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For the holidays, a classic pavlova is getting replaced for a equally impressive dessert featuring meringue. Baked layers of meringue with pistachio are assembled with a lush pistachio cream and a vibrant cherry compote. As it rests, the discs become slightly from the moisture, resulting in a soft and tender texture. It's a superb option for a festive dessert that omits traditional rich ingredients.

Cherry and Pistachio Meringue Cake

Inspired by the popularity of a recent social media sensation, sweet pistachio paste is now readily available in many grocery stores. It is sugar-added and provides a lovely, soft green hue. An alternative is pure pistachio paste if preferred, though 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

Begin by preheating the oven to 170C (150C fan)/340F/gas 3½. Cover three trays with parchment paper. Take an 18cm cake ring, outline a circle on the parchment. Turn the paper upside down so the drawn lines don't come into contact the meringue.

Pulse together the 150g pistachios, icing sugar, cornflour, and salt until mostly fine – some larger bits of pistachio are perfectly acceptable.

Place the egg whites and beat at medium speed until frothy. Increase the speed and continue to whisk until soft peaks form. Keeping the mixer on, gradually add 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. Spoon the meringue into a bag fitted with a large tip and trim about 2.5cm from the tip.

Beginning at the perimeter of each drawn circle, fill the circle with meringue onto each tray. Smooth the surface carefully. Place in the oven until the meringues are gently colored and feel firm. They should peel away cleanly when cool. Allow to cool fully on the trays.

While the meringues bake, make the compote. Put the cherries, lemon juice, and sugar in a pot and cook on a medium-low flame until the cherries soften. Increase the heat to boil and cook for 5-6 minutes until the cherries are broken down slightly. Transfer the fruit to a bowl, keeping the liquid in the pan. Reduce the liquid until it has halved in volume, then pour it over the cherries. Leave to cool.

Prepare the cream layer, beat the whipping cream and pistachio creme in a bowl until just thickened.

When building the cake, even out the discs of each meringue disc with a small serrated knife, using the 18cm guide. Set the first layer on a platter and spread on a some of the whipped cream. Make a shallow dip (about 10cm-12cm wide) in the center and add some of the cherries (this prevents the compote from running). Top with the next meringue layer and repeat with more cream and cherries, reserving a small handful for the top decoration.

Add the last meringue and mask the cake with the leftover filling, using a palette knife with a palette knife or bench scraper. Pat the reserved pistachios onto the edges.

Put the remaining filling into a pastry bag with a star tip and add decorative dollops on top. Garnish with the reserved cherries and refrigerate before serving.