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For the holidays, a classic pavlova is being swapped for a wonderfully different dessert featuring meringue. Golden rounds of pistachio-infused meringue are layered with creamy pistachio filling and a vibrant cherry compote. Upon assembly, the discs become slightly from the moisture, resulting in a soft and tender texture. Consider it a superb option for Christmas dining without chocolate, alcohol, or dried fruit.

Cherry and Pistachio Meringue Cake

Owing to the trend of a recent social media sensation, pistachio creme is simple to source in most supermarkets. It is sugar-added and provides a subtle verdant shade. An alternative is pure pistachio paste as a substitute, but the color may be duller and you'll likely need 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

Method

First, heating your oven to 170C (150C fan)/340F/gas 3½. Line three baking trays with baking paper. Take an 18cm cake ring, mark a circle on every sheet. Invert the paper so the pen marks don't come into contact the meringue.

Pulse together the 150g pistachios, icing sugar, cornflour, and salt until mostly fine – a few chunkier pieces of pistachio are just fine.

Place the egg whites and whisk on medium until frothy. Turn up to medium-high and beat until the whites hold a soft peak. Keeping the mixer on, incorporate little by little the caster sugar until the meringue is glossy and forms stiff peaks.

Using a spatula, fold the pistachio mixture into the meringue, ensuring not to knock out the air. Spoon the meringue into a pastry bag and cut off about a generous opening from the tip.

Beginning at the perimeter of each outline, pipe a meringue disc onto each tray. Even it out carefully. Place in the oven until the meringues are pale gold and sound hollow when tapped. They should come off the paper when cool. Allow to cool fully on the trays.

In the meantime, combine the compote ingredients. Place all compote ingredients in a pot and warm over low heat until the cherries soften. Bring to a boil and cook for about five minutes until the cherries are broken down slightly. Spoon the cherries 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, beat the whipping cream and pistachio creme in a bowl until smooth and spreadable.

When building the cake, neaten the edges of each meringue disc with a small serrated knife, following the original circle. Position the bottom meringue on a cake stand and spread on a some of the whipped cream. Form a depression (about 10cm-12cm wide) in the center and add some of the cherries (to stop the syrup from leaking). Add another disc and repeat with more cream and cherries, setting aside a few cherries for the top decoration.

Add the last meringue and mask the cake with the rest of the pistachio cream, using a palette knife with a offset spatula. Press the chopped pistachios onto the sides.

Transfer any leftover cream into a pastry bag with a star tip and create swirls on top. Top with the reserved cherries and refrigerate before serving.