It’s been a long time, I have done anything chocolate on this space. And this reminds me the last thing I did was these super-food olive oil millet brownies. And then the fruit fever kicked in. So badly, so desperately, that I didn’t want to let go any opportunity to cook/bake with the wonderful blooming seasonal fruits, knowing chocolate can wait in my fridge for sometime.
Seasonal produce have got their own magic. Even a great recipe can run into fear of becoming disregarded meh, if done with prepackaged out of season ingredients. But it can win standing applause with economical, humble in-season produce.
My sweet sister with her two princesses was supposed to visit this weekend, but had to postpone their trip, because of dad’s last minute official thingie. The little cuties like cakes a lot, but only if it is chocolate. I have tried it many a times, but failed. Anything other than chocolate just doesn’t work for them. What to do?
So I thought of baking a yogurt chocolate cake and sneak in some cherry filling inside. I know, it’s hard to stay away from lovely fresh seasonal fruits and especially when it is cherries…sigh! The dark chocolate flavor goes so well with these moorish character stone fruit. So well, that it’s a perfect marriage of two.
Cake turned out wonderfully moist. Good enough own it’s own. The balsamic cherry filling and some whipped cream made it really special. Completely smitten I am this time! Unfortunately, girls didn’t get to eat this wonderful moist cake, but I know, I’ll bake some chocolate cupcakes, churn out some fresh ice cream, and treat them with some freshly baked cookies, as they’ll be here hopefully for the whole next week. It’ll be fun baking for the kids..yipee!
Chocolate Yogurt Cake recipe adapted from Taste of home
Ingredients
Chocolate Yogurt Cake
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup yogurt
1/2 cup brewed coffee, cooled
1 egg
1/4 cup olive oil
30 gm dark chocolate, melted
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/3 tsp salt
Filling
1 cup fresh cherries, pitted and halved
2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp lemon juice
Whipped Cream, soft peaks
Topping
50 gm dark chocolate
1/4 cup low fat cream
Fresh cherries & Chocolate Shavings for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180 degree Celsius and butter and flour an 8 inch springform baking pan and keep aside.
- In a bowl, whisk together sugar, egg, coffee, yogurt, chocolate, oil and vanilla, until well combined.
- In an another bowl, sift flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- Add the flour mixture to wet mixture and whisk to make a smooth batter.
- Pour the batter into prepared pan and bake from 35-40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of cake comes out clean.
- Let it cool in pan for 15 minutes and then invert on to wire rack to let cool completely.
- Meanwhile, In a saucepan, mix cherries, sugar, vinegar and lemon juice and simmer for 10 minutes on medium. Chill the filling in fridge.
- For chocolate ganache, heat the cream and chocolate in a double boiler or in microwave and stir gently to combine.
- Once, cake and filling are completely cooled, cut the cake into two halves horizontally. Spread the whipped cream on one half and then top with cherry filling. Sandwich the other half on top of it. Pour the ganache over top of the second half and let it drip through the edges. Scatter some shaved chocolate and fresh cherries on top.