Cherry cake
Description
The true king of all cakes — Napoleon — should be served chilled only. Be sure to let the dessert rest so it can soak through — at least 2 hours, or the layers will stay crunchy and brittle. The bright cherry flavor sets off the sweetness of the cream wonderfully. Serve with tea or coffee.
Instructions
- 1
Step 1
Prepare the listed ingredients.
- 2
Step 2
Freeze the butter or good-quality margarine for 5–10 minutes. Pour the wheat flour into a deep bowl and grate the butter into it on a coarse grater. Add the salt and sugar. Knead the entire mixture thoroughly.
- 3
Step 3
Shape the dough into a ball, cover it with plastic wrap, and place it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- 4
Step 4
Pour milk of any fat content into a kazan, add the egg yolks (use the egg whites in another recipe). Add sugar and vanilla sugar, and starch. Whisk for about 1 minute, then place on the stove and turn the heat to moderate.
- 5
Step 5
Cook the custard for about 10–12 minutes until it reaches the desired thickness, then stir in the butter. Cover the custard with plastic wrap and refrigerate to cool. It will thicken further.
- 6
Step 6
Pinch off small pieces of dough and roll them out as thinly as possible, dusting with flour. Then cut out circles using a plate. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.
- 7
Step 7
Pierce the pastry circles all over with a fork and bake each one for about 5–8 minutes until done, but do not brown them excessively. Transfer to a plate and cool. They will become crisp and brittle as they cool. Meanwhile, pit the cherries and simmer them with sugar in a Dutch oven or saucepan for about 5–8 minutes.
- 8
Step 8
Spread a little cream on the plate so the sponge layer does not slip. Place a sponge layer and spread it with cream. Place another sponge layer on top and spread cream on it again.
- 9
Step 9
On the third layer, arrange sweet cherries in the cream. Repeat for every third layer so the cake does not end up with hollow spots. About halfway through assembly, lightly press down on a layer so half of the dessert compresses slightly.
- 10
Step 10
Assemble the cake, reserving two layers for sprinkling. Crumble them by hand into crumbs and sprinkle over the top. Refrigerate the cake for at least 2 hours so it can soak through. Overnight is even better.
- 11
Step 11
After the cake has had time to absorb the cream, serve the Napoleon with cherries with hot tea and coffee.