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This year, the traditional festive pav is being swapped for a equally impressive dessert featuring meringue. Crisp discs of meringue with pistachio are layered with smooth nut cream and a vibrant cherry compote. As it rests, the discs become slightly under the cream, creating a pleasantly chewy feel. It's a superb option for a festive dessert that omits the usual suspects of chocolate and booze.

Cherry and Pistachio Meringue Cake

Owing to the craze of a certain viral chocolate bar, sweet pistachio paste is now readily available in many grocery stores. This product is pre-sweetened and provides a subtle verdant shade. You could opt for pure pistachio paste if preferred, however the hue might be muddier and you'll likely need 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

First, warming the oven to 170C (150C fan)/340F/gas 3½. Cover three trays with parchment paper. Using an 18cm plate or cake tin, draw a circle on each piece of paper. Invert the paper so the ink won't transfer the meringue.

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

Place the egg whites and whisk on medium until light and bubbly. Whisk more vigorously and mix until you have soft peaks. With the mixer running, slowly pour in the caster sugar until the meringue is glossy and forms stiff peaks.

Gently fold the pistachio mixture into the meringue, taking care not to over-mix. Place the batter into a pastry bag and snip 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 using a palette knife. Place in the oven until the meringues are gently colored and are set to the touch. They should peel away cleanly when cool. Remove and cool completely.

In the meantime, prepare the cherry sauce. Place all compote ingredients in a saucepan and heat gently until the cherries start to thaw and liquid forms. Let it come to a simmer and cook for 5-6 minutes until the cherries are softened. Transfer the fruit to a bowl, keeping the liquid in the pan. Simmer the syrup until it has thickened slightly, then pour it over the cherries. Leave to cool.

For the pistachio cream, whip together 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 small serrated knife, following the original circle. Set the first layer on a cake stand and spread on a some of the whipped cream. Make a shallow dip (about 10cm-12cm wide) in the center and add some of the cherries (this prevents the compote from running). Add another disc and layer again, reserving a few cherries for the final garnish.

Set the top layer and frost the entire cake with the rest of the pistachio cream, using a palette knife with a offset spatula. Adhere the extra nuts onto the edges.

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