Diplomat cake with sour cherries

Name: Diplomat cake with sour cherries
Ingredients: 5 eggs; 100 g sugar; 3 tablespoons hot water; 180 g flour; 10 g baking powder; 3 tablespoons oil; 1/8 teaspoon salt; 3 eggs; 150 g sugar; 30 g gelatin sheets; 150 ml cold water; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1 teaspoon grated orange zest; 500 ml whipping cream (at least 30% fat); 500 g sour cherries; 100 g sugar; 10 ladyfingers; 100 g white chocolate; 6 cherries

Dessert - Diplomat cake with sour cherries by Georgia D. - Recipia

Diplomat cake with sour cherries has two sponge layers, a whipped cream filling and a layer of ladyfingers soaked in syrup. The sour cherries release syrup for the ladyfingers, and the gelatin-set cream holds the layers together beneath the white chocolate; when sliced, you can see the fruit between the sponge layers, with soft ladyfingers in the middle and a contrast between the drier sponge and the chilled cream. I serve it with coffee, cut into thin slices. Preparation: 60 minutes. Cooking: 49 minutes. Resting: 5 hours and 5 minutes. Total time: 6 hours and 54 minutes. Servings: 16. Approximately 370 kcal and 6 g protein per serving.

Ingredients

For the sponge

5 eggs
100 g sugar
3 tablespoons hot water
180 g flour
10 g baking powder
3 tablespoons oil
1/8 teaspoon salt

For the cream

3 eggs
150 g sugar
30 g gelatin sheets
150 ml cold water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
500 ml whipping cream (at least 30% fat)

For the filling

500 g sour cherries
100 g sugar
10 ladyfingers

For decoration

100 g white chocolate
6 cherries

Preparation

1. Put the sour cherries and sugar in a saucepan and cook for 8 minutes, stirring, until softened and syrupy. Strain them and keep the syrup for the ladyfingers. Leave the fruit to cool. 2. Preheat the oven to 180°C and line a 35 x 35 cm baking pan with parchment paper. Separate the eggs. Beat the egg yolks with the sugar, then add the hot water. Beat the egg whites with the salt until stiff. 3. Mix the flour with the baking powder and gently fold it into the yolks, along with the oil and egg whites. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 30 minutes, until the surface is lightly golden and springs back when touched. Leave the sponge to cool for 45 minutes, trim the edges and cut it into two layers. 4. Whip the cream until it holds its shape and put it in the refrigerator. Soak the gelatin in the cold water for 10 minutes. Mix the eggs for the filling with the sugar, cut the gelatin sheets into pieces and add them to the bowl. 5. Set the bowl over a pan of simmering water and stir for 8 minutes, until the gelatin melts. Add the vanilla and orange zest, then leave the mixture to cool for 15 minutes. Beat it, chill it for 5 minutes and fold in the whipped cream. 6. Place one sponge layer on a serving plate and spread half the cream over it. Add half the drained sour cherries, then the ladyfingers dipped in the cooled syrup. Cover with the remaining cream and sour cherries, then place the second sponge layer on top. 7. Melt the white chocolate over a pan of simmering water for 3 minutes, stirring until fluid. Spread it over the cake and dip the cherries in chocolate for decoration. Refrigerate the cake for 4 hours, until the cream sets.

Notes

I serve it with coffee, cut into thin slices, so you can see the layers. It has something of a ladyfinger cake about it, but the sponge layers make it taller and more substantial when sliced. Frozen sour cherries work in the same amount; thaw them and drain off the liquid before adding them to the sugar, since they release syrup faster than fresh ones. The sponge can be baked a day ahead, and the assembled cake keeps in the refrigerator for up to 3 days; it contains gluten, dairy and eggs. Let the syrup cool completely before it goes on the ladyfingers, so they don’t soften straight away. I liked the flavor, but if I made it again, I’d use 20 g gelatin and soak the sponge layers too, not just the ladyfingers.