255 – Cherry Chocolate Cake – homemade Recipe / كيك الشيكولاتة والكريز

Ingredients :

• 6 oz (170 grams) butter (soften)
• 1/2 cup (100 grams) white granulated sugar
• 5 oz (150 grams) dark chocolate 60-70%
• 4 large eggs (white and yolks separated)
• Pinch of salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup (60 grams) white all-purpose flour
• 1 pound (450 grams) cherries
• Cocoa powder for dusting on top of the cake

Directions :

Melt the chocolate and butter on medium heat in a ‘bain-marie’ placing the container with chocolate on top of a pan with boiling water.

Step 1: Making the Batter
1- First, mix the butter with half of the sugar (keep the other half of the sugar for later). The butter has to be soft. Mix using an egg beater until you get a creamy texture.
2- Chocolate is one of the most important ingredients in this recipe. I am using 70% dark chocolate. Try to use the best chocolate quality you can find because it makes a difference in the taste.
3- Melt the chocolate in the microwave or a bain-marie. If you are using the microwave, melt the chocolate in 30 seconds shots, while mixing in between, to avoid burning it.
4- Add the egg yolks to the butter and sugar mixture. Mix using the egg beater.
5- Add a little bit of the melted chocolate to the egg yolk mixture. Mix using the egg beater. Then add the rest of the melted chocolate and mix all the ingredients.
6- We want the chocolate cake to be flully, that’s why we separate the egg yolks and the egg whites. In a separate bowl, place the egg whites, and make sure that they have NO traces of egg yolks when separating them, otherwise, they would not fluff.
7- Add a pinch of salt to the egg whites and beat them using a CLEAN egg beater, until you get a thick white foam. Then add the rest of the sugar, and continue beating, until you get firm white peaks.
8- Add vanilla extract to the egg white mixture and beat for 15 seconds just to integrate it.
9- Integrate the egg whites with the chocolate mixture. Add 1/3 of the egg white mixture to the chocolate mixture, and gently mix both using a spatula. When well integrated, add a little more of the egg white mixture and continue mixing. You’ll end up with a very soft batter.
10- Sift the flour on top of the chocolate batter. Mix it in using a spatula.
Step 2: Preparing the Cherries
1- Cut the cherries in half and remove the pits.
Step 3: Baking the Cake
1- Preapre you baking pan by covering it with butter and lining it up with parchment paper.
2- Pour half of the chocolate batter in the baking pan. Spread using a spatula.
3- Place the cherry halves on top of the batter.
4- Cover the cherries with the rest of the chocolate batter.
5- Now bake the cake in a hot oven. Make sure to preheat your oven to 360 F / 180 C.
6- Bake for around 40-45 minutes. You know it’s done when you press, gently, the center of the cake with your fingers and it feels firm.
7- Let the cake cool down. Dust with cocoa powder. Serve warm or cold!
Serving: Decorate with powdered sugar. Serve cold with fruit and whipped cream. Enjoy!
Conserving: Wrap the cake in foil and freeze for up to 2 weeks. Just unwrap and thraw at room temperature before serving.