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This year, my usual Christmas dessert is making way for a wonderfully different meringue-based treat. Baked layers of nutty meringue are stacked with smooth nut cream and tart cherry sauce. Upon assembly, the meringue layers give slightly from the moisture, resulting in a delightfully cake-like feel. Consider it a wonderful alternative for a holiday sweet free from chocolate, alcohol, or dried fruit.

Cherry and Pistachio Meringue Cake

Thanks to the trend of a recent social media sensation, pistachio creme is easy to find in many grocery stores. It is already sweetened and provides a subtle verdant shade. You could opt for pistachio butter as a substitute, however the tone can be less vibrant and some added sweetness is needed 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

Instructions

First, preheating the oven to 170C (150C fan)/340F/gas 3½. Prepare three baking sheets with greaseproof paper. Take an 18cm cake ring, mark a circle on every sheet. Turn the paper upside down so the pen marks aren't touching the meringue.

Using a processor the 150g pistachios, icing sugar, cornflour, and salt until largely ground – some texture of pistachio are desirable.

In a large bowl and whisk on medium until light and bubbly. Increase the speed and beat until soft peaks form. With the mixer running, incorporate little by little the caster sugar until the meringue is glossy and forms stiff peaks.

Using a spatula, fold the processed nuts into the meringue, being careful not to deflate it. Place the batter into a large piping bag 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. Even it out gently. Cook for 30 to 40 minutes until the meringues are pale gold and feel firm. They should peel away cleanly when cool. Allow to cool fully on the trays.

Meanwhile, prepare the cherry sauce. Put the cherries, lemon juice, and sugar in a pot and warm over low heat until the cherries begin to release juice. Increase the heat to boil and cook for 5-6 minutes until the cherries are tender. Spoon the cherries to a bowl, leaving the juices in the pan. Simmer the syrup until it has reduced by just over half, then combine it with the cherries. Allow to reach room temperature.

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

To assemble, neaten the edges of each meringue disc with a small serrated knife, for a clean edge. Position the bottom meringue on a serving plate and cover with a generous amount of the whipped cream. Create a slight well (about 10cm-12cm wide) in the center and add some of the cherries (to stop the juices from spilling). Add another disc and repeat with more cream and cherries, reserving a few cherries for the top decoration.

Place the final disc and frost the entire cake with the leftover filling, using a palette knife with a knife. Adhere the extra nuts onto the edges.

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