A taste of chocolate heaven and fruity delight.
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup white sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups white sugar
- 1 cup milk
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 2 1/8 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1/3 cup confectioners' sugar
- 2 (20 ounce) cans pitted sour cherries
- Carbohydrate 62.8777450707189 g
- Cholesterol 75.2364583341956 mg
- Fat 31.0200803570326 g
- Fiber 1.50301044932148 g
- Protein 5.45188271165853 g
- Saturated Fat 15.548457362276 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (179g)
- Sodium 425.989222566682 mg
- Sugar 61.3747346213975 g
- Trans Fat 1.64273059749435 g
- Calories 542 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour two 9 inch, round, cake pans; cover bottoms with waxed paper.
- In a large bowl, combine flour, 2 cups sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add eggs, milk, oil, and 1 tablespoon vanilla; beat until well blended. Pour batter into prepared pans.
- Bake for 35 minutes, or until wooden toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool layers in pans on wire racks 10 minutes. Loosen edges, and remove to racks to cool completely.
- Drain cherries, reserving 1/2 cup juice. Combine reserved juice, cherries, 1 cup sugar and cornstarch in a 2 quart saucepan. Cook over low heat until thickened, stirring constantly. Stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla. Cool before using.
- Combine whipping cream and confectioner's sugar in a chilled medium bowl. Beat with an electric mixer at high speed until stiff peaks form.
- With long serrated knife, split each cake layer horizontally in half. Tear one split layer into crumbs; set aside. Reserve 1 1/2 cups Frosting for decorating cake; set aside. Gently brush loose crumbs off top and side of each cake layer with pasty brush or hands. To assemble, place one cake layer on cake plate. Spread with 1 cup frosting; top with 3/4 cup cherry topping. Top with second cake layer; repeat layers of frosting and cherry topping. Top with third cake layer. Frost side of cake. Pat reserved crumbs onto frosting on side of cake. Spoon reserved frosting into pastry bag fitted with star decorator tip. Pipe around top and bottom edges of cake. Spoon remaining cherry topping onto top of cake.
The ingredient list omits how the starch molecules in the cornstarch interact with the cherry juices during heating. When cooked over low heat, amylose chains uncoil and trap water molecules, transforming thin liquid into a glossy, semi-solid gel that holds its shape against the rich dairy fats.
The Emulsion and Aeration Dynamics
Beating heavy whipping cream introduces air into a network of fat globules that stabilize around air bubbles. Cooling the mixing bowl prevents the butterfat from melting prematurely, which ensures stiff peaks form reliably at high speed. Unsweetened cocoa powder provides acidity that reacts with baking soda to release carbon dioxide gas, lifting the dense batter during the initial fifteen minutes in a 350-degree oven.Structural Engineering of the Layers
Slicing the baked sponge horizontally yields four thin discs instead of two heavy ones. Brushing away loose crumbs prevents dark particles from muddying the pristine white whipped cream exterior. Pressing reserved cake crumbs onto the frosted sides adds textural contrast to the soft crumb structure.Scaling Considerations
Doubling the batter requires dividing it across additional pans rather than baking a single deep layer, ensuring the heat penetrates the center before the exterior over-bakes.
