Chocolate Spoon Cake With Cognac Cherries Recipes

Steps:

• For the cake: Position an oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.
• Sift together the flour and cornstarch. Whisk together the sour cream, oil, sugar and egg in a large bowl until smooth, which will take 1 to 2 minutes.
• In a small pitcher or separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, vanilla, baking soda and baking powder. Add to the bowl and mix to combine.
• Add the dry mixture to the wet ingredients in two batches, stirring until just combined and no lumps of flour remain.
• Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Put to one side while you make the frosting.
• For the gooey chocolate frosting: Combine the milk, chocolate and butter in a saucepot over medium-low heat. Stir until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth, about 3 minutes. Pour the frosting over the still-warm cake and serve immediately, eating with spoons straight from the pan.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
• Stir butter, white sugar, and brown sugar together in a bowl; add vanilla extract and mix well. Stir eggs, 1 at a time, into butter mixture until smooth.
• Sift flour, cocoa powder, and salt together in a separate bowl. Stir flour mixture, alternating with buttermilk, into butter mixture until batter is smooth, adding more buttermilk if needed to thin out batter. Pour batter into the prepared baking dish.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes.

Steps:

• Prepare the cake: Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan with olive oil.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour, cocoa powder and baking powder until evenly distributed and no lumps remain. To a separate large bowl, add the 1/2 cup oil, eggs, milk, almond extract and salt and whisk until smooth, at least 30 seconds. Gently whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until the last streak of flour disappears.
• Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and tap gently against the counter to pop excess air bubbles. Bake until a skewer or cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 30 to 40 minutes. Let cool completely in the pan.
• Microwave the cherry preserves in a small bowl in 30-second intervals or in a small saucepan over medium heat until looser and slightly liquidy. Spread the preserves evenly over the cooled cake.
• Make the frosting: In a large bowl, combine the sugar, cocoa powder and salt and pour over the hot water. Either by hand or with an electric mixer, whisk until smooth. Add the heavy cream and continue whisking until billowy soft peaks form. When you turn the whisk upside-down, a peak of cream should flop over slightly like a Santa hat. Spread the frosting over the cake and, if using, garnish with the cherries. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Steps:

• In a saucepan, combine 1/3 cup each sugar and water over medium-high heat and cook, stirring, until sugar dissolves. Remove simple syrup from heat; let cool.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Butter two 8-by-2-inch round cake pans. Line bottoms with parchment rounds; butter parchment. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine eggs and remaining 1 cup sugar. Whisk on medium speed until quadrupled in volume and mixture holds a 3-second ribbon, about 10 minutes. Whisk in vanilla.
• In a bowl, combine cocoa and flour. Sift over egg mixture; using a large rubber spatula, carefully fold into egg mixture, cutting through center and lifting gently over sides. Divide batter among prepared pans. Bake until cake pulls away from sides of pan and is springy to touch, 15 to 17 minutes. Remove from oven. Run a small knife around sides of pan. Invert onto rack; remove parchment, and re-invert onto rack to cool completely.
• Using a serrated knife, trim tops of cakes horizontally to level surface. Halve each cake horizontally to form 2 layers. Transfer 1 layer to a serving platter; generously brush with simple syrup and spread 3/4 cup frosting on top. Set another cake layer on top, and repeat process with remaining simple syrup, frosting, and cake layers. Frost top and sides of cake in a swirling motion. Refrigerate until set, about 1 hour.

Steps:

• For cherries: Combine cherries, water, 1/3 cup Cognac and sugar in small saucepan; bring to boil, stirring occasionally; reduce heat to low and cook until most liquid has been absorbed, about 30 minutes; cool; add ½ cup Cognac; cover; chill overnight.
• For cake: Preheat oven to 300F; position rack in centre of oven; butter bottom and sides of 9-inch-diameter springform pan; line sides with parchment paper strip; sprinkle bottom with almonds; melt chocolate in top of double boiler over simmering water, stirring until smooth; remove from over water; cool slightly.
• Beat butter and ¼ cup sugar in large bowl until fluffy; add yolks 1 at a time, beating well after each addition; fold in melted chocolate, then cocoa; with clean, dry beaters, beat egg whites in medium bowl until soft peaks form; add ¼ cup sugar, beat until stiff but not dry; fold whites into chocolate mixture in 2 additions, folding until just combined; pour batter into pan; bake until tester inserted into centre comes out clean, about 35 minutes; cool on rack (cake will fall to a height of about 2 inches); cut around sides of pan to loosen cake; release pan sides; remove parchment; reattach sides of pan.
• For custard: Preheat oven to 300F; bring cream to boil in small saucepan; remove from heat; add 5 oz chocolate; stir until smooth; whisk in milk, yolk and vanilla; drain cherries well, reserving liquid; press enough cherries onto top of cake to cover completely; wrap outside of pan with foil; pour custard over cake, covering completely and allowing some custard to fill space between sides of pan and cake; press down on cherries to submerge; using tip of knife, pierce any bubbles on surface; bake until custard is barely set, about 30 minutes.
• Transfer cake to rack; cool completely; cut around sides of pan to loosen cake; if custard is not completely set, refrigerate cake 15 minutes; release pan sides; press chocolate shavings onto sides of cake; (Can be prepared 4 hours ahead; cover and chill).
• Serve cake with ice cream; drizzle ice cream with reserved cherry liquid.