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On this occasion, a classic pavlova is being swapped for a equally impressive dessert featuring meringue. Golden rounds of meringue with pistachio are assembled with creamy pistachio filling and a vibrant cherry compote. As it rests, the meringue softens slightly beneath the filling, resulting in a delightfully cake-like feel. This makes a wonderful alternative for Christmas dining that omits the usual suspects of chocolate and booze.

Pistachio and Cherry Meringue Cake

Thanks to the popularity of a recent social media sensation, ready-made pistachio spread is now readily available in most supermarkets. This product is pre-sweetened and imparts a lovely, soft green hue. An alternative is unsweetened nut butter as a substitute, however the color may be duller 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 warming the oven to 170C (150C fan)/340F/gas 3½. Prepare three baking sheets with baking paper. Using an 18cm plate or cake tin, draw a circle on each piece of paper. Turn the paper upside down so the drawn lines aren't touching the meringue.

Using a processor the 150g pistachios, icing sugar, cornflour, and salt until largely ground – a few chunkier pieces of pistachio are just fine.

Using a stand mixer and mix initially until foamy. Turn up to medium-high and mix until you have soft peaks. While still beating, slowly pour in the caster sugar until the meringue is glossy and forms stiff peaks.

Using a spatula, fold the pistachio mixture into the meringue, taking care not to knock out the air. Place the batter into a pastry bag and snip off about a generous opening from the tip.

Pipe from the outside of each outline, fill the circle with meringue onto each tray. Smooth the surface using a palette knife. Bake for 30-40 minutes until the meringues are lightly browned and sound hollow when tapped. They should peel away cleanly when cool. Remove and cool completely.

In the meantime, make the compote. Place all compote ingredients in a pan and heat gently until the cherries soften. Bring to a boil and cook for about five minutes until the cherries are softened. Spoon the cherries to a bowl, keeping the liquid in the pan. Boil the juices until it has halved in volume, then mix it back with the cherries. Allow to reach room temperature.

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

When building the cake, trim the sides of each meringue disc with a bread knife, for a clean edge. Set the first layer on a cake stand and cover with a generous amount of the whipped cream. Make a shallow dip (about 10cm-12cm wide) in the middle and add 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 finish.

Place the final disc and frost the entire cake with the remaining cream, smoothing it with a knife. Pat the reserved pistachios onto the sides.

Put the remaining filling into a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle and pipe rosettes on top. Top with the saved cherries and refrigerate before serving.