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For the holidays, a classic pavlova is making way for a similarly delightful dessert featuring meringue. Golden rounds of nutty meringue are assembled with a lush pistachio cream and a vibrant cherry compote. While it sits, the discs become slightly beneath the filling, creating a pleasantly chewy feel. Consider it a wonderful alternative for a festive dessert without chocolate, alcohol, or dried fruit.

Pistachio and Cherry Meringue Cake

Owing to the craze of a well-known confection, pistachio creme is easy to find in local shops. It is sugar-added and imparts a subtle verdant shade. You could opt for pure pistachio paste instead, but the tone can be less vibrant and some added sweetness is needed to balance the flavor.

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

Method

First, warming the oven to 170C (150C fan)/340F/gas 3½. Cover three trays with baking paper. Using an 18cm plate or cake tin, draw a circle on the parchment. Flip the paper over so the drawn lines don't come into contact the meringue.

Pulse together the 150g pistachios, icing sugar, cornflour, and salt until largely ground – some texture of pistachio are just fine.

Place the egg whites and mix initially until frothy. Increase the speed and continue to whisk until you have soft peaks. While still beating, incorporate little by little the caster sugar until the meringue is thick, stiff, and glossy.

Gently fold the processed nuts into the meringue, being careful not to deflate it. Place the batter into a large piping bag and trim about a generous opening from the tip.

Beginning at the perimeter of each pencil template, fill the circle with meringue onto each tray. Even it out gently. Bake for 30-40 minutes until the meringues are gently colored and sound hollow when tapped. They should release easily when cool. Take out and let cool.

In the meantime, combine the compote ingredients. Add the frozen cherries, lemon juice, and sugar in a pan and cook on a medium-low flame until the cherries start to thaw and liquid forms. Increase the heat to boil and cook for 5-6 minutes until the cherries are broken down slightly. Spoon the cherries to a bowl, reserving the syrup in the pan. Boil the juices until it has halved in volume, then pour it over the cherries. Leave to cool.

To make the filling, beat the whipping cream and pistachio creme in a bowl until just thickened.

When building the cake, even out the discs of each meringue disc with a gentle sawing motion, following the original circle. Position the bottom meringue on a serving plate and spread on a generous amount of the whipped cream. Create a slight well (about 10cm-12cm wide) in the middle and add some of the cherries (to stop the compote from running). Top with the next meringue layer and repeat with more cream and cherries, setting aside a portion for the final garnish.

Set the top layer and cover the top and sides with the rest of the pistachio cream, spreading it with a offset spatula. Adhere the extra nuts onto the vertical surface.

Place the rest of the cream into a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle and create swirls on top. Garnish with the saved cherries and keep cold until it's time to eat.