus.

Follow my step-by-step photographed explanations, expert tips, and tricks to help you succeed with this incredibly yummy and delicious recipe.

Mandarin Gingerbread pavlova on a serving plate.

How does your house smell during the holiday season? Scents of Gingerbread and a Christmas tree are the best indications of the festive season each year.

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Gingerbread Pavlova recipe
Ingredients
How to make mandarin and gingerbread Pavlova
Expert Tips
Recipe variation
Storing and freezing
Love holiday desserts? Try these next!
Need to adjust your baking pan size?
Recipe card
Comments

Mandarins have a special treatment in Chinese culture. The Chinese word for "mandarin" - Kam - sounds similar to the word for "gold."

It means having mandarins in your home at New Year is considered to bring riches into your life.

So why not team up gingerbread and mandarins to create a Christmas Pavlova to celebrate the New Year holiday?

A single slice of Gingerbread Pavlova on a dessert plate.

Gingerbread Pavlova recipe

Pavlova can be made all year round, and this cake is a traditional Australian Christmas dessert.

This winter Pavlova is a great alternative to holiday gingerbread desserts: Pain d'epices, Gingerbread madeleines, or mini Gingerbread men cookies.

Warm spices bring an unbeatable flavor and festive spirit.

Fresh citrus topping beautifully marries with spicy ginger and other fragrant spices.

Ingredients

Get a quick overview of the necessary ingredients. For precise measurements and instructions, refer to the recipe card below. Also, discover the essential baking tools I rely on for daily baking.

Egg whites: Use large egg whites at room temperature, helping them reach their maximum volume. To facilitate separating egg whites from the yolks, use chilled eggs and an egg separator.

Granulated sugar: Process granulated sugar in a food processor for a few seconds to obtain superfine sugar or use caster sugar. It dissolves easier while making the meringue.

White wine vinegar stabilizes the whisked egg whites while making the meringue. Replace it with the same amount of lemon juice or cream of tartar.

Corn starch is an essential ingredient to create a soft marshmallow center of the Pavlova. Replace it with potato starch if preferred.

Spices: Use ground spices such as cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, and ginger.

Heavy cream: Choose heavy or heavy whipping cream with at least 30% fat content.

Mascarpone is added to stabilize the whipped cream.

Mandarins: Use organic, untreated mandarins.

Citrus juice: Use a citrus squeezer to make lemon and orange juice.

Maple syrup: Replace it with golden syrup or light corn syrup if desired.

Gingerbread Pavlova with mandarin on a serving platter.

How to make mandarin and gingerbread Pavlova

Step 1. Preheat the oven to 230°F (110°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and draw a circle 8-inch (20 cm) in diameter with a pencil. Turn the parchment over so that the pencil line is facing down.

Step 2. To make the meringue, with an electric mixer or a stand mixer, whisk egg whites and salt together until soft peaks form.

Step 3. Whisk in the sugar (one spoonful at a time) until the meringue is stiff and glossy. Add white wine vinegar and cornstarch and beat for a few more seconds.

Step 4. Use a large metal spoon to mound the meringue on a baking sheet.

Unbaked meringue shell on parchment paper.

Step 5. With a flour sifter, sprinkle spices over the meringue and create a meringue dome using a rubber or bent spatula.

Baked meringue shell on parchment paper.

Step 6. Bake at 230°F (110°C) for 20 minutes, then reduce heat to 210°F (100°C), and bake for an additional 1 hour 15 minutes.

Step 7. Turn off the oven and leave the meringue in the oven, with the door closed, for 3 to 4 hours (better overnight) until cooled completely.

Step 8. To make the mascarpone whipped cream, beat cold heavy cream cream with an electric mixer. While whisking, add mascarpone and sugar and whisk until medium peaks.

Pro tip: Consult the mascarpone frosting recipe for step-by-step photographed explanations, helpful tips, and tricks.

Step 9. To prepare mandarins, peel mandarins, divide them into segments, cut each segment in half (if desired), and discard pips.

Step 10. To make the sticky sauce, peel 3 strips of zest from a mandarin.

Step 11. In a saucepan, combine zest strips, cinnamon sticks, juices, and syrup and bring it to a boil for about 6 minutes or until the syrup is reduced to ⅓ cup (about 80 ml). Remove and discard zest strips and cinnamon. Set aside to cool.

A mandarin wedge in hand above the assembled meringue.

Step 12. To assemble the Pavlova, place the meringue on a serving platter or a cake stand. Generously garnish it with mascarpone frosting and top it with mandarins.

Step 13. Pour the sticky source all over.

Assembled Gingerbread Pavlova on a serving plate.

Expert Tips

Top the meringue with mascarpone frosting and mandarin slices shortly before serving; otherwise, the meringue will soften and break down due to the mascarpone whipped cream and syrupy fruit's moisture.
Make-ahead option: Bake the meringue dome a day in advance, leave it in the closed oven, and decorate it the next day.

Recipe variation

Flavorings: Experiment with spices in the meringue recipe, increasing each of them up to one teaspoon.

Toppings: Replace mandarin wedges with other citrus fruits (oranges or grapefruit). Learn here how to supreme oranges.

Decoration: Make gingerbread snowflake cookies by following a recipe for Gingerbread cookie ornaments and caramel tree decorations. Or decorate your Pavlova with store-bought gingerbread cookies, crumbling cookies if desired.

Storing and freezing

Gingerbread Pavlova is best enjoyed right after it is assembled. Store leftovers in the refrigerator and eat within 24 hours.

Can you freeze Pavlova? Unfortunately, you can not freeze the assembled Pavlova, but you can freeze the meringue dome.

Place the cooled meringue on a baking sheet lined with parchment and freeze for at least 3 hours or longer. Place it in a freezer-friendly bag, press out as much air as possible, seal and label the bag, and freeze for up to three months.

To thaw, bring the Pavlova meringue to the kitchen counter 2 to 3 hours before serving. Cover the meringue shell with a paper towel while defrosting. Then decorate it with cream and fruit.

Love holiday desserts? Try these next!

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Recipe card

Follow my step-by-step photographed explanations, expert tips, and tricks to help you succeed with this incredibly yummy and delicious recipe.

The nutritional information has been calculated using an online recipe nutrition calculator such as Verywellfit.com and is intended for informational purposes only. These figures should be used as a general guideline and not be construed as a guarantee.

The recipe was originally published on January 01, 2020. It has been updated and may differ from what was originally published.

For reference, if you have made this recipe previously and want to replicate it, the original recipe called for caramel tree decorations made with ⅓ cup (75 g) granulated sugar and 2 tablespoons (30 ml) water.

To make caramel tree decorations, prepare parchment paper. Bring sugar and water in a saucepan over low to medium heat and cook, without stirring, for 12 to 13 minutes or until golden color.

Set aside for 2 minutes or until the caramel begins to thicken slightly. Use a spoon to carefully drizzle the caramel to form tree shapes on the parchment. Set aside to cool and set.

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About Irina Totterman

I'm Irina, an experienced home baker with over 30 years of expertise and the blogger behind Baking Like a Chef (since 2018), where I share baking recipes, tips, and tricks. My recipes have been featured in the renowned French Chef Simon and Le Journal des Femmes.