BLACK CHERRIES RECIPES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans; line bottoms with parchment paper.
• Whisk flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla; beat until combined. Pour cake batter into the prepared pans.
• Bake until a toothpick inserted in the centers comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Cool layers in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Run a table knife around the edges to loosen and invert carefully onto racks to cool completely, 1 to 2 hours.
• While cake layers bake, drain cherries for topping, reserving 1/2 cup juice. Combine reserved juice, cherries, sugar, and cornstarch in a 2-quart saucepan. Cook over low heat until thickened, stirring constantly. Stir in vanilla. Let cool at room temperature for 30 minutes. Transfer to the refrigerator to cool completely before assembling cake.
• Combine whipping cream and confectioner's sugar for frosting in a chilled medium bowl. Beat with an electric mixer at high speed until stiff peaks form.
• Split each cake layer in half horizontally using a long serrated knife. Tear one split layer into crumbs; set aside. Gently brush loose crumbs off top and sides of remaining layers using a pastry brush or your hands. Reserve 1 1/2 cups frosting for piping decorations on cake; set aside.
• To assemble, place one cake layer on a 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 sides of cake.
• Pat reserved cake crumbs onto frosting on sides of cake. Spoon the reserved 1 1/2 cups frosting into a pastry bag fitted with a star decorator tip. Pipe around the top and bottom edges of cake. Spoon remaining cherry topping on top of cake.
• Store covered in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Steps:

• 1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4. Grease the sides and line the base of a deep 23cm loose-bottomed cake tin.
  2. To make the biscuit base, melt the butter in a pan over a low heat. Blitz the biscuits in a food processor until they resemble fine crumbs, then add to the melted butter.
  3. Mix well to coat the crumbs, then tip into the prepared cake tin, spreading it out evenly.
  4. Place in the hot oven for 10 minutes, or until darker in colour, then remove and leave to cool.
  5. Meanwhile, to make the filling, add the tinned cherries and their syrup, the clementine zest and juice and 150g of sugar to a pan over a medium heat.
  6. Cook for around 20 minutes, or until reduced to a syrupy consistency. Leave to cool and set aside.
  7. Separate the egg yolks and whites into 2 separate bowls. Add the remaining 200g of sugar to the yolks, then use an electric whisk to beat for 5 to 7 minutes, or until pale and fluffy.
  8. Whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form.
  9. Place the cream, cream cheese and vanilla extract into a third bowl and beat into soft peaks.
  10. Fold the egg yolk mixture into the cream cheese mixture and gently fold through the egg whites. Spoon the mixture onto the biscuit base, then gently swirl through the cherry syrup.
  11. Place the cheesecake in the freezer to set overnight.
  12. When you’re nearly ready to serve, make the chocolate glaze topping. Place a medium heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water, then add the dark chocolate, cream and butter. Allow to melt, stirring occasionally.
  13. Remove the cheesecake from the tin and place on a cake stand.
  14. Pour over the chocolate glaze, then decorate with some gratings of dark chocolate and clementine zest. Serve with a gold leaf and sparklers to make it extra special.