Dark Chocolate Cherry Cake

I made my own birthday cake from scratch today. This is the recipe but it didn't not turn out like I expected. It was good though.  I do not make cake often enough to be able to be confident that something does not sound right.  The recipe for the ganache does not mention whipping the frosting but needed it to have the texture it has.  It says to use whipping cream and add whipped cream but the whole thing needs whipping too and I didn't get that.  The cherry sauce used 2 1/2 cups  cherries. I thought  a can would be enough.  I should have got 3 or 4 cans for that much so I had to top the cake with cherries with the few I had.

It is dark chocolate so not very sweet and that is how I like it.

Dark Chocolate Cherry Cake  Posted by Sandra July 2022

 Ingredients

3 eggs

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup coconut oil

1 cup almond milk or milk

3/4 cup cocoa

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tbsp vanilla extract

A pinch of salt

2 + 1/2 cup flour

1 cup hot instant coffee

For the Cherry Sauce:

2 1/2 cups sweet cherries

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 tbsp lemon juice

1/4 cup water

1 tbsp cornstarch

For the Ganache Frosting:

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 1/2 cup whipped cream

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350F. Butter and flour two 9-inch (23cm) cake pans.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients (flour, cocoa, salt, baking powder, and baking soda) until well combined.

In a large bowl, add the eggs and sugar and mix them using a stand or electric mixer until lightened in color for 3-4 min. Add the oils, vanilla, and milk and whisk together.

Add the wet ingredients to the flour mixture and mix until combined. Finally, add the hot coffee and mix to combine.

Pour the cake batter into the prepared pans.

Bake for about 35-40 minutes (do not forget to do the "toothpick test" before removing them).

Remove them from the oven and cool completely.

Preparing the Cherry Sauce:

In a medium saucepan, add the cherries, sugar, lemon juice, and 2-3 tbsp water. Bring to a boil over medium heat while stirring constantly and then cook for 4-5 min until the cherries have softened.

In a small bowl, mix the remaining water and cornstarch and evenly add the mixture into the cherries while stirring constantly and cook for 1 min until the sauce has thickened. Remove from the heat and cool completely. Transfer to a jar and store in the fridge until using.

For the Ganache Frosting:

Heat the heavy whipping cream in a saucepan or the microwave, and then add the chocolate. Let it stand for 4-5 min, then stir until chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth. Let it cool at room temp.

In a large bowl, add the whipped cream and cooled chocolate mixture and mix them until everything is combined. Refrigerate for 30-40 min.

Place the first layer cake on a serving plate and spread about 3/4 cup of chocolate ganache frosting and add cherry sauce evenly in a ring around the outside to hold the cherry sauce inside.  (see photo). Place the second layer of cake on top. Spread the remaining frosting evenly over and around the cake with a spatula. Decorate with chocolate and cherry sauce.

Refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving.