Sour cherry and whipped cream cake

Name: Sour cherry and whipped cream cake
Ingredients: 5 egg whites (left over from cozonac); 3 whole eggs; 8 tablespoons sugar; 2 packets vanilla sugar; 1 g salt; 8 tablespoons flour; 1 tablespoon flour for the pan; 300 g preserved sour cherries from last year (drained); 150 ml sour cherry syrup; 500 ml liquid plant-based whipping cream

Dessert - Sour cherry and whipped cream cake by Ina E. - Recipia

Sour cherry and whipped cream cake has a tall sponge baked with preserved sour cherries and cut into three layers. I soak it with sour cherry syrup and fill it with whipped cream; the fruit stays embedded in the crumb, while the cream also covers the top. I prefer to leave the sour cherries whole in the sponge, rather than chop them finely. Preparation: 30 minutes. Cooking: 45 minutes. Resting: 60 minutes. Total time: 135 minutes. Servings: 12. Approximately 230 kcal and 5 g protein per serving.

Ingredients

5 egg whites (left over from cozonac)
3 whole eggs
8 tablespoons sugar
2 packets vanilla sugar
1 g salt
8 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon flour for the pan
300 g preserved sour cherries from last year (drained)
150 ml sour cherry syrup
500 ml liquid plant-based whipping cream

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Separate the yolks from the 3 eggs and add their whites to the 5 egg whites saved from the cozonac, a Romanian sweet bread. 2. Beat the egg whites until foamy, gradually adding 8 tablespoons of sugar and the 2 packets of vanilla sugar, until stiff and meringue-like. 3. Beat the yolks with 1 g of salt, then gently fold them into the egg whites. 4. Dust a 24 cm round pan with 1 tablespoon of flour, pour in the batter and arrange 250 g of drained sour cherries on top. Set aside 50 g for decorating. 5. Bake for 45 minutes at 180°C, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Leave the sponge to cool for 60 minutes, then cut it into three layers. 6. Whip the cold plant-based whipping cream until stiff and divide it into three equal portions. 7. Soak each layer with 50 ml of syrup. Place the first layer on a serving plate and spread a third of the cream over it; add the second layer and another third. Place the last layer on top, cover the cake with the remaining cream and decorate with the 50 g of sour cherries you set aside.

Notes

The sponge contains gluten and eggs; for a gluten-free version, replace the 8 tablespoons of flour with 8 tablespoons of gluten-free cake mix. I serve it with black coffee, and the sponge is reminiscent of fruit sponge cake, with cream between the layers. A 24 cm round pan leaves enough room to cut the cake into three layers. Very soft sour cherries can get crushed while baking, and those with a lot of syrup leave a damp patch around them, so drain them well. Keep it covered in the fridge for up to 3 days.