Recipe Bank · Dessert
Dark Chocolate Cherry Cake
Three layers of deep, fudgy chocolate cake with a fresh cherry filling, finished with a glossy ganache drip and a crown of whole cherries. It looks like a special occasion bake, but most of the work is simple knife work and patience while things chill. Our YARI 6 in Chef's Knife handles the cherries and the chocolate prep from start to finish.
Featuring the YARI Series 6 in Chef's Knife, forged from our proprietary X-7 Damascus Steel.
Ingredients
- For the Cake
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp fine salt
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 cup neutral oil
- 1 cup hot strong coffee
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- For the Cherry Filling
- 1 lb fresh cherries, halved and pitted
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- For the Ganache and Finish
- 8 oz dark chocolate, chopped
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup chocolate buttercream, for piping
- 12 to 15 whole cherries, stems on
Method
Prep the cherries
Rinse the cherries and pat them dry. Set aside the prettiest dozen or so with stems attached for the top of the cake. Halve and pit the rest with the tip of your chef's knife, working around the pit in one clean cut and twisting the halves apart. The short, agile blade of the YARI 6 in makes quick work of small fruit like this.
Cook the filling
Combine the halved cherries, sugar, and lemon juice in a saucepan over medium heat. Once the cherries release their juices, stir the cornstarch into a tablespoon of cold water, add it to the pan, and simmer until thick and glossy, about 5 minutes. Cool completely.
Bake the layers
Heat the oven to 350 F and line three 8 in pans. Whisk the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Add the eggs, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla and mix until smooth, then stream in the hot coffee. The batter will be thin. That is what keeps the crumb moist. Divide between the pans and bake 30 to 35 minutes, until a tester comes out clean. Cool fully on a rack.
Make the ganache
Chop the dark chocolate finely so it melts evenly. Heat the cream until it just begins to steam, pour it over the chocolate, wait one minute, then stir from the center out until silky. Let it sit at room temperature until it thickens to a pourable, honey-like consistency.
Stack and fill
Level the cake layers if needed. Place the first layer on a board or stand, pipe a buttercream dam around the edge, and fill the center with half the cherry filling. Repeat with the second layer, then top with the third. Apply a thin crumb coat of buttercream and chill for 30 minutes.
Drip and decorate
Pour the ganache over the chilled cake, easing it toward the edges so it drips down the sides in slow streams. Pipe swirls of chocolate buttercream around the top rim, set a whole stemmed cherry on each swirl, and chill another 30 minutes before slicing. For clean cuts, dip your knife in hot water and wipe it between slices.
The Knife Behind the Recipe
YARI Series 6 in Chef's Knife
Forged from our proprietary X-7 Damascus Steel, the YARI 6 in is sized for precise work. Pitting cherries, chopping chocolate, and slicing a finished layer cake all come down to control, and this blade delivers it.
A Note from the Kitchen
If cherries are out of season, frozen dark sweet cherries work beautifully in the filling. Thaw and drain them first, and save your fresh ones for the top where they do the most good.