I can reveal that the cherry brandy I made in the summer is delicious and dangerously moreish. We really enjoyed the odd tipple over Christmas. Let’s hope for a good cherry season next year.
The drained cherries are not going to waste either. Some of them became truffles, some were simply dipped in melted chocolate and the rest are in the freezer waiting to be added to pavlovas and black forest gateau type desserts throughout the year.
This was another of my contributions to my Dad’s birthday pudding bonanza. It’s a flourless creation, which means that my gluten-intolerant sister can enjoy it. I really like Black Forest gâteau, and anything with cherries and cherry brandy in it is always a big hit with me. So I opted to add these, but you could add Marron Glaces for a chestnutty treat or just opt for the simpler (but nearly as delicious) chocolate and cream combo.
When I rolled it, I had as usual added far too much filling and it all oozed out. But, actually I like it this way, it makes it look a lot more decadent and that can never be a bad thing, surely?
For the roulade (recipe from Delia Smith’s Complete Cookery Course):
A swiss roll tin (a shallow sided tray) measuring 29cm x 18cm, greased and lined with baking parchment.
Whisk the egg yolks until they begin to thicken, then add the sugar and whisk again until the mixture thickens a little more, but you don’t want it to be too thick. Add the cocoa powder and mix until combined. In a very clean bowl whisk the egg whites until they make soft peaks. Add one-third of the egg whites to the egg yolk mixture to loosen the mixture and then carefully fold in the rest of the egg whites, retaining as much air as possible. Carefully pour this mixture into the tin and lift the tin to spread the mixture evenly.
Place in a preheated oven at 180°c, gas mark 4 or on the middle shelf of the Aga’s Baking Oven and cook for 20-25 minutes until the cake is springy to touch. Leave it in the cake tin to cool.
Make the chocolate ganache:
225g (8oz) good quality dark chocolate
225ml double cream
Cherry Brandy (to taste, I tend to put a good swig in, I know that isn’t very scientific, but keep on tasting until it suits you)
Chop the chocolate finely and place in a shallow and long dish. Heat the cream in a saucepan until just under boiling point. Pour the cream over the chocolate and leave to melt for a few moments. Stir gently until well combined and then add the cherry brandy to taste.
Softly whip 200ml of double cream and drain a can of cherries.
Place a fresh piece of baking parchment on the worktop, it should be a little bigger than the cake. Dust this with cocoa powder and turn the cake onto it. Peel off the baking parchment from the bottom of the cake. Spread the chocolate ganache over and then dot with the cherries.
Spread the softly whipped cream on top and then taking hold of one the shorter edges of baking parchment use this to roll the cake over to make a log. If the filling oozes out, don’t worry just use a knife to spread it back onto the ends of the roulade. If the cake cracks then that’s a bonus part of its appeal.
I love to cook. I spend a lot of my time baking and cooking, or thinking about baking and cooking. I use this little corner of the internet to share my recipes. I hope that they inspire you to cook one or two of them. I would love to hear from you, so please leave a comment or visit my Contact Page to drop me an email. Kath
Copyright Statement
Copyright belongs to the The Ordinary Cook, 2009-2021. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material, words and images, without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to The Ordinary Cook with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.AcceptRead More
Privacy & Cookies Policy
Privacy Overview
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.