Chocolate cake with sour cherry ganache
Dense and rich chocolate cake with a gorgeously contrasting sour cherry glaze.
- 1 hr 15 mins cooking
- Serves 12
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Ingredients
Chocolate cake
- 670 grams (1¼lb) pitted morello cherries in syrup
- 360 grams (11½oz) dark chocolate (70% cocoa), chopped coarsely
- 250 grams (8oz) butter, chopped
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup (220g) firmly packed brown sugar
- 250 grams (8oz) sour cream
- 2 cups (240g) almond meal
- 1 cup (135g) gluten-free self-raising flour
- ¾ cup (165g) firmly packed brown sugar, extra
Chocolate cherry ganache
- 1 cup (250ml) pouring cream
- 200 grams (6½oz) dark chocolate (70% cocoa), chopped finely
Method
Chocolate cake
- 1Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F. Grease a 20cm (8in) round cake pan; line base and side with baking paper. Drain cherries, reserving ½ cup (125ml) juice for cake batter, ¾ cup for the ganache and remaining juice and cherries for syrup.
- 2Place chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water (do not let the bottom of the bowl touch water); stir until melted and smooth.
- 3Beat eggs and sugar with an electric mixer until smooth. Add sour cream, chocolate mixture, almond meal, flour and reserved ½ cup cherry juice. Beat for 30 seconds or until smooth and combined.
- 4Pour batter into cake pan. Bake for 40 minutes, cover cake with foil, cook for a further 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out with soft sticky crumbs and cake is puffed with a few small cracks. Stand cake, covered, to cool completely in the pan.
- 5Make chocolate cherry ganache.
- 6Combine remaining syrup and cherries in a small saucepan with the extra sugar. Bring to the boil over medium heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Simmer for 6 minutes or until thickened. Cool.
- 7Spread ganache evenly over top of cooled cake allowing some to drip down the side. Serve with reduced syrup and cherries.
Chocolate cherry ganache
- 8Bring reserved ¾ cup cherry juice and cream almost to the boil in a small saucepan; add chocolate, stir until melted and smooth. Stand until thickened to a coating consistency.
Notes
Cake will keep refrigerated for up to 5 days.