The first post I ever published on my blog were my sour cherry brownies, with less-than-stellar styling and one defiant little cherry that fell out just as I was about to take the photo. But all that mattered in that moment was taking the photo and posting the recipe. And I did post it, with great joy and pride.
To me, making cakes is never a hassle. I truly love each step of the way, from preparation, to baking, to assembly. It is something that makes me feel alive.
And this little cake is a heartfelt homage to that very first recipe, full of rich vegan chocolate buttercream, brownie-like cake layers, and of course, sour cherries. It would not be a special occasion cake if it did not have cherries.
Even though it is not a large cake and it serves a very small crowd, it does give endless enjoyment on each bite. It is best served very well chilled, with a cup of freshly brewed coffee, but I do have to say, cherry brandy pairs exceptionally well, too.
Ingredients
For the chocolate brownie layers
180 grams plain flour200 grams granulated sugar
20 grams unsweetened cocoa powder
3 teaspoons instant espresso powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
240 millilitres boiling water
40 millilitres neutral oil
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1 heaping teaspoon vanilla bean paste
For the cherry almond filling
200 grams vegan block butter, softened1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
15 grams glucose syrup
60 millilitres Disaronno liqueur
120 grams toasted almonds, finely ground
120 grams icing sugar, sifted
30 grams unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
75 grams sour cherries, chopped
Preparation
Start by making the chocolate brownie cake layers. Line a medium square cake pan (18x18 cm) with baking parchment, bottom and sides, and set it aside. Let the oven preheat to 180°C.
Place the cocoa powder, granulated sugar, and espresso powder in a medium bowl, and pour in the boiling hot water. Mix very well and let the sugar dissolve and cocoa powder bloom. As soon as that mixture is lukewarm, sift together the plain flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder, and pour in the bloomed cocoa. Add in the rest of the wet ingredients, and mix until just combined.
Immediately pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake the cake in a nicely preheated oven, at 180°C, for 15-18 minutes. Check the cake with a toothpick even before the indicated time, as it will be tall, making sure it stays soft and fudgy. Mine was done after exactly 17 minutes. Let it cool in the pan completely.
When the cake is almost completely cool, start working on the buttercream. Place the ground almonds, cocoa powder, espresso powder, and the icing sugar into a bowl, and bring the liqueur to a boil. It should only come to a boil and not reduce. Once boiling, pour it over the almonds, mix well, and let it cool down to room temperature.
Place the softened vegan block butter into a large bowl, add in the vanilla and the glucose, and whip with an electric mixer on high for about 2-3 minutes, or until lighter in colour and creamy. Scrape down the sides, and whip for a few minutes more, until it starts to almost resemble whipped cream.
When the buttercream is ready, add in the cooled almonds and blend well. Scrape down the sides once again, and continue whipping until smooth. Place the bowl into the refrigerator for about 10 minutes or so.
When everything is cool and ready, proceed to assemble the cake.
Level the cake if needed, slice it in half lengthwise, to create two thin strips of cake, and then cut each of them in half to create four very thin layers. Whip the buttercream once more until light and creamy and divide it into four equal parts by weight. Separate one of them into a separate container, add in the chopped sour cherries, and mix them through.
Place the first cake layer on the serving platter, add one-fourth of the plain filling, and smooth it nicely. Add another cake layer, spread evenly the sour cherry part of the filling, and top with another cake layer. Spread one more portion of the filling, and top with the final layer.
The cake will be firm, so use the remaining buttercream to frost and decorate to your liking. Place the cake into the refrigerator for at least 8 hours, and serve with strong coffee. Yields 8 rich servings or 12 more modest ones.
