Description
This rich and moist Chocolate Cherry Cake combines the deep flavor of dark chocolate with the tartness of black cherries. Made with ground almonds and cocoa powder, this cake is perfect for chocolate lovers seeking a gluten-free dessert option. Topped with a glossy cherry jam glaze and served with thick whipped cream, it is delicious both warm and at room temperature.
Ingredients
Scale
Cake Batter
- 225 g (1 cup minus 1 tbsp) unsalted butter room temperature, cut into chunks
- 200 g (1 cup) golden caster sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp almond extract
- 4 medium eggs
- 200 g (1 2/3 cups) ground almonds (coarse almond meal)
- 50 g (1/2 cup) cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 100 g (3.5 oz) dark chocolate (70%) melted
- 50 g (1/3 cup) chocolate chips
- 300 g fresh or frozen black cherries, pitted
- 2 tbsp cherry jam
To Serve
- Thick whipped cream
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Tin: Preheat the oven to 170C/325F (fan). Lightly grease a 23cm diameter loose-bottomed flan tin to prevent sticking.
- Beat Butter and Sugar: Place the butter and sugar in a large bowl. Whisk with an electric whisk or stand mixer until the mixture becomes fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add Extracts and Eggs: Add vanilla and almond extracts. Whisk again while adding the eggs one at a time. The mixture may look split temporarily but will come together with continued mixing.
- Fold in Dry Ingredients: Gently fold in the ground almonds, cocoa powder, and baking powder until fully combined.
- Add Chocolate: Fold in the melted dark chocolate and chocolate chips thoroughly into the batter.
- Fill Tin and Arrange Cherries: Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and level it with the back of a spoon. Slice half the cherries in half and leave the rest whole. Arrange the cherries on top, placing sliced ones cut-side up, and gently push them into the batter.
- Bake: Place the cake in the oven and bake for 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Glaze and Cool: Mix cherry jam with 2 tbsp cold water and brush it on top of the warm cake. Let the cake cool in the tin for 20 minutes before removing it to cool further on a wire rack.
- Serve: Serve the cake slightly warm or at room temperature topped with thick whipped cream. Optionally swirl some cherry jam into the cream and decorate with fresh cherries.
Notes
- Frozen cherries can be used straight from frozen or drained if defrosted. For tinned cherries, drain the liquid before use.
- This cake can be made ahead and stored covered at room temperature up to 3 days. Reheat slices briefly in the microwave if desired warm.
- It freezes well. Cool and cover before freezing. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before serving or warm individual slices in the microwave.
- The recipe is naturally gluten-free if you confirm your baking powder is gluten-free and the cocoa powder is safe.
- For best results, use a 23cm loose-bottomed flan tin to allow easy release of the cake.
