Sour Cherry Chocolate Cake with Fresh-Milled Flour
Ingredients
Chocolate Cream
- ½ liter whipping cream 35% fat
- 300 g dark chocolate 50–60% cacao
Cake
- 3 eggs large
- 120 g sugar
- 80 g butter melted and cooled
- 60 g neutral oil
- 240 ml buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla Optional
If you don’t have buttermilk:
- 240 ml milk
- 260 g freshly milled hard wheat flour
- 1½ teaspoon baking powder 6 g
- ½ teaspoon baking soda 2.5 g
- ¼ teaspoon salt 1.5 g
- 2 tablespoon cacao powder optional, for giving the cake a chocolate lok and flavor if you want that
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice rest 5 minutes, or white vinegar
Filling
- 400 g sour cherry compote
Method
- Heat up the whipping cream until almost boiling. Pour it over the chopped dark chocolate. Let sit for 1 minute, then stir until smooth, it should take no more than 3 or 4 minutes. Cover, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Add all liquid ingredients to one bowl (eggs, sugar, melted cooled butter, oil, the buttermilk (or milk + vinegar mixture), and mix briefly to combine. Don’t overmix. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cacao powder (if using).
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and gently mix until no dry flour remains. The batter will be quite thin. That’s normal.
- Line a 24 cm round cake pan with parchment paper and preheat your oven to 170°C / 340°F. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 35–40 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool completely, then slice it horizontally into two layers. Prepare the whipping cream, it should be fully chilled now. Whip it until soft, stable peaks form (with a stand mixer, that’s under 2 minutes!). Stop as soon as it holds its shape. Don’t overwhip.
- Drain the sour cherries and reserve the juice. Place the first cake layer on your plate or cake stand and generously brush it with sour cherry juice.
- Spread a thick layer of chocolate cream over the cake and scatter sour cherries on top. Add the second cake layer, brush again with sour cherry juice, then repeat with chocolate cream and cherries.
- Use the remaining chocolate cream to frost the top and sides of the cake if you want - I usually don’t do that, because I think the cake looks prettier without the sides being decorated! Refrigerate for at least 4–6 hours, ideally overnight, before serving and slicing.
Notes
- Use real whipping cream (35% fat). Lower-fat cream won’t whip properly once mixed with chocolate.
- Let the chocolate cream chill fully before whipping. If it’s still warm, it won’t thicken. Cold ganache is what gives you that fluffy, spreadable texture.
- Stop whipping as soon as the cream holds soft peaks. Overwhipping turns it grainy fast, especially with this much chocolate.
- Fresh-milled flour absorbs more liquid than store-bought flour. That’s why this batter looks thin and why soaking the cake layers matters.
- Don’t skip the sour cherry juice soak. The cake should look visibly moist. This keeps the crumb soft and prevents the cake from feeling heavy.
- You can use any fruit you like. Raspberry, strawberry, apricot, or peach compote all work well. If using fresh fruit, moisten the layers with simple syrup, diluted jam, fruit juice, or lightly sweetened milk.
- This cake slices best when fully chilled. If it feels soft right after assembling, that’s normal. Give it time in the fridge.
- Leftovers keep well in the refrigerator for 2–3 days. Store covered.
Private Notes
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