Choco Cherry Cake

There's something incredibly satisfying about baking a cake. It's an art form that blends precision, creativity and a dash of love. One of my all-time favorites is the Choco Cherry Cake - a harmonious blend of rich chocolate and the sweet-tart flavour of cherries. This cake isn't just a dessert, it’s a story waiting to be told.

This cake brings together the best of both worlds - the deep, rich flavor of dark chocolate and the bright, juicy burst of cherries. Each bite offers a delightful contras - creamy layers of chocolate, balanced by the refreshing tang of cherries. It's the kind of cake that feels both indulgent and refreshing.

Imagine surprising your loved one with a Choco Cherry Cake on Valentine's Day. This cake embodies romance with its luxurious combination of rich chocolate and vibrant cherries, truly a match made in heaven, just like you and your special someone.

Valentine's Day is all about expressing love and appreciation, and what better way to do that than with a homemade cake? The effort and thoughtfulness put into making a cake speak volumes about how much you care. It's a tangible expression of your affection, made with your own hands.

Whether it's a quiet dinner at home, a romantic picnic or a festive Valentine's party, this Choco Cherry Cake is versatile enough to suit any celebration. Its elegance and flavour make it the perfect centerpiece for your Valentine's Day festivities.

Prepare the chocolate ganache cream by heating up heavy cream and pouring it over the dark chocolate. Stir until melted and combined, then cover with a plastic foil and place in the refrigerator for an hour.

Combine the flour, baking powder and baking soda, cocoa powder and sugars.

Separately mix milk, oil, honey and eggs with a whisk, then combine them into the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Divide the batter between 4 lined baking moulds and bake in a preheated oven for 25 minutes at 180°C/356°F.

In the meantime, mix the gelatin with cold water and leave it for 10 minutes.

With a mixer mix the egg yolks with sugar until foamy, then add cornstarch and a pinch of salt. Add in hot milk in a thin stream and mix until combined. Then place on low heat and cook with stirring until it thickens up.

Add in melted chocolate, melted gelatin and room temperature butter. Stir until melted and combined, then cover with plastic foil and leave it to cool down to room temperature.

Whip the whipping cream until stiff peaks. Mix the cream briefly with a mixer, then with a spatula fold in the whipped cream.

Add pitted cherries into a saucepan with lemon juice and sugar for 5 minutes, then stir in cornstarch and water and simmer until it thickens up.

Stack the cake by layering the sponge cake, topping with a third of the cream and a third of the cherry jam, finishing with a layer of sponge cake. Repeat twice again.

Take the chocolate ganache cream out of the fridge and leave it for a few minutes at room temperature, then coat the cake with the ganache cream and refrigerate it overnight.

Print

With ImageWithout Image

Choco Cherry Cake

Yield: 16

Cook modePrevent screen from turning off

Ingredients

Sponge cakes

• All purpose flour - 175 g
• Baking powder - 12 g
• Baking soda - 1 teaspoon
• Cocoa powder - 25 g
• Granulated sugar - 100 g
• Brown sugar - 50 g
• Vanilla sugar - 7 g
• Vegetable oil - 150 ml
• Milk - 150 ml
• Honey - 2 tablespoons
• Eggs - 2

Cream

• Milk - 300 ml
• Egg yolks - 3
• Granulated sugar - 80 g
• Cornstarch - 30 g
• Dark chocolate - 120 g
• Butter - 20 g
• Whipping cream - 200 ml
• Gelatin - 5 g
• Water - 2 tablespoons

Cherry layer

• Cherries - 400 g
• Lemon juice - 1 tablespoon
• Granulated sugar - 60 g
• Cornstarch - 30 g
• Water - 60 ml

Chocolate ganache cream

• Dark chocolate - 200 g
• Heavy cream - 200 ml

Instructions

1. Prepare the chocolate ganache cream by heating up heavy cream and pouring it over the dark chocolate. Stir until melted and combined, then cover with a plastic foil and place in the refrigerator for an hour.
2. Combine the flour, baking powder and baking soda, cocoa powder and sugars.
3. Separately mix milk, oil, honey and eggs with a whisk, then combine them into the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Divide the batter between 4 lined baking moulds and bake in a preheated oven for 25 minutes at 180°C.
4. In the meantime, mix the gelatin with cold water and leave it for 10 minutes.
5. With a mixer mix the egg yolks with sugar until foamy, then add cornstarch and a pinch of salt. Add in hot milk in a thin stream and mix until combined. Then place on low heat and cook with stirring until it thickens up.
6. Add in melted chocolate, melted gelatin and room temperature butter. Stir until melted and combined, then cover with plastic foil and leave it to cool down to room temperature.
7. Whip the whipping cream until stiff peaks. Mix the cream briefly with a mixer, then with a spatula fold in the whipped cream.
8. Add pitted cherries into a saucepan with lemon juice and sugar for 5 minutes, then stir in cornstarch and water and simmer until it thickens up.
9. Stack the cake by layering the sponge cake, topping with a third of the cream and a third of the cherry jam, finishing with a layer of sponge cake. Repeat twice again.
10. Take the chocolate ganache cream out of the fridge and leave it for a few minutes at room temperature, then coat the cake with the ganache cream and refrigerate it overnight.