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On this occasion, the traditional festive pav is being swapped for a similarly delightful dessert featuring meringue. Crisp discs of pistachio-infused meringue are stacked with a lush pistachio cream and juicy cherry mixture. Upon assembly, the meringue softens slightly under the cream, creating a pleasantly chewy consistency. It's a superb option for a holiday sweet without traditional rich ingredients.

Festive Nut & Fruit Meringue Cake

Inspired by the trend of a certain viral chocolate bar, pistachio creme is simple to source in most supermarkets. The spread is already sweetened and imparts a subtle verdant shade. An alternative is unsweetened nut butter as a substitute, however the color may be duller 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

Method

First, warming the oven to 170C (150C fan)/340F/gas 3½. Cover three trays with baking paper. Trace around an 18cm plate, outline a circle on the parchment. Turn the paper upside down so the ink 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 mix initially until foamy. Increase the speed and continue to whisk until soft peaks form. While still beating, slowly pour in the caster sugar until the meringue is thick, stiff, and glossy.

Using a spatula, fold the processed nuts into the meringue, being careful not to knock out the air. Place the batter into a large piping bag and cut off about a generous opening from the tip.

Starting from the outer edge of each outline, create a meringue layer onto each tray. Smooth the surface carefully. Cook for 30 to 40 minutes until the meringues are lightly browned and feel firm. They should release easily 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 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 broken down slightly. Transfer the fruit to a bowl, keeping the liquid in the pan. Boil the juices until it has halved in volume, then pour it over the cherries. Set aside to cool.

For the pistachio cream, beat the whipping cream and pistachio creme in a bowl until smooth and spreadable.

For construction, even out the discs of each meringue disc with a small serrated knife, following the original circle. Position the bottom meringue on a serving plate and top with a generous amount of the whipped cream. Form a depression (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, reserving a portion for the top decoration.

Place the final disc and frost the entire cake with the leftover filling, smoothing it with a palette knife or bench scraper. Adhere the extra nuts onto the vertical surface.

Place the rest of the cream into a pastry bag with a star tip and pipe rosettes on top. Add the the remaining fruit and refrigerate before serving.