🔗 Share this article

On this occasion, the traditional festive pav is making way for a similarly delightful dessert featuring meringue. Crisp discs of nutty meringue are layered with smooth nut cream and a vibrant cherry compote. While it sits, the meringue softens slightly from the moisture, achieving a soft and tender feel. It's a superb option for a holiday sweet that omits chocolate, alcohol, or dried fruit.

Festive Nut & Fruit Meringue Cake

Thanks to the craze of a certain viral chocolate bar, sweet pistachio paste is now readily available in local shops. The spread is pre-sweetened and offers a beautiful pale green color. One might use pistachio butter instead, however the hue might be muddier and some added sweetness is needed to balance the flavor.

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

Begin by warming the oven to 170C (150C fan)/340F/gas 3½. Cover three trays with baking paper. Using an 18cm plate or cake tin, mark a circle on each piece of paper. Flip the paper over so the pen marks aren't touching the meringue.

Using a processor the 150g pistachios, icing sugar, cornflour, and salt until mostly fine – some larger bits of pistachio are perfectly acceptable.

In a large bowl and beat at medium speed until foamy. Whisk more vigorously and continue to whisk until you have soft peaks. With the mixer running, gradually add the caster sugar until the meringue is glossy and forms stiff peaks.

Using a spatula, fold the pistachio mixture into the meringue, ensuring not to knock out the air. Spoon the meringue into a large piping bag and snip off about a generous opening from the tip.

Pipe from the outside of each outline, fill the circle with meringue onto each tray. Even it out carefully. Place in the oven until the meringues are lightly browned and are set to the touch. They should come off the paper when cool. Allow to cool fully on the trays.

Meanwhile, make the compote. Add the frozen cherries, lemon juice, and sugar in a pan and warm over low heat until the cherries start to thaw and liquid forms. Let it come to a simmer and cook for about five minutes until the cherries are broken down slightly. Spoon the cherries to a bowl, reserving the syrup in the pan. Simmer the syrup until it has thickened slightly, then mix it back with the cherries. Leave to cool.

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

When building the cake, even out the discs of each meringue disc with a gentle sawing motion, for a clean edge. Set the first layer on a serving plate and spread on a layer of the whipped cream. Make a shallow dip (about 10cm-12cm wide) in the center and place some of the cherries (to stop the compote from running). Place the second layer and layer again, reserving a few cherries for the final garnish.

Add the last meringue and mask the cake with the leftover filling, smoothing it with a palette knife or bench scraper. Pat the reserved pistachios onto the sides.

Place the rest of the cream into a bag with a decorative tip and add decorative dollops on top. Add the the reserved cherries and chill until ready to serve.