Moist chocolate cake filled with sweet cherries, all frosted with a cherry vanilla buttercream.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 30 minutesmins
Cook Time 50 minutesmins
Assembly Time 30 minutesmins
Total Time 1 hourhr50 minutesmins
Servings 12servings
Calories 901
Author Annalise Sandberg
Ingredients
Cherry Chocolate Cake:
1cupunsweetened cocoa powder, not dutch processed
1 ¼cuphot water
3cupspacked light or dark brown sugar
2 ⅔cupcake flour
1 ½teaspoonsbaking soda
¾teaspoonsalt
1cupplus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
3large eggs
1 ½teaspoonsvanilla extract
¾cupcoffee, at room temperature
8ouncessweet cherries, pitted and sliced into small pieces
Cherry Filling:
1poundsweet cherries, pitted and halved
½cupkirsch or other cherry liquor
⅓cupgranulated sugar
Cherry Vanilla Italian Meringue Buttercream:
1cupgranulated sugar
¼cupwater
4egg whites
2cupsunsalted butter, at room temperature
1teaspoonvanilla extract
½tablespoonkirsch liquor
Instructions
To make the cake:
Preheat oven to 325°F. Butter three 8 or 9-inch cake pans, line them with parchment paper and butter the parchment paper. Add some flour to each pan and roll around until completely coated, pouring out any excess.
Put the cocoa powder in a medium bowl. Add the hot water and stir until smooth. Let cool to room temperature.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the brown sugar, flour, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer on low, blend until combined. Add the butter and dissolved cocoa and beat on medium speed until moistened. Then raise the speed to medium high and beat until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes, scraping down the bowl as needed.
In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs with the vanilla and coffee until combined. Add the liquid to the batter in 3 additions, scraping down the side of the bowl often. Fold in the chopped cherries. Divide the batter between the 3 prepared cake pans.
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then invert onto wire racks to cool completely.
Place one cake layer on a serving plate or stand. With a pastry bag fitted with a medium plain tip, pipe a small dam of Italian meringue buttercream (recipe follows) around the edge. Spread one third of the cherry filling (recipe follows) onto the cake layer. Repeat with the remaining cake layers. Frost the cake with the icing and garnish with cherries.
To make the filling:
Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Continue to cook for about 15 minutes, until the cherries have softened and the liquid is slightly thickened. Skim any foam off the top of the mixture as it cooks. Let it cool completely.
To make the buttercream:
Combine the water and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally. Once it boils, stop stirring and insert a candy thermometer.
Meanwhile, whip the egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixture to soft peaks. When the sugar is at 238°F, add it to the egg whites in a slow steady stream with the mixer on medium speed.
Increase the speed to high and beat until cooled to room temperature.
Add the butter a few tablespoons at a time, while continuing to mix on medium high speed. Add the vanilla and kirsch. Increase the speed to high and beat until smooth.