Description
This decadent Chocolate Cherry Cake combines rich dark chocolate and ground almonds for a moist, flavorful treat, topped with fresh or frozen cherries and a cherry jam glaze. Perfect served slightly warm with thick whipped cream, this cake brings together the perfect balance of fruity tartness and chocolatey indulgence.
Ingredients
Scale
Cake Ingredients
- 225 g unsalted butter room temperature, cut into chunks
- 200 g golden caster sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp almond extract
- 4 medium eggs
- 200 g ground almonds (course almond meal)
- 50 g cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 100 g dark chocolate (70% cocoa), melted
- 50 g chocolate chips
- 300 g fresh or frozen black cherries, pitted
- 2 tbsp cherry jam
To Serve
- Thick whipped cream
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare: Preheat your oven to 170C/325F (fan) and lightly grease a 23cm diameter loose-bottomed flan tin to ensure the cake bakes evenly and releases easily.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: Place the butter and sugar in a large bowl and whisk with an electric whisk or stand mixer for about 3-4 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Add Extracts and Eggs: Stir in the vanilla and almond extracts, then add eggs one at a time, whisking after each. Although the mixture may look split during this step, it will recombine smoothly.
- Incorporate Dry Ingredients: Fold in the ground almonds, cocoa powder, and baking powder gently to maintain the airiness in the batter.
- Combine Chocolates: Fold in the melted dark chocolate and chocolate chips, mixing thoroughly for a rich, consistent chocolate flavor.
- Transfer Mixture: Spoon the batter into the prepared tin, smoothing the top evenly with the back of a spoon.
- Arrange Cherries: Slice half of the cherries in half and leave the rest whole. Arrange them on top of the batter with the sliced cherries cut-side-up, pressing them lightly into the mixture.
- Bake: Place the cake in the oven and bake for 50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Glaze the Cake: Mix cherry jam with 2 tablespoons of cold water and brush the glaze onto the warm cake. Let the cake cool in the tin for 20 minutes before removing to a rack to cool further.
- Serve: Serve the cake slightly warm or at room temperature topped with thick whipped cream, optionally swirling in some cherry jam and garnishing with fresh cherries.
Notes
- You can use fresh, frozen, or tinned cherries. If using frozen cherries, they can be used while still frozen or drained if defrosted. For tinned cherries, drain the liquid before use.
- This cake keeps well for up to three days at room temperature when covered, making it perfect for advance preparation.
- Individual slices warm up well in the microwave for a few seconds if a warm serving is preferred.
- The cake freezes well; cool, cover, and freeze it. Defrost overnight in the fridge and bring to room temperature before serving, or warm slices briefly in the microwave.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (approx. 90 g)
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 20 g
- Sodium: 90 mg
- Fat: 25 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 13 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 25 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 95 mg
