Eton Mess with Cherry Compote
A classic Eton Mess made with whipped cream, crisp meringue, and homemade cherry compote. An easy, elegant dessert for any occasion.
Video
Ingredients
Chery Compote
- 1 batch of cherry compote (NOTE 1)
Whipped cream
- 1½ cup (375ml / 12.5 floz) thickened or heavy cream (NOTE 2)
- 2 tbsp (20g / 0.7oz) icing or powdered sugar (NOTE 3)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Meringue
- 70g / 2.5oz store-bought meringue (NOTE 4)
Optional Garnish
- Fresh cherries
- Mint leaves
Instructions
- Prepare a batch of Cherry Compote, and allow it to cool completely before assembling the dessert.
- Use a rolling pin or your hands to break the meringue gently into small pieces.
- Whip the cream with the icing sugar and vanilla extract until you reach your preferred consistency; soft, medium, or firm peaks all work beautifully for Eton Mess.
- Using glasses that hold around 1 to 1.5 cups, assemble the Eton Mess by layering the cherry compote, whipped cream, and meringue. Repeat this order until the glass is filled to the top.
- Optional: Finish by decorating with fresh cherries and a few mint leaves.
Notes
(NOTE 1) Cherry compote: You will need a batch of my Cherry Compote recipe for this Eton Mess. The recipe makes approximately 1½ cups of compote, but you will not need to use it all for this dessert. Any leftover compote can be frozen and enjoyed later on pancakes, waffles, or ice cream.
(NOTE 2) Thickened Cream: In Australia, thickened cream contains around 35% fat and includes added thickeners such as gelatine. You can substitute thickened cream with heavy cream or whipping cream.
(NOTE 3) Icing Sugar: Also known as powdered or confectioners’ sugar, icing sugar is much finer than granulated or caster sugar and dissolves easily into cream.
Storage: Eton Mess is best enjoyed immediately after assembling. Once the cream, fruit, and meringue are layered together, the meringue will begin to soften and dissolve. This makes the dessert sweeter and denser over time, and the layers lose their texture. For the best flavour and crunch, assemble and serve straight away.
Nutrition Information: is estimated using a third-party calculator and should be used as a guide only.
Australian Measurements: All measurements on this website use Australian standard cups and spoons. For conversion details, see my Australian Cooking Measurements page.
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Cheers – Cat T