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This year, my usual Christmas dessert is being swapped for a similarly delightful dessert featuring meringue. Golden rounds of nutty meringue are stacked with smooth nut cream and tart cherry sauce. Upon assembly, the meringue softens slightly beneath the filling, resulting in a soft and tender texture. It's a superb option for a holiday sweet that omits chocolate, alcohol, or dried fruit.

Cherry and Pistachio Meringue Cake

Thanks to the trend of a recent social media sensation, ready-made pistachio spread is simple to source in local shops. It is already sweetened and imparts a beautiful pale green color. An alternative is unsweetened nut butter if preferred, however the hue might be muddier and it may require 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, heating your oven to 170C (150C fan)/340F/gas 3½. Cover three trays with baking paper. Trace around an 18cm plate, mark a circle on each piece of paper. Invert the paper so the pen marks aren't touching the meringue.

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

Using a stand mixer and mix initially until frothy. Turn up to medium-high and continue to whisk until the whites hold a soft peak. With the mixer running, gradually add 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 over-mix. Spoon the meringue into a bag fitted with a large tip and snip off about an inch from the tip.

Pipe from the outside of each outline, create a meringue layer onto each tray. Level the top using a palette knife. Cook for 30 to 40 minutes until the meringues are pale gold and sound hollow when tapped. They should come off the paper when cool. Allow to cool fully on the trays.

In the meantime, combine the compote ingredients. Add the frozen cherries, lemon juice, and sugar in a pot 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. Spoon the cherries to a bowl, leaving the juices in the pan. Simmer the syrup until it has thickened slightly, then pour it over the cherries. Set aside to cool.

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

When building the cake, neaten the edges of each meringue disc with a small serrated knife, following the original circle. Set the first layer on a serving plate and top with a some of the whipped cream. Make a shallow dip (about 10cm-12cm wide) in the middle and spoon in some of the cherries (this prevents the juices from spilling). Place the second layer and repeat the process, reserving a small handful for the top decoration.

Add the last meringue and cover the top and sides with the rest of the pistachio cream, spreading it with a offset spatula. Press the chopped pistachios onto the edges.

Transfer any leftover cream into a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle and create swirls on top. Garnish with the remaining fruit and chill until ready to serve.