| Portions |
|---|
| 8-10 |
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoons baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup buttermilk
- ¼ cup canola oil
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup hot black coffee
For the cherries
- 2 cups cherries, frozen and thawed
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
- Pinch of salt2 tablespoons water
- 3 tablespoons kirsch or brandy, divided
- ½ teaspoon almond or vanilla extract
For the cream and topping
- 1 cup whipping cream
- 1–2 tablespoons sugar
- ½ teaspoon almond or vanilla extract
- Chocolate shavings
Directions
- Heat your oven to 350ºF and grease a 9-inch round cake pan with non-stick cooking spray.
- Sift the flour and cocoa powder into a large bowl. Whisk in the sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until well combined. Add in the buttermilk, oil, egg, and vanilla and whisk just to combine. Stir in the hot coffee and pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until springy to the touch and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
- Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 15 minutes then turn out onto a cooling rack to cool completely to room temperature.
- Strain the juice from the thawed cherries into a bowl. Set aside the cherries and juice. In a medium saucepan, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, nutmeg, and salt. Stir in the cherries, water, and 2 tablespoons of kirsch or brandy and place over medium heat. Bring to a boil and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until thickened. Remove from the heat, stir the extract, and set aside to cool. Measure 3 tablespoons of the cherry juice into a small dish and stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon of kirsch or brandy.
- For the whipped cream, add the cream, sugar, and extract to a large bowl and whip by hand or on medium speed using a hand mixer until stiff.
- To assemble, set the cooled cake onto a serving plate and poke the surface with the tines of a fork. Drizzle or spoon the spiked cherry juice over the cake so that it soaks in then spread over the whipped cream. Spoon over the cooled cherry mixture, scatter with chocolate shavings, and serve.