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On this occasion, a classic pavlova is making way for a equally impressive dessert featuring meringue. Golden rounds of meringue with pistachio are layered with smooth nut cream and tart cherry sauce. Upon assembly, the meringue layers give slightly from the moisture, resulting in a soft and tender feel. This makes a fantastic choice for Christmas dining that omits the usual suspects of chocolate and booze.

Festive Nut & Fruit Meringue Cake

Thanks to the popularity of a well-known confection, sweet pistachio paste is easy to find in local shops. The spread is already sweetened and offers a subtle verdant shade. You could opt for unsweetened nut butter as a substitute, however the color may be duller and you'll likely need to sweeten it to taste.

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

First, preheating the oven to 170C (150C fan)/340F/gas 3½. Prepare three baking sheets with parchment paper. Using an 18cm plate or cake tin, outline a circle on every sheet. Invert the paper so the ink don't come into contact the meringue.

In a food processor the 150g pistachios, icing sugar, cornflour, and salt until largely ground – a few chunkier pieces of pistachio are perfectly acceptable.

Using a stand mixer and mix initially until light and bubbly. Turn up to medium-high and beat until soft peaks form. While still beating, incorporate little by little the caster sugar until the meringue is firm, shiny, and holds its shape.

Gently fold the ground nut mix into the meringue, being careful not to over-mix. Transfer the mixture into a bag fitted with a large tip and snip off about 2.5cm from the tip.

Starting from the outer edge of each drawn circle, create a meringue layer onto each tray. Level the top gently. Cook for 30 to 40 minutes until the meringues are pale gold and are set to the touch. They should come off the paper when cool. Remove and cool completely.

While the meringues bake, make the compote. Add the frozen cherries, lemon juice, and sugar in a pan and heat gently until the cherries begin to release juice. Let it come to a simmer 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 reduced by just over half, then pour it over the cherries. Set aside to cool.

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

To assemble, even out the discs of each meringue disc with a small serrated knife, following the original circle. Position the bottom meringue on a cake stand and top with a layer of the whipped cream. Create a slight well (about 10cm-12cm wide) in the middle and add some of the cherries (to stop the syrup from leaking). Top with the next meringue layer and repeat the process, saving a small handful for the top decoration.

Add the last meringue and frost the entire cake with the leftover filling, smoothing it with a knife. Press the chopped pistachios onto the edges.

Transfer any leftover cream into a pastry bag with a star tip and add decorative dollops on top. Top with the saved cherries and keep cold until it's time to eat.