Cherry chocolate indulgence: A holiday treat to impress

Fluffy sponge cake, chocolate, and creamy mascarpone frosting – it all sounds delicious and very classic. However, the highlight of this dessert is homemade cherry jam, adding juiciness and a slightly tart twist. If you don't have access to such treats, you can make a delicious fruit filling yourself, for instance, using frozen fruits.

For the fruit layer, you need 300 grams of fresh or frozen cherries. Transfer them to a saucepan and boil with 3 tablespoons of sugar and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Dissolve 1 tablespoon of potato starch in two tablespoons of cold water. Pour this into the boiling cherries and mix thoroughly until you achieve a thick, jelly-like consistency. Set aside to cool and place under the cream layer.

You can also use other preserves from your pantry for the cake, such as raspberry jam, blackcurrant jam, or plum preserves. 

Ingredients for the sponge cake:

• 4 eggs,
• 4 tablespoons of caster sugar,
• a pinch of salt,
• 4 tablespoons of plain flour,
• 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder,
• 1 teaspoon of baking powder.

Cream and extras:

• 500 millilitres of double cream,
• 3 tablespoons of icing sugar,
• 250 grams of mascarpone cheese,
• 1 tablespoon of gelatine,
• 1 bar of dark chocolate,
• 250-300 grams of cherry jam,
• half a bar of milk chocolate for decoration.

Instructions:

1. Bring the ingredients for the sponge cake to room temperature.
2. Separate the egg yolks from the whites. Mix the yolks with the baking powder. In a separate bowl, mix the flour with the cocoa powder.
3. Beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff. Gradually add the sugar, mixed yolks, and finally the flour mixed with cocoa.
4. Pour the prepared sponge cake batter into a square baking pan measuring about 24 x 24 centimetres, lined with baking paper. Place the cake in the oven preheated to 170 degrees Celsius for 30 minutes. Bake until a skewer inserted comes out clean.
5. In a double boiler, melt the dark chocolate, add 100 millilitres of cream, mix thoroughly, and set aside to cool.
6. In 50 millilitres of hot water (it shouldn't be boiling), dissolve the gelatine and set aside to cool.
7. In a large bowl, whip the remaining cream into a frosting, add icing sugar spoon by spoon, and then the mascarpone cheese. Mix the cooled gelatine into the ready cream.
8. Reserve a third of the cream in a separate bowl and mix this part with the melted and cooled chocolate.
9. Cut the baked sponge cake into two thin layers. Place the bottom layer back into the cake tin.
10. Spread the cherry jam over its surface. Cover with mascarpone cream, and then with the second sponge layer.
11. Spread the chocolate cream over the top of the cake. Sprinkle the whole cake with grated milk chocolate.