Benjamina Ebuehi's Recipe for Pistachio and Cherry Meringue Cake

This year, a classic pavlova is being swapped for a wonderfully different sweet creation. Baked layers of pistachio-infused meringue are layered with a lush pistachio cream and tart cherry sauce. Upon assembly, the meringue layers give slightly beneath the filling, creating a pleasantly chewy feel. It's a fantastic choice for Christmas dining free from chocolate, alcohol, or dried fruit.

Festive Nut & Fruit Meringue Cake

Inspired by the craze of a certain viral chocolate bar, ready-made pistachio spread is easy to find in most supermarkets. It is already sweetened and provides a beautiful pale green color. You could opt for pistachio butter if preferred, though the hue might be muddier 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

Instructions

First, heating your oven to 170C (150C fan)/340F/gas 3½. Cover three trays with greaseproof paper. Take an 18cm cake ring, mark a circle on every sheet. Invert the paper so the ink don't come into contact the meringue.

In a food processor the 150g pistachios, icing sugar, cornflour, and salt until largely ground – some larger bits of pistachio are perfectly acceptable.

In a large bowl and beat at medium speed until foamy. Turn up to medium-high and continue to whisk until the whites hold a soft peak. Keeping the mixer on, incorporate little by little the caster sugar until the meringue is thick, stiff, and glossy.

Carefully incorporate the pistachio mixture into the meringue, ensuring not to deflate it. Transfer the mixture into a bag fitted with a large tip and trim about an inch from the tip.

Starting from the outer edge of each drawn circle, create a meringue layer onto each tray. Smooth the surface using a palette knife. Place in the oven until the meringues are pale gold and sound hollow when tapped. They should release easily when cool. Take out and let cool.

While the meringues bake, combine the compote ingredients. Place all compote ingredients 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 broken down slightly. Spoon the cherries to a bowl, reserving the syrup in the pan. Simmer the syrup until it has thickened slightly, then combine it with the cherries. Allow to reach room temperature.

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

For construction, even out the discs of each meringue disc with a small serrated knife, for a clean edge. Set the first layer on a serving plate and cover with a generous amount of the whipped cream. Create a slight well (about 10cm-12cm wide) in the center and spoon in some of the cherries (to stop the juices from spilling). Add another disc and repeat with more cream and cherries, saving a small handful for the finish.

Add the last meringue and mask the cake with the remaining cream, using a palette knife with a knife. Adhere the extra nuts onto the edges.

Place the rest of the cream into a pastry bag with a star tip and add decorative dollops on top. Garnish with the remaining fruit and refrigerate before serving.