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For the holidays, the traditional festive pav is getting replaced for a similarly delightful meringue-based treat. Baked layers of meringue with pistachio are stacked with smooth nut cream and a vibrant cherry compote. Upon assembly, the meringue softens slightly beneath the filling, resulting in a pleasantly chewy texture. This makes a wonderful alternative for Christmas dining free from traditional rich ingredients.

Festive Nut & Fruit Meringue Cake

Inspired by the craze of a well-known confection, ready-made pistachio spread is simple to source in many grocery stores. This product is already sweetened and imparts a subtle verdant shade. An alternative is pistachio butter instead, but the tone can be less vibrant and some added sweetness is needed 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 parchment paper. Using an 18cm plate or cake tin, outline a circle on each piece of paper. Turn the paper upside down so the pen marks won't transfer the meringue.

In a food processor the 150g pistachios, icing sugar, cornflour, and salt until mostly fine – some larger bits of pistachio are desirable.

Place the egg whites and whisk on medium until light and bubbly. Turn up to medium-high and continue to whisk until you have soft peaks. With the mixer running, gradually add the caster sugar until the meringue is thick, stiff, and glossy.

Gently fold the pistachio mixture into the meringue, being careful not to deflate it. Place the batter into a pastry bag and trim about a generous opening from the tip.

Starting from the outer edge of each pencil template, create a meringue layer onto each tray. Even it out carefully. Bake for 30-40 minutes until the meringues are lightly browned and sound hollow when tapped. They should peel away cleanly when cool. Allow to cool fully on the trays.

While the meringues bake, prepare the cherry sauce. Put the cherries, lemon juice, and sugar in a saucepan and cook on a medium-low flame until the cherries soften. Bring to a boil and cook for about five 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 reduced by just over half, then pour it over the cherries. Leave to cool.

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

For construction, trim the sides of each meringue disc with a gentle sawing motion, for a clean edge. Place one disc on a serving plate and top with a layer of the whipped cream. Create a slight well (about 10cm-12cm wide) in the middle and spoon in some of the cherries (this contains the syrup from leaking). Top with the next meringue layer and layer again, setting aside a few cherries for the top decoration.

Add the last meringue and frost the entire cake with the remaining cream, using a palette knife with a knife. Adhere the extra nuts onto the sides.

Transfer any leftover cream into a bag with a decorative tip and add decorative dollops on top. Garnish with the remaining fruit and chill until ready to serve.