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For the holidays, the traditional festive pav is making way for a similarly delightful dessert featuring meringue. Crisp discs of meringue with pistachio are layered with smooth nut cream and juicy cherry mixture. As it rests, the discs become slightly beneath the filling, achieving a delightfully cake-like texture. Consider it a fantastic choice for a festive dessert that omits the usual suspects of chocolate and booze.

Pistachio and Cherry Meringue Cake

Thanks to the trend of a certain viral chocolate bar, ready-made pistachio spread is simple to source in most supermarkets. This product is already sweetened and offers a subtle verdant shade. An alternative is unsweetened nut butter as a substitute, however the hue might be muddier and some added sweetness is needed to adjust the sweetness.

Prep: 5 min
Cook: 2 hr 20 min
Serves: 12-16

For the Meringue Discs
150g pistachio kernels, plus an extra 50g, chopped, for garnish
50g icing sugar
1 tsp cornflour
A pinch of salt
165g egg whites
155g caster sugar

For the Cherry Compote
350g frozen cherries
Juice of ½ lemon
60g caster sugar

For the Pistachio Cream
600ml whipping cream
60g pistachio creme

Directions

Begin by heating your oven to 170C (150C fan)/340F/gas 3½. Line three baking trays with baking paper. Take an 18cm cake ring, mark a circle on each piece of paper. Turn the paper upside down so the ink aren't touching the meringue.

Using a processor the 150g pistachios, icing sugar, cornflour, and salt until largely ground – some larger bits of pistachio are just fine.

In a large bowl and beat at medium speed until foamy. Turn up to medium-high and continue to whisk until the whites hold a soft peak. With the mixer running, slowly pour in the caster sugar until the meringue is glossy and forms stiff peaks.

Gently fold the pistachio mixture into the meringue, being careful not to deflate it. Place the batter into a pastry bag and trim about a generous opening from the tip.

Beginning at the perimeter of each pencil template, create a meringue layer onto each tray. Even it out carefully. Cook for 30 to 40 minutes until the meringues are pale gold and sound hollow when tapped. They should peel away cleanly when cool. Allow to cool fully on the trays.

While the meringues bake, make the compote. Add the frozen cherries, lemon juice, and sugar in a saucepan and heat gently until the cherries soften. Let it come to a simmer and cook for 5-6 minutes until the cherries are softened. Spoon the cherries to a bowl, leaving the juices in the pan. Simmer the syrup until it has halved in volume, then combine it with the cherries. Leave to cool.

For the pistachio cream, combine the whipping cream and pistachio creme in a bowl until just thickened.

To assemble, even out the discs of each meringue disc with a bread knife, using the 18cm guide. Set the first layer on a platter and cover with a layer of the whipped cream. Form a depression (about 10cm-12cm wide) in the top and place some of the cherries (this contains the juices from spilling). Top with the next meringue layer and repeat with more cream and cherries, setting aside a small handful for the final garnish.

Place the final disc and mask the cake with the remaining cream, spreading it with a palette knife or bench scraper. Pat the reserved pistachios onto the edges.

Transfer any leftover cream into a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle and pipe rosettes on top. Top with the saved cherries and chill until ready to serve.