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For the holidays, the traditional festive pav is getting replaced for a equally impressive sweet creation. Crisp discs of pistachio-infused meringue are layered with smooth nut cream and tart cherry sauce. Upon assembly, the discs become slightly from the moisture, resulting in a pleasantly chewy texture. Consider it a fantastic choice for a festive dessert without the usual suspects of chocolate and booze.

Festive Nut & Fruit Meringue Cake

Inspired by the popularity of a well-known confection, ready-made pistachio spread is now readily available in most supermarkets. It is already sweetened and provides a subtle verdant shade. An alternative is unsweetened nut butter as a substitute, however the tone can be less vibrant 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

Begin by warming the oven to 170C (150C fan)/340F/gas 3½. Line three baking trays with baking paper. Trace around an 18cm plate, outline a circle on each piece of paper. Invert the paper so the ink aren't touching the meringue.

Pulse together the 150g pistachios, icing sugar, cornflour, and salt until largely ground – some larger bits of pistachio are just fine.

In a large bowl and whisk on medium until frothy. Whisk more vigorously and mix until the whites hold a soft peak. Keeping the mixer on, gradually add the caster sugar until the meringue is thick, stiff, and glossy.

Using a spatula, fold the ground nut mix into the meringue, taking care not to over-mix. Spoon the meringue into a pastry bag and snip off about 2.5cm from the tip.

Pipe from the outside of each pencil template, create a meringue layer onto each tray. Smooth the surface carefully. Place in the oven until the meringues are gently colored and sound hollow when tapped. They should peel away cleanly when cool. Allow to cool fully on the trays.

While the meringues bake, make the compote. Add the frozen cherries, lemon juice, and sugar in a pan and cook on a medium-low flame until the cherries begin to release juice. Bring to a boil and cook for five or six minutes until the cherries are broken down slightly. Spoon the cherries to a bowl, keeping the liquid in the pan. Boil the juices until it has halved in volume, then pour it over the cherries. Leave to cool.

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

To assemble, neaten the edges of each meringue disc with a bread knife, following the original circle. Set the first layer on a platter and cover with a layer of the whipped cream. Make a shallow dip (about 10cm-12cm wide) in the middle and add some of the cherries (to stop the compote from running). Top with the next meringue layer and repeat the process, setting aside a few cherries for the top decoration.

Add the last meringue and frost the entire cake with the leftover filling, smoothing it with a palette knife or bench scraper. Adhere the extra nuts onto the sides.

Put the remaining filling into a pastry bag with a star tip and create swirls on top. Garnish with the remaining fruit and refrigerate before serving.