Description
A rich and moist Chocolate Cherry Cake featuring ground almonds, dark chocolate, and fresh or frozen cherries. This gluten-free dessert is flavored with vanilla and almond extract, topped with cherries and a glossy cherry jam glaze, perfect to serve warm or at room temperature with thick whipped cream.
Ingredients
Scale
Cake Ingredients
- 225 g (1 cup minus 1 tbsp) unsalted butter room temperature, cut into chunks
- 200 g (1 cup) golden caster sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp almond extract
- 4 medium eggs
- 200 g (1 2/3 cups) ground almonds (coarse almond meal)
- 50 g (1/2 cup) cocoa powder (check gluten-free if needed)
- 1 tsp baking powder (gluten-free if required)
- 100 g (3.5 oz) dark chocolate (70% cocoa), melted
- 50 g (1/3 cup) chocolate chips
- 300 g fresh or frozen black cherries, pitted
- 2 tbsp cherry jam
To Serve
- Thick whipped cream
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare: Preheat the oven to 170C/325F (fan) and lightly grease a 23 cm diameter loose-bottomed flan tin.
- Cream butter and sugar: Place the butter and sugar in a large bowl. Whisk with an electric whisk or stand mixer for 3-4 minutes until fluffy.
- Add extracts and eggs: Mix in vanilla and almond extracts. Then whisk in the eggs one at a time, the mixture may appear split but it will come back together.
- Combine dry ingredients: Fold in the ground almonds, cocoa powder, and baking powder until evenly combined.
- Add chocolate: Carefully fold in the melted dark chocolate and chocolate chips until mixture is well combined.
- Prepare cherries: Slice half the cherries in half, leaving the other half whole for topping.
- Fill the tin and arrange cherries: Spoon the batter into the prepared tin and level with the back of a spoon. Arrange whole and halved cherries on top, cut-side-up, pressing them slightly into the mixture.
- Bake the cake: Bake in the oven for 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Glaze and cool: Mix cherry jam with 2 tbsp cold water, brush over the warm cake. Let cool in the tin for 20 minutes then remove to a rack to cool completely.
- Serve: Serve the cake slightly warm or at room temperature, topped with thick whipped cream and optionally swirl in some cherry jam with fresh cherries for decoration.
Notes
- Use fresh, frozen, or tinned cherries—if frozen, use while still frozen or drain excess liquid after thawing. If tinned, drain liquid before use.
- This cake can be made ahead; store covered at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- Warm individual slices in the microwave for a few seconds if you prefer serving warm.
- You can freeze the cake after cooling and covering. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator before serving or warm slices in the microwave.
- Ensure baking powder and cocoa powder are gluten-free if needed for dietary requirements.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (approx. 95 g)
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 20 g
- Sodium: 95 mg
- Fat: 23 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 25 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 85 mg
