This Inspired Creation for Cherry and Pistachio Meringue Cake

This year, the traditional festive pav is making way for a equally impressive sweet creation. Crisp discs of nutty meringue are stacked with smooth nut cream and a vibrant cherry compote. As it rests, the meringue softens slightly from the moisture, achieving a soft and tender texture. This makes a superb option for Christmas dining free from traditional rich ingredients.

Festive Nut & Fruit Meringue Cake

Owing to the trend of a recent social media sensation, pistachio creme is now readily available in local shops. This product is already sweetened and provides a beautiful pale green color. You could opt for pistachio butter as a substitute, however the color may be duller and it may require 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, warming the oven to 170C (150C fan)/340F/gas 3½. Cover three trays with baking paper. Using an 18cm plate or cake tin, draw a circle on the parchment. Flip the paper over so the pen marks don't come into contact the meringue.

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

Place the egg whites and mix initially until foamy. Whisk more vigorously and continue to whisk until you have soft peaks. Keeping the mixer on, slowly pour in 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 knock out the air. Transfer the mixture into a bag fitted with a large tip and trim about 2.5cm from the tip.

Starting from the outer edge of each drawn circle, fill the circle with meringue onto each tray. Smooth the surface gently. Cook for 30 to 40 minutes until the meringues are lightly browned and are set to the touch. They should release easily when cool. Remove and cool completely.

In the meantime, combine the compote ingredients. Add the frozen cherries, lemon juice, and sugar in a pan and heat gently until the cherries begin to release juice. Bring to a boil and cook for 5-6 minutes until the cherries are softened. Transfer the fruit to a bowl, keeping the liquid in the pan. Simmer the syrup until it has halved in volume, then pour it over the cherries. Allow to reach room temperature.

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

When building the cake, trim the sides of each meringue disc with a small serrated knife, for a clean edge. Set the first layer on a serving plate and top with a generous amount of the whipped cream. Create a slight well (about 10cm-12cm wide) in the middle and add some of the cherries (this contains the juices from spilling). Add another disc and repeat the process, setting aside a portion for the top decoration.

Place the final disc and mask the cake with the remaining cream, spreading it with a offset spatula. Press the chopped pistachios onto the sides.

Place the rest of the cream into a bag with a decorative tip and pipe rosettes on top. Top with the saved cherries and keep cold until it's time to eat.