Aug 20, 2016 3 min read

Chocolate-Covered Cherry Cake

• Ingredients

For cake

1/2 cup cherry puree (made from frozen, defrosted cherries, pureed in the blender)

2 eggs – PA Preferred Hillandale

1 cup buttermilk – PA Preferred Schneider’s

1 carton cherry yogurt – PA Preferred Dannon Light and Fit Greek

1/4 cup melted butter – PA Preferred Hillandale

2 cups flour

2 cups sugar

3/4 cup Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa Powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup tart cherry juice

1 1/2 teaspoons cherry extract

For frosting

6 egg whites

Egg white substitute, added to fresh egg whites, to equal 1 1/4 cups total

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 cups powdered sugar

1 pound unsalted butter – PA Preferred Hillandale

3/4 cup Crisco

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoon cherry extract

2 cups chocolate chips

1 cup heavy cream

Fresh Bing cherries, chopped, to equal about 1 cup

To make the cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease, flour and line 3 8-inch cake pans with waxed paper.

In a mixer bowl, combine cherry puree, eggs, buttermilk, yogurt and melted butter.

In a separate bowl, combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Slowly add to wet ingredients in the mixing bowl.

Heat cherry juice to boiling in the microwave. Slowly pour into cake batter. Stir in cherry extract. Pour into prepared pans and bake for about 25 to 30 minutes, or until done. Cool slightly, then remove from pans to cool completely.

To make the frosting: Combine egg whites, egg white substitute and white sugar in a double boiler. Heat, stirring constantly, until temperature reaches about 125 degrees on a candy thermometer.

Remove from heat and whip on a stand mixer until stiff peaks form. Add in powdered sugar until completely combined. Slowly whip in butter, cut into cubes, until incorporated.

Then, begin adding Crisco in small amounts, until incorporated. Switch to the paddle attachment and mix on medium high until the frosting comes together. Add vanilla extract and mix well.

Remove about 2 cups of the frosting, stir in the chopped fresh cherries and 1 teaspoon cherry extract, and set aside.

Heat the heavy cream to boiling and pour over chocolate chips. Let sit for 10 to 15 minutes, then stir until smooth, and cool to room temperature.

To assemble: Use the cherry-studded frosting as filling between the layers. Frost and decorate the entire cake with the remaining frosting. Pour the chocolate/cream ganache in the center of the cake and allow it to drizzle over the edges.

For decoration/garnish, dip 12 stemmed Bing cherries in melted chocolate and allow to dry, then add to the top of the cake in desired pattern.

Laurie Moody

Carnegie