Erin’s Recipe Rundown
This fruit-topped meringue dessert has been one of my go-to recipes for over a decade. It’s one of those naturally gluten-free desserts that everyone loves!
I especially like making this dessert for warm-weather holidays and gatherings. I’ve made it for 4th of July, neighborhood cookouts, family reunions and more.
Why You’ll Love It: The combination of textures—from crisp meringue and creamy whipped cream cheese to juicy cherries and berries—is what makes it so good. I think you’ll also love how a lot of the time is hands-off so it feels way easier than it initially may appear.
Top Tip: Just make sure to plan ahead—the meringue needs at least 10 hours to dry in the oven, and the fully assembled dessert should chill for at least 4 hours before serving so everything sets well.
xoxo erin
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here are a few notes on some of the key ingredients to make this cherry berry meringue delight. Jump to the recipe card below for the exact measurements.
- Baker’s sugar (aka caster sugar): I have made this dessert dozens of times over the years and find using a fine baker’s sugar (also called caster sugar) really makes all the difference in the consistency of the meringue. The baker’s sugar has an ultra-fine particle size that incorporates seamlessly into the meringue.
- Cream cheese: The cream cheese helps not only to gives the filling delicious flavor – it helps to stabilize the whipped cream topping.
- Cherries: I find frozen cherries are more readily available than fresh cherries so I opt for those in the topping. This recipe calls for a whole 16-ounce bag.
- Strawberries: I like to use fresh strawberries after the cherry topping is done cooking. The strawberries soak up the cherry liquid and taste so delicious!
How to Make Cherry Berry Meringue Delight
Here’s an overview of how to make this recipe. You can jump to the recipe for the full instructions!
I love my stand mixer for recipes like this one, but a hand mixer will work too! I use baker’s sugar and spoon it into the egg mixture gradually. I’m looking for soft glossy peaks, then it’s ready to bake.
I tend to make this one the night before so that the meringue can just dry in the oven overnight. It needs a good 10-12 hours with the oven off to set properly and become perfect melt-in-your-mouth meringue.
Sometimes I make the cherry berry topping a few days ahead since it keeps well in the fridge. I’ve had trouble finding fresh cherries at times so now I just stick with frozen dark sweet cherries. They work so well, there’s no going back!
After I cook the mixture until slightly thick, I let it cool in a bow, then add in the fresh strawberry slices so they keep their texture better. This topping is best served chilled!
I’ve used mascarpone in the past, but cream cheese is my favorite! After I whip up the filling, I layer it over the cooled meringue. It needs to refrigerate like this for at least 4 hours so sometimes I just let it go overnight.
I think it works best to cut the portions and then spoon the cherry berry topping onto each serving. I’ve gotten so many compliments on this dessert over the years. I hope you love it as much as I do!
More Summer Dessert Recipes
Cherry Berry Meringue Delight
Ingredients
Meringue
- 6 large egg whites
- ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1¾ cups (350g) bakers sugar
Cherry Berry Topping
- 16 ounces (454g) frozen dark sweet cherries
- ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
- ¾ cup (180ml) cold water
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1½ tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 cups sliced fresh strawberries
Cream Cheese Filling
- 8 ounces (227g) cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1 cup (120g) powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups (480ml) heavy cream
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 275°F. Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking pan.
- For the meringue: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, or using a hand mixer, beat the egg whites, cream of tartar and salt on medium-high speed until foamy. With the mixer running, gradually add the bakers sugar, about 1 tablespoon at a time, and continue beating until stiff peaks form and the mixture is glossy.
- Spread the meringue evenly into the prepared pan.
- Bake for 1 hour. Turn the oven off and leave the pan in the oven for 10–12 hours, or overnight, until the meringue is fully set and dry.
- For the cherry berry topping: In a heavy-bottomed medium saucepan, combine the frozen dark sweet cherries, granulated sugar, cold water, lemon juice and cornstarch. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture comes to a gentle simmer. Continue cooking for 10–20 minutes, until slightly thickened.
- Pour the mixture into a medium bowl and cool at room temperature for 20–30 minutes. Stir in the sliced strawberries. Cover and refrigerate until fully chilled.
- For the cream cheese filling: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, or using a hand mixer, beat together the cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla extract on medium speed until smooth. With the mixer running on low speed, slowly pour in the heavy cream. Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl. Increase the speed to medium-high and whip until light and fluffy, about 5–7 minutes.
- Spread the cream cheese filling evenly over the cooled meringue. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4–6 hours, or up to overnight.
- Cut into pieces and spoon the chilled cherry berry topping over each serving.
