🔗 Share this article

This year, the traditional festive pav is getting replaced for a equally impressive meringue-based treat. Crisp discs of pistachio-infused meringue are stacked with a lush pistachio cream and a vibrant cherry compote. While it sits, the discs become slightly from the moisture, resulting in a pleasantly chewy consistency. This makes a fantastic choice for Christmas dining free from the usual suspects of chocolate and booze.

Cherry and Pistachio Meringue Cake

Inspired by the craze of a certain viral chocolate bar, sweet pistachio paste is now readily available in local shops. The spread is sugar-added and offers 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

Method

First, warming the oven to 170C (150C fan)/340F/gas 3½. Line three baking trays with baking paper. Take an 18cm cake ring, draw a circle on each piece of paper. 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 – some larger bits of pistachio are perfectly acceptable.

In a large bowl and beat at medium speed until light and bubbly. Whisk more vigorously and mix until the whites hold a soft peak. Keeping the mixer on, gradually add the caster sugar until the meringue is glossy and forms stiff peaks.

Using a spatula, fold the ground nut mix into the meringue, being careful not to deflate it. Place the batter into a pastry bag and trim about 2.5cm from the tip.

Pipe from the outside of each outline, fill the circle with meringue onto each tray. Level the top gently. Cook for 30 to 40 minutes until the meringues are gently colored and sound hollow when tapped. They should release easily when cool. Allow to cool fully on the trays.

In the meantime, prepare the cherry sauce. Add the frozen cherries, lemon juice, and sugar in a pan and cook on a medium-low flame until the cherries start to thaw and liquid forms. Increase the heat to boil and cook for 5-6 minutes until the cherries are tender. Remove the cherries with a slotted spoon to a bowl, leaving the juices in the pan. Reduce the liquid until it has thickened slightly, then combine it with the cherries. Leave 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 gentle sawing motion, for a clean edge. Position the bottom meringue on a cake stand and cover with a layer of the whipped cream. Make a shallow dip (about 10cm-12cm wide) in the top and place some of the cherries (this contains the compote from running). Top with the next meringue layer and repeat with more cream and cherries, setting aside a few cherries for the top decoration.

Set the top layer and frost the entire cake with the rest of the pistachio cream, spreading it 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 keep cold until it's time to eat.