All content copyright Katrina Hall 2008 through 2025
We have heaps and heaps of snow outside -14 inches when I measured yesterday, but of course there are drifts and mountains more from shoveling and snowblowing. But the sun is up and it looks very, very pretty. And I drifted snow on this chocolate and cherry cake, (confectioner's sugar, of course), looking equally as pretty against the dark chocolate.
The recipe comes from Life's a Feast, and the first time I made it in a bundt pan, it stuck to the mold, even though I had buttered and greased it heavily. The second time it stuck again, so this third time, I halved the recipe and used my trusty heavy aluminum 8"x2" cake pan from Wilton. Perfect.
Chocolate and Dark Cherry cake :
3 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1 extra large egg, at room temperature
7/8's of a cup of King Arthur flour
1 and a half tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, this time I used Hershey's
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch kosher salt
scant 1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup frozen dark unsweetened cherries, thawed ten minutes and sprinkled with 1 T. sugar
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips (I used Toll House)
Cream the butter and sugar for five minutes, then add the egg and continue to beat for five minutes.
Measure the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, cinnamon and salt into a bowl, stir, set aside.
Measure the milk and vanilla in a glass and set aside.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients in two batches, mix again, then add the cherries and chocolate chips. Stir the batter with a spoon or spatula - it should be smooth and creamy.
Fill the cake pan evenly and bake 25 minutes. The cake should be mostly firm when you gently press the top with your finger.
Remove cake from oven to a cooling rack, and let cool at least 20 minutes.
Turn the cake, still in the pan, upside down and tap the pan gently with a rolling pin, flip it right side up and run a dull knife around the edge.
Hold your breath and flip the cake onto a rack, place another rack on top gently, then flip the cake right side up. If there are pieces stuck to the pan, remove with a dull knife and stick onto the cake while the pieces are still warm.
Sift confectioner's sugar over the cake when cooled, and serve.
Happy snow day!
When it comes to cherries and strawberries, I usually think fresh. Fresh fruit salads, green salads with a handful tossed in at the last minute, cottage cheese with mint, basil and cherries or strawberries. But for some reason I went searching Pinterest very early this morning for a muffin or scone recipe for that last cupful of pitted cherries. And I found the almost perfect recipe - except I didn't have any sliced almonds nor almond extract. You know how it is - you plunge ahead merrily anyway, and I'm happy to say it came out just fine, though I would love to try it with the almonds sometime, nice with a little crunch!
I did change a few measurements - a little less baking powder, a little more buttermilk because the batter was so firm, lemon zest instead of almond extract, and a slightly lower temperature since my oven runs a little hot sometimes. But all in all, a lovely new recipe for those special brunches. Many thanks to Table for Two!
Fresh Cherry Scones
Preheat oven to 375F
Line two baking sheets with parchment and set aside.
For the scones:
3 cups King Arthur all purpose flour
zest of half a lemon (about 1 1/2 teaspoons)
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 stick (8 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, cut into tiny cubes
1 1/4 cups buttermilk plus a little more if needed
1 cup halved fresh cherries
sparkling sugar
For the glaze:
1 cup confectioner's sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
few drops of almond or vanilla extract
Place the flour, lemon zest, sugar, baking powder and baking soda, and salt into the mixer bowl and mix briefly.
Add the butter and use a pastry blender to break the butter pieces down before using the mixer - I've found the dough gets too tough if I use the beater blade too much.
Pour in the buttermilk and mix just until the dough comes together - if it's too thick, add another 1/4 cup buttermilk and quickly stir again.
Gently stir in the cherries quickly and without staining the dough too much.
Use an ice cream scoop to space out 7 scones per sheet and sprinkle scones with sparkling sugar before sliding into the upper third of the oven. Bake for 20 minutes, remove to cooling rack, then bake the other sheet . Using a spatula if needed, remove the first scones to a cooling rack to cool completely before icing, then do the same with the second sheet.
When scones are completely cool, mix up the glaze with a small whisk and drizzle quickly over cooled scones, using the whisk or a fork to make zig-zag lines. Let dry completely before placing on a platter. This made 14 scones.
I just got a new picture of our Izzie - who has grown SO much I can't believe it! Minnesota seems to be agreeing with all of them - and they are constantly biking or hiking, swimming or visiting museums, or taking the Light Rail trains, which Frankie is mad about. And Noah? Mr. Tractor is finally walking and talking!
Oh my goodness, life has been hectic. The first few chilly almost-freezing nights led to that frantic Oh-my-gosh-winter's-coming awareness. The plants need to be covered, the trip to the pick-your-own apple orchard. Izzie's second grade soccer games, and almost-3 year old Frankie in a 2 day kindergarten. Baby Noah meeting his Aunt Noa. With both my daughter and daughter-in-law working, and three children's schedules, I happily get called on for babysitting in a pinch.
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.
