🔗 Share this article

On this occasion, the traditional festive pav is being swapped for a wonderfully different dessert featuring meringue. Crisp discs of meringue with pistachio are assembled with creamy pistachio filling and a vibrant cherry compote. Upon assembly, the meringue layers give slightly under the cream, achieving a delightfully cake-like texture. It's a superb option for Christmas dining that omits the usual suspects of chocolate and booze.

Pistachio and Cherry Meringue Cake

Owing to the craze of a recent social media sensation, ready-made pistachio spread is easy to find in local shops. The spread is already sweetened and offers a subtle verdant shade. One might use pistachio butter instead, however the hue might be muddier and it may require 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

Instructions

Begin by preheating the oven to 170C (150C fan)/340F/gas 3½. Cover three trays with baking paper. Trace around an 18cm plate, outline a circle on each piece of paper. Turn the paper upside down so the pen marks don't come into contact the meringue.

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

Place the egg whites and beat at medium speed until foamy. Increase the speed and continue to whisk until soft peaks form. With the mixer running, incorporate little by little the caster sugar until the meringue is glossy and forms stiff peaks.

Using a spatula, fold the processed nuts into the meringue, taking care not to over-mix. Place the batter into a pastry bag and snip off about an inch from the tip.

Beginning at the perimeter of each pencil template, create a meringue layer onto each tray. Even it out gently. Cook for 30 to 40 minutes until the meringues are gently colored and sound hollow when tapped. They should come off the paper when cool. Remove and cool completely.

Meanwhile, prepare the cherry sauce. Place all compote ingredients in a pan and warm over low heat until the cherries start to thaw and liquid forms. Bring to a boil and cook for 5-6 minutes until the cherries are softened. Remove the cherries with a slotted spoon to a bowl, keeping the liquid 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, whip together the whipping cream and pistachio creme in a bowl until smooth and spreadable.

When building the cake, trim the sides of each meringue disc with a small serrated knife, following the original circle. Set the first layer on a serving plate and top with a generous amount of the whipped cream. Form a depression (about 10cm-12cm wide) in the top and spoon in some of the cherries (this prevents the syrup from leaking). Add another disc and layer again, saving a few cherries for the top decoration.

Place the final disc and mask the cake with the rest of the pistachio cream, spreading it with a palette knife or bench scraper. Press the chopped pistachios onto the edges.

Transfer any leftover cream into a pastry bag with a star tip and create swirls on top. Top with the reserved cherries and chill until ready to serve.