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For the holidays, my usual Christmas dessert is getting replaced for a equally impressive sweet creation. Crisp discs of meringue with pistachio are assembled with a lush pistachio cream and tart cherry sauce. Upon assembly, the meringue softens slightly under the cream, resulting in a pleasantly chewy texture. Consider it a superb option for Christmas dining that omits chocolate, alcohol, or dried fruit.

Pistachio and Cherry Meringue Cake

Owing to the craze of a certain viral chocolate bar, sweet pistachio paste is now readily available in most supermarkets. It is sugar-added and offers a beautiful pale green color. You could opt for pistachio butter instead, however the tone can be less vibrant 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. Line three baking trays with parchment paper. Using an 18cm plate or cake tin, draw a circle on every sheet. Flip the paper over so the drawn lines won't transfer the meringue.

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

Using a stand mixer and beat at medium speed until foamy. Increase the speed and mix until you have soft peaks. With the mixer running, incorporate little by little the caster sugar until the meringue is glossy and forms stiff peaks.

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

Starting from the outer edge of each outline, fill the circle with meringue onto each tray. Even it out gently. Bake for 30-40 minutes until the meringues are gently colored and feel firm. They should come off the paper when cool. Remove and cool completely.

While the meringues bake, combine the compote ingredients. Put the cherries, lemon juice, and sugar in a pot and cook on a medium-low flame until the cherries start to thaw and liquid forms. Let it come to a simmer and cook for about five minutes until the cherries are broken down slightly. Remove the cherries with a slotted spoon to a bowl, reserving the syrup in the pan. Simmer the syrup until it has halved in volume, then combine it with the cherries. Set aside to cool.

For the pistachio cream, whip together the whipping cream and pistachio creme in a bowl until it holds soft peaks.

When building the cake, even out the discs of each meringue disc with a small serrated knife, for a clean edge. Position the bottom meringue on a cake stand and spread on a generous amount of the whipped cream. Create a slight well (about 10cm-12cm wide) in the center 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 few cherries for the finish.

Place the final disc and mask the cake with the remaining cream, using a palette knife with a knife. Adhere the extra nuts onto the sides.

Put the remaining filling into a pastry bag with a star tip and create swirls on top. Top with the remaining fruit and keep cold until it's time to eat.