Furnaces cleaned, wood stoves readied, cleaning up the garden , and making time for hikes and walks before the snow, lots of time in the kitchen, making ratatouille and this wonderful cake from Life's a Feast : a light chocolate snacking cake, filed with dark unsweetened cherries and semi-sweet chocolate chips. We had a party in the kitchen one morning at 8 am with a roomful of family and lots and lots of food, including this cake, a stellar memory of September .
The original recipe (see it here) called for bottled cherries, but I used my favorite flash frozen dark sweet pitted cherries, sprinkled a little sugar on them, and let them thaw for 20 minutes or so, so the batter wouldn't be cold. And for a little more chocolate for all the chocolate lovers I added chocolate chips, but otherwise followed the recipe. It came out perfectly.
Chocolate and dark cherry cake
Preheat oven to 350F.
Butter or grease a bundt pan very well. Set aside.
7 tablespoons soft unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 3/4 cups King Arthur flour
3 T. unsweetened cocoa powder ( I used Ghirardelli)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch salt
3/4 cup milk
1 t. vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups thawed frozen dark unsweetened cherries
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
Cream the butter and sugar for 5 minutes until fluffy.
Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition.
Measure the flour, cocoa powder, making powder, cinnamon and salt into a bowl and stir, set aside.
Measure the milk and vanilla in a cup and set aside.
Add the dry ingredients in three additions, alternating with the milk and vanilla mixture.
Mix until blended well, then fold in the semisweet chocolate chips and the cherries.
Carefully fill the bundt pan evenly, then bake for 50 minutes.
Remove from oven and let cool on cooling rack for at least 20 minutes.
Carefully tap around the bundt pan with a rolling pin - hopefully this will help the cake slide out easily.
Upend the cake onto cooling rack and let cool. Dust with confectioner's sugar or cocoa powder and serve.
11 comments:
The cake looks good Ktrina.. amazingly..we have been under the same weather spell of fear of frost to over 80 yesterday..Kiddies sound like here too..I don't have that Sept.morn memory though and it sounds great:)
Thanks, Nana! Oh, that kitchen party was fun - and the fact that it was at 8am (before Izzie and Frankie went to school) that made me restrain myself from making the cake too sweet or too chocolatey. Raised my eyes to the heavens and prayed the teachers weren't stuck with two super hyper kids:)
Too funny you should say that.I made Ina's choco cake and Jacques brought half to my family across the street.. Caroline said the boys loved and but were bouncing off the walls:)
Ah, Nana - that's why I try to make "snacking cakes" - which usually don't have an inch of frosting:) I well remember #2 child being super hyper if he had too much sugar ANYTIME.
I love the idea of an 8:00am party - what a wonderful way to start the day! You just know its going to be a great day when it's start with a party and that snacking cake. (I'm going to have to give this recipe a try, too! I love the combination of cherries & chocolate - yum!! :-). )
Good morning, Barb! It was a great party, but have to admit I took a little snooze late afternoon after all the excitement:) I adore cherries & chocolate, and loved biting into those juicy cherries in this cake! I'm guessing you like Ben & Jerry's Cherry Garcia ice cream? Have a wonderful Sunday!
Ahhh-Ben & Jerry's Cherry Garcia! Oh Yum! Love , love love it! I try not to indulge too often but it is sooo good!
Katrina, I think I've disclosed too much information to you - you know my weaknesses (notice the plural?).
Happy Fall to you and again, thank you so much for sharing this fun, wonderful blog with us.
Ah, Barb - you are too sweet! Always so much fun to hear from you, and always look forward to your comments! Merci so much!
Definitely time to switch to flannel sheets! Love the idea of making this in a Bundt pan!
Thanks, Diary - but that's what the recipe specified, so it was not my brilliant idea! Going to have to try a silicone bundt, if it exists - my heavy, and coated bundt pan has a sticking place no matter how much I grease it or butter it. This time I carefully brushed melted butter on every inch, but it did it again:(
Aha! Brilliant and I am so happy you made this, one of my favorite cakes! And the cherries are at the top! Thanks for sharing... I'll share this on my FB page!
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