Cherry Cake
Description
It goes perfectly with tea and coffee. The Christmas "Log" cake with cherries is easy to make, because essentially it is an ordinary sponge roll. About that, serve cooled or slightly warm.
Instructions
- 1
Step 1
Prepare the ingredients.
- 2
Step 2
First, start by preparing the cream. To do this, pour 75 grams of sugar and starch into a saucepan, then crack in 1 egg.
- 3
Step 3
Pour half of the milk (125 ml) into a saucepan, stir, pour in the second half of the milk (125 ml), place over low heat, warm it through, but do not bring to a boil.
- 4
Step 4
Sift in the cocoa powder through a sieve, add 50 grams of chocolate, stir well so there are no lumps, put it back on the heat, bring it to a thick consistency, and remove from the heat.
- 5
Step 5
Cover the cream directly with plastic wrap, and cool it to room temperature.
- 6
Step 6
To prepare the batter, separate the whites and yolks of 5 eggs into different containers, add 40 grams of sugar to the yolks, pour in 50 ml of milk and 10 grams of vegetable oil, and mix until smooth.
- 7
Step 7
First beat the egg whites to a light foam, then add 120 grams of sugar in portions while continuing to beat without stopping, and beat until stiff peaks form.
- 8
Step 8
Pour the yolk mixture into the beaten egg whites and mix.
- 9
Step 9
Add the sifted flour with baking powder to the whipped egg mixture in small amounts, folding in each portion gently until smooth.
- 10
Step 10
Transfer the batter to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Smooth it out well so the sponge cake bakes evenly. Bake in an oven preheated to 180°C for 20 minutes.
- 11
Step 11
While the sponge cake is baking, strain the juice that has collected from the cherries through a sieve.
- 12
Step 12
Prepare a soak from 80 grams of sugar, 80 ml of water, and 1 tablespoon of cognac (rum), then cool to room temperature.
- 13
Step 13
Remove the baked sponge cake from the oven.
- 14
Step 14
Turn it onto the other side.
- 15
Step 15
While still hot, roll the sponge cake into a jelly roll and cool it to room temperature while rolled up.
- 16
Step 16
Take a piece of foil the length of the roulade and crumple it lightly, making lengthwise cracks that look like tree bark. Lay plastic wrap on top of the foil and crinkle it in the same way so it resembles bark.
- 17
Step 17
Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave in short bursts. With a pastry brush, spread the chocolate over prepared foil with plastic wrap. Chill for about 20 minutes until set.
- 18
Step 18
Add the butter, softened to room temperature, to the custard base of the cream, add the vanilla extract, and whisk with a mixer until smooth. For perfect results, the butter and custard base should be at roughly the same temperature (room temperature).
- 19
Step 19
Now begin assembling the cake: with a silicone brush, evenly soak the sponge layer with the prepared soaking syrup.
- 20
Step 20
Spread half of the cream and level it out to about 1.5–2 cm, stopping short of the edge of the base, then arrange the cherries. Roll into a roulade with the seam underneath. Chill for half an hour if possible so the roulade sets.
- 21
Step 21
Cut off the edges of the roll at a 45-degree angle so they imitate knots on a log.
- 22
Step 22
Spread the remaining frosting over the cake.
- 23
Step 23
Remove the set chocolate from the foil and decorate the top of the “log” with chocolate “bark”. It’s fine if the chocolate “bark” suddenly cracks or breaks—that’s exactly what a “log” is about. You can decorate the dessert with spruce twigs, cranberries, marzipan mushrooms, and dust it with powdered-sugar “snow”. The most delicious chocolate Yule Log cake is ready! You can welcome Christmas!