Chocolate Cherry Christmas Cake Food

3-INGREDIENT CHOCOLATE CHERRY CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Spray 13×9-inch baking pan with a cooking spray.
• In a large mixing bowl with a whisk attachment, beat the eggs for a minute until fluffy.
• Add chocolate cake mix and cherry pie filling, and continue to beat the mixture until smooth, starting on low speed and gradually increasing the speed to medium high.
• Pour the batter into the baking pan and spread it evenly with a spatula.
• Bake for about 25 minutes, or until the inserted toothpick comes out clean.
• Cool the cake on wire rack in the pan. Serve warm or cold with whipped cream, vanilla ice cream, and/or fudge sauce, if desired.

CHOCOLATE CHERRY CHRISTMAS CAKE

Steps:

• In a medium non-metallic bowl mix the dried cherries, raisins, sultanas and brandy. Cover and leave to soak overnight at room temperature.
• The next day, preheat oven to 150°C (130°C fan) mark 2. Grease and line base and sides of a 20.5cm (8in) round loose-bottom cake tin with baking parchment. Wrap a double layer of newspaper or brown paper, 3cm (11/4in) higher than the cake tin, around the outside of the tin and secure with string.
• In a food processor whiz the drained black cherries. Set aside. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar with a handheld electric whisk until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gently fold in the cornflour, mixed spice and polenta, followed by the ground almonds and chocolate.
• Finally stir in the soaked fruit, glacé cherries, tinned cherry purée and 4tbsp of the reserved syrup (discard remaining).
• Tip into prepared tin and smooth surface. Bake for 31/4hrs or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Set cake tin on a wire rack, cover with a clean tea towel and leave to cool completely.
• When cool, remove cake from tin (keep in its parchment paper) and wrap in a couple of layers of clingfilm. Store in a cool, dark place for up to 3 months. TO FEED YOUR CAKE: After two weeks, unwrap cake, prick top all over with a skewer and drizzle over 1tbsp cherry or regular brandy. Rewrap and store as before. Feed every few weeks for a stronger flavour.

CHOCOLATE-CHERRY CAKE

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.

CHOCOLATE CHERRY CANDY CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter two 8-inch round cake pans, line the bottoms with parchment paper. Butter the parchment and dust with flour, tapping out excess.
• Whisk the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt together in a large bowl. Whisk the melted butter, buttermilk, egg, vanilla and 1/2 cup water together in another bowl until smooth. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, whisking until just combined. Divide the batter between the prepared cake pans, smoothing the tops. Bake, rotating the pans halfway through cooking, until a toothpick inserted in the center of each cake comes out clean, about 25 minutes.
• Let the cakes cool in the pans for 15 minutes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack set over a baking sheet. Discard the parchment paper and flip the cakes right side up again. Let the cakes cool completely.
• Make the cherry filling: Quarter the cherries and transfer them to a medium bowl with the 2 tablespoons reserved syrup. Combine the gelatin with 1 tablespoon cold water in a small bowl and let stand for 5 minutes to soften. Heat the gelatin in the microwave until it melts completely, about 10 seconds, stirring to dissolve. Combine the gelatin, cream cheese, sour cream, sugar, salt and almond extract in a food processor and process until smooth. Scrape the cream cheese mixture into the bowl containing the cherries and stir to combine. Refrigerate, checking every 5 minutes, until the filling is just set enough to spread, 5 to 15 minutes. (Do not let the filling firm up too much.)
• Place one cake on a cake stand and pile the cherry filling in the center, spreading it in a thick layer almost to the edge. Top with the remaining cake, aligning the layers directly on top of each other so the cake does not lean. Refrigerate the assembled cake for 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, make the chocolate ganache: Bring the cream to a simmer in a small saucepan then remove from the heat. Add the chocolate, shaking the pan gently to submerge it. Allow the pan to stand, off the heat, for 3 minutes to melt the chocolate. Whisk the ganache until smooth, then refrigerate until it is just thick enough to spread (like mayonnaise), about 15 minutes. (Do not let the ganache harden too much.)
• 15 to 20 minutes. (Do not let the ganache harden too much.)
• Stir the ganache again and scoop it on top of the cake, spreading it over the top and sides. Refrigerate the cake until the ganache is set, at least 2 hours or overnight.

CHOCOLATE CHERRY BAKEWELL CAKE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Butter and line a 900g loaf tin with baking parchment. Toss the cherries in 1 tbsp of the flour, then set aside.
• Put the butter and sugar in a large bowl, and whisk until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, mixing well between each addition. Fold in the remaining flour, the baking powder and ground almonds. Stir in the milk, the vanilla and almond extracts, and 100g of the chocolate with a spatula. Scrape half the cake mixture into the tin, scatter half the cherries over the top, then add the remaining cake mixture and the remaining cherries. Bake for 1 hr 10 mins or until a skewer comes out clean.
• Cool in the tin for 10 mins, then remove and place on a wire rack to cool completely. Melt the remaining chocolate in the microwave in 20-sec bursts, then drizzle or pipe over the top of the cake and scatter with the almonds. Wait for the chocolate to set a bit before slicing. Will keep in the cake tin for up to three days.

CHOCOLATE FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• Put the butter, sugar, chocolate, brandy, vanilla and dried fruits into a large saucepan. Heat gently, stirring occasionally until everything has melted together. Remove from the heat.
• Heat oven to 150C/130C fan/gas 2. Line a deep cake tin, 20cm round or 18cm square, with a double layer of baking parchment. Wrap a few layers of newspaper around the outside and secure with string.
• Mix the flour, almonds, cocoa and spice together. Stir the eggs into the slightly cooled chocolate mixture in the saucepan, followed by the flour mixture. Scrape into your prepared tin and bake for 1½ hrs- 1 hr 45 mins or until a skewer poked in comes out clean. Cool in the tin, then decorate (see 'Goes well with', right, for decoration ideas). Greaseproof-wrapped cake will keep for 2 months in an airtight container.

CHERRY CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease and flour one 9x13 inch baking pan.
• Cream the butter with sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in the eggs and almond extract and beat well. Add the cocoa powder and mix until well combined.
• By hand, stir the cake flour, baking soda and salt together. Add flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix until just combined. Stir in the cherry pie filling. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
• Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the middle comes out clean. Cool and frost with Chocolate Buttercream.

CHOCOLATE CHERRY CAKE

Steps:

• In a bowl, stir together all cake ingredients. Pour into a greased 13x9-in. baking pan. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until cake tests done. Meanwhile, in a saucepan, mix sugar, milk and butter. Bring to a boil and boil for 1-1/2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in chocolate chips until melted. Pour over hot cake. Frosting will harden as it cools.