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For the holidays, my usual Christmas dessert is making way for a equally impressive meringue-based treat. Baked layers of pistachio-infused meringue are layered with creamy pistachio filling and juicy cherry mixture. While it sits, the meringue softens slightly beneath the filling, resulting in a pleasantly chewy consistency. Consider it a wonderful alternative for a holiday sweet without traditional rich ingredients.

Cherry and Pistachio Meringue Cake

Inspired by the craze of a recent social media sensation, pistachio creme is now readily available in most supermarkets. The spread is already sweetened and imparts a lovely, soft green hue. An alternative is unsweetened nut butter as a substitute, however the hue might be muddier 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

Instructions

First, warming the oven to 170C (150C fan)/340F/gas 3½. Prepare three baking sheets with baking paper. Trace around an 18cm plate, outline a circle on every sheet. Turn the paper upside down so the drawn lines don't come into contact the meringue.

In a food processor the 150g pistachios, icing sugar, cornflour, and salt until finely processed – some larger bits of pistachio are perfectly acceptable.

Place the egg whites and mix initially until frothy. Increase the speed and mix until the whites hold a soft peak. Keeping the mixer on, gradually add the caster sugar until the meringue is thick, stiff, and glossy.

Gently fold the ground nut mix into the meringue, ensuring not to deflate it. Transfer the mixture into a pastry bag and snip off about an inch from the tip.

Starting from the outer edge of each pencil template, fill the circle with meringue onto each tray. Smooth the surface carefully. Place in the oven 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. Put the cherries, lemon juice, and sugar in a pan and heat gently until the cherries start to thaw and liquid forms. Increase the heat to boil and cook for five or six minutes until the cherries are softened. Remove the cherries with a slotted spoon to a bowl, leaving the juices in the pan. Simmer the syrup until it has thickened slightly, then combine it with the cherries. Set aside to cool.

To make the filling, combine the whipping cream and pistachio creme in a bowl until smooth and spreadable.

For construction, neaten the edges of each meringue disc with a small serrated knife, following the original circle. Set the first layer on a cake stand and spread on a generous amount of the whipped cream. Create a slight well (about 10cm-12cm wide) in the top and add some of the cherries (this prevents the compote from running). Place the second layer and layer again, setting aside a few cherries for the final garnish.

Add the last meringue and mask the cake with the rest of the pistachio cream, using a palette knife with a offset spatula. Adhere the extra nuts onto the vertical surface.

Place the rest of the cream into a bag with a decorative tip and add decorative dollops on top. Add the the reserved cherries and chill until ready to serve.