Chocolate Cherry Cake With Dried Cherries Soaked In Brandy Recipes

FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH TOASTED HAZELNUTS AND BRANDIED CHERRIES

Steps:

• For brandied cherries:
• Combine brandy and dried cherries in 4-cup glass container with lid. Cover and let soak at room temperature 1 week.
• Bring 1 cup water and sugar to boil in medium saucepan, stirring until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and cool syrup. Drain brandy from cherries (reserve brandy for another use). Add sugar syrup to cherries and stir to blend. Let soak at room temperature at least 2 days. DO AHEAD Can be made 2 weeks ahead. Store covered at room temperature.
• For cake:
• Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Butter 10-inch-diameter springform pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides. Line bottom of pan with parchment paper round. Place chocolate and 1 1/4 cups butter in medium metal bowl. Set bowl over saucepan of simmering water; stir until mixture is melted and smooth. Remove bowl from over water; cool to lukewarm, about 10 minutes.
• Using electric mixer, beat egg yolks and 1/2 cup sugar in large bowl until very thick and pale yellow in color, about 5 minutes. Beat in vanilla and salt. Gently fold chocolate mixture into yolk mixture. Using clean dry beaters, beat egg whites and remaining 6 tablespoons sugar in another large bowl until peaks form. Fold 1/3 of beaten whites into chocolate mixture. Fold in remaining whites in 2 additions. Transfer batter to prepared pan.
• Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out with moist crumbs attached, about 45 minutes (cake will be puffed and soufflé-like while baking). Cool cake in pan on rack 15 minutes (cake will fall in center). Run knife around cake sides to loosen; press edge of cake down to make level with center. Remove pan sides and cool cake completely. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and store at room temperature.
• For ganache:
• Combine chocolate and cream in medium metal bowl. Set bowl over saucepan of simmering water and stir until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Remove bowl from over water; let stand until ganache cools slightly but is still pourable, about 5 minutes.
• Place cooled cake on rack set over rimmed baking sheet. Pour 1/2 cup ganache over top of cake. Using offset spatula, quickly spread ganache over top and sides of cake. Freeze cake 3 minutes. Pour remaining ganache over top of cake. Working quickly but gently and grasping pan bottom and rack together, slightly tilt rack with cake from side to side, allowing ganache to flow evenly over top and down sides of cake; smooth sides with offset spatula. Press hazelnuts onto sides of cake to adhere. Chill cake until ganache is set, about 1 hour. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome and keep refrigerated. Let stand at room temperature 45 minutes before serving.
• Cut cake into wedges. Garnish with whipped cream and spoon brandied cherries alongside.

CHOCOLATE CHERRY CAKE I

Steps:

• Combine cake mix, cherry pie filling, and three eggs. Mix until well blended.
• Bake in well greased and floured 9 x 13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 35 to 40 minutes.
• To Make Frosting: Combine sugar, butter or margarine, and milk. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, and cook 1 minute.
• Remove from heat.
• Stir in chocolate pieces until melted and smooth.
• Frost when cake is cool.

CHOCOLATE CHERRY TRUFFLES

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine cherries and brandy; cover and let soak for 1 hour or until cherries are softened., Place dark chocolate in a small bowl. In a small saucepan, bring cream just to a boil. Pour over chocolate; whisk until smooth. Stir in extract and soaked cherries with liquid. Cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until firm., Shape into 1-in. balls. Place on baking sheets; cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour., In a microwave, melt milk chocolate; stir until smooth. Dip half of the balls into milk chocolate, allowing excess to drip off. Place on waxed paper; let stand until set., Melt dark chocolate; stir until smooth. Dip remaining balls into dark chocolate, allowing excess to drip off. Place on waxed paper; let stand until set. Drizzle with melted chocolate and decorate with pearl dust as desired. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

CHOCOLATE CHERRY CAKE

Steps:

• Whisk together 1/3 cup sugar, kirsch, and cornstarch in a medium pot. Add cherries and any juices. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring constantly, over medium-high until thickened, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat, and let cool to room temperature.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-by-13-inch metal baking pan. Line with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on the long sides of the pan. Butter parchment.
• Whisk cocoa with hot water in a medium bowl until smooth. Whisk in sour cream and melted chocolate; let cool. Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt in another medium bowl.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and 1 2/3 cups sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating to combine after each and scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Beat in vanilla. With mixer on low, add flour mixture in two parts, alternating with the cocoa mixture and beginning and ending with the flour; beat until combined. Fold in 1 1/4 cups cherry filling; reserve remaining filling for topping.
• Pour batter into prepared pan; smooth with an offset spatula. Bake until a cake tester inserted in center comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack to cool completely. Remove cake from pan.
• Transfer cake to a serving platter. In a small saucepan over low, heat gelatin and 2 tablespoons water over low, stirring constantly, just until gelatin melts, about 3 minutes. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk heavy cream and remaining 1/4 cup sugar on medium-high. Once soft peaks form, slowly add gelatin mixture with the mixer running until combined. Frost top of cooled cake and top with remaining cherry filling.

CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH DRIED CHERRIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a nine-inch tube pan.
• Sift together the flour, cocoa and baking soda and set aside. Place the cherries in a dish, stir in the cherry liqueur and set aside.
• Cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until smooth. Stir in the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk, mixing only enough to combine the ingredients.
• Add the almond extract to the cherry mixture, then fold this mixture into the batter.
• Spread the batter into the pan and bake for 45 minutes. Cool for 20 minutes in the pan, then remove from the pan and continue to cool on a rack.

CHOCOLATE CHERRY CAKE (WITH DRIED CHERRIES SOAKED IN BRANDY)

Steps:

• Combine cherries and brandy and microwave uncovered on high 45 seconds; set aside. Combine chocolate and margarine/butter. Microwave on high 1-1/2 to 2 minutes, or until melted, stirring every 30 seconds; set aside.
• Beat eggs and sugar with electric mixer on high about 5 minutes, till thick and lemon colored. Beat in chocolate mixture, milk and vanilla. Beat in flour. Stir in undrained cherries and nuts.
• Pour in 9 x 1" round baking pan; place on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 F for 35-40 minutes (45-50 to springform pan). Cool on wire rack 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely.
• GLAZE: Combine chcolate with margarine/butter; microwave on high 1-1/2 to 2 minutes, or till melted, strirring twice.
• Spread 1/4 cup of Glaze evenly over top and sides of cake. Chill 10 minutes. Frost top and sides of glaze with remaining glaze. Chill till set. Let stand at room temperature 10/15 minutes before serving.

CHOCOLATE CHERRY CAKE

Steps:

• In a bowl, stir together all cake ingredients. Pour into a greased 13x9-in. baking pan. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until cake tests done. Meanwhile, in a saucepan, mix sugar, milk and butter. Bring to a boil and boil for 1-1/2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in chocolate chips until melted. Pour over hot cake. Frosting will harden as it cools.

BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH DRIED CHERRIES

Steps:

• Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 350°F. Line bottom of 9-inch round cake pan with 2-inch-high sides with parchment paper. Generously butter and flour sides of pan and parchment. Stir chocolate and butter in large bowl set over saucepan of simmering water until melted and smooth. Turn off heat. Let chocolate stand over water. Mix cherries and framboise in medium saucepan. Bring to simmer over medium heat. Reduce heat to low; simmer until all liquid is absorbed, stirring often, about 9 minutes. Set aside.
• Remove bowl with melted chocolate from over water. Whisk in sugar, vanilla and salt, then eggs 1 at a time. Add flour in 2 additions, blending well after each. Fold in cherries. Pour batter into pan.
• Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out with moist crumbs attached, about 35 minutes. Cool completely in pan on rack. Cut around pan sides to loosen cake. Turn out cake onto plate; peel off parchment paper. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.) Sift powdered sugar generously over cake.
• *Sold at some liquor stores and specialty foods stores. If unavailable, substitute raspberry liqueur.