Bittersweet Chocolate Cake With Dried Cherries Recipes

CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH DRIED CHERRIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a nine-inch tube pan.
• Sift together the flour, cocoa and baking soda and set aside. Place the cherries in a dish, stir in the cherry liqueur and set aside.
• Cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until smooth. Stir in the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk, mixing only enough to combine the ingredients.
• Add the almond extract to the cherry mixture, then fold this mixture into the batter.
• Spread the batter into the pan and bake for 45 minutes. Cool for 20 minutes in the pan, then remove from the pan and continue to cool on a rack.

BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour an 8-inch springform pan.
• Place a large heatproof bowl over a pot of simmering water, making sure the water doesn't touch the bowl. Put the butter and chocolate in the bowl, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate melts. Take the bowl off the heat and set aside.
• First, whisk the sugar into the chocolate mixture, then whisk in the eggs, coffee, and salt, whisking until the mixture is combined and smooth. Sprinkle on the flour and fold it in with a rubber spatula until it's incorporated.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan and place it on a sheet pan. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes (see Cook's Note), until the top puffs up and cracks and the cake doesn't wobble when you jiggle the pan. (A toothpick will not come out clean.) Remove from the oven and cool completely on a baking rack. The cake will deflate as it cools. Run a small knife around the cake and remove the sides of the pan. Cut the cake in wedges and serve warm or at room temperature with sweetened whipped cream, vanilla ice cream, or crème fraîche.

BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH DRIED CHERRIES

Steps:

• Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 350°F. Line bottom of 9-inch round cake pan with 2-inch-high sides with parchment paper. Generously butter and flour sides of pan and parchment. Stir chocolate and butter in large bowl set over saucepan of simmering water until melted and smooth. Turn off heat. Let chocolate stand over water. Mix cherries and framboise in medium saucepan. Bring to simmer over medium heat. Reduce heat to low; simmer until all liquid is absorbed, stirring often, about 9 minutes. Set aside.
• Remove bowl with melted chocolate from over water. Whisk in sugar, vanilla and salt, then eggs 1 at a time. Add flour in 2 additions, blending well after each. Fold in cherries. Pour batter into pan.
• Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out with moist crumbs attached, about 35 minutes. Cool completely in pan on rack. Cut around pan sides to loosen cake. Turn out cake onto plate; peel off parchment paper. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.) Sift powdered sugar generously over cake.
• *Sold at some liquor stores and specialty foods stores. If unavailable, substitute raspberry liqueur.

FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH TOASTED HAZELNUTS AND BRANDIED CHERRIES

Steps:

• For brandied cherries:
• Combine brandy and dried cherries in 4-cup glass container with lid. Cover and let soak at room temperature 1 week.
• Bring 1 cup water and sugar to boil in medium saucepan, stirring until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and cool syrup. Drain brandy from cherries (reserve brandy for another use). Add sugar syrup to cherries and stir to blend. Let soak at room temperature at least 2 days. DO AHEAD Can be made 2 weeks ahead. Store covered at room temperature.
• For cake:
• Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Butter 10-inch-diameter springform pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides. Line bottom of pan with parchment paper round. Place chocolate and 1 1/4 cups butter in medium metal bowl. Set bowl over saucepan of simmering water; stir until mixture is melted and smooth. Remove bowl from over water; cool to lukewarm, about 10 minutes.
• Using electric mixer, beat egg yolks and 1/2 cup sugar in large bowl until very thick and pale yellow in color, about 5 minutes. Beat in vanilla and salt. Gently fold chocolate mixture into yolk mixture. Using clean dry beaters, beat egg whites and remaining 6 tablespoons sugar in another large bowl until peaks form. Fold 1/3 of beaten whites into chocolate mixture. Fold in remaining whites in 2 additions. Transfer batter to prepared pan.
• Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out with moist crumbs attached, about 45 minutes (cake will be puffed and soufflé-like while baking). Cool cake in pan on rack 15 minutes (cake will fall in center). Run knife around cake sides to loosen; press edge of cake down to make level with center. Remove pan sides and cool cake completely. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and store at room temperature.
• For ganache:
• Combine chocolate and cream in medium metal bowl. Set bowl over saucepan of simmering water and stir until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Remove bowl from over water; let stand until ganache cools slightly but is still pourable, about 5 minutes.
• Place cooled cake on rack set over rimmed baking sheet. Pour 1/2 cup ganache over top of cake. Using offset spatula, quickly spread ganache over top and sides of cake. Freeze cake 3 minutes. Pour remaining ganache over top of cake. Working quickly but gently and grasping pan bottom and rack together, slightly tilt rack with cake from side to side, allowing ganache to flow evenly over top and down sides of cake; smooth sides with offset spatula. Press hazelnuts onto sides of cake to adhere. Chill cake until ganache is set, about 1 hour. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome and keep refrigerated. Let stand at room temperature 45 minutes before serving.
• Cut cake into wedges. Garnish with whipped cream and spoon brandied cherries alongside.

MOLTEN CHOCOLATE CAKES WITH CHERRIES

Steps:

• Combine cherries with juices, 1/2 cup sugar, kirsch, and cinnamon in heavy medium saucepan. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Simmer until sauce thickens and is slightly reduced, about 10 minutes. Using slotted spoon, remove 1/4 cup cherries from sauce; drain well. Transfer to work surface and chop coarsely; reserve chopped cherries for cakes. Set aside cherry sauce.
• Butter two 3/4-cup ramekins or custard cups. Whisk cocoa and remaining 1/4 cup sugar in small bowl to blend. Stir chocolate and butter in heavy small saucepan over low heat until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat; whisk in cocoa mixture. Whisk in egg yolks, then whole egg and flour. Fold in reserved 1/4 cup chopped cherries. Divide batter between prepared ramekins. (Sauce and cake batter can be made 1 day ahead. Cover separately; chill.)
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake cakes uncovered until edges are set but center is still shiny and tester inserted into center comes out with some wet batter attached, about 22 minutes.
• Warm sauce over low heat. Cut around cakes to loosen; turn out onto plates. Spoon sauce alongside. Sift powdered sugar over; garnish with mint.

NO-BAKE CHOCOLATE BISCUIT CAKE WITH DRIED CHERRIES

Steps:

• Line 9 x 5 x 2-inch metal loaf pan with plastic wrap. Stir chocolate and butter in heavy large saucepan over low heat until melted and smooth. Mix in cream and golden syrup. Remove from heat. Stir in remaining ingredients. Pour chocolate mixture into prepared pan. Smooth top. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until set, at least 3 hours or overnight. (Cake can be prepared up to 3 days ahead. Keep refrigerated.)
• Uncover pan. Place platter on pan. Invert cake onto platter. Peel off plastic wrap. Cut cake into slices and serve.