Cherry Cheese Chocolate Fudge Cake

A community recipe by svenja

Not tested or verified by Nigella.com

Introduction

I just love Nigella's Chocolate Fudge Cake, it's so delicious. Now when my friend's birthday came around I wanted to make it for her. She loves cherries so I thought I'd vary the original recipe a little and here we are.

Ingredients

Serves: 8

Metric Cups

For the Cake

400 grams plain flour
350 grams sugar
50 grams cocoa powder
3 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
3 eggs
142 millilitres sour cream
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
175 grams butter (melted and cooled)
300 millilitres water (chilled)
morello cherries (a glass of)

For the Fudge Icing

175 grams dark chocolate (minimum 70% cocoa solids)
250 grams butter (melted, cooled)
275 grams icing sugar (sifted)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

For the Cheesecake - Layer

3 egg yolks
3 egg whites
125 grams sugar
60 grams butter
1 tablespoon semolina
2 tablespoons lemon juice
375 grams quark
1 vanilla sugar

For the Cake

14 ounces all-purpose flour
12 ounces sugar
2 ounces unsweetened cocoa
3 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
3 eggs
4⅞ fluid ounces sour cream
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
6 ounces butter (melted and cooled)
10½ fluid ounces water (chilled)
morello cherries (a glass of)

For the Fudge Icing

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate (minimum 70% cocoa solids)
9 ounces butter (melted, cooled)
10 ounces confectioners' sugar (sifted)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

For the Cheesecake - Layer

3 egg yolks
3 egg whites
4 ounces sugar
2 ounces butter
1 tablespoon semolina
2 tablespoons lemon juice
13 ounces quark
1 vanilla sugar

Method

Cherry Cheese Chocolate Fudge Cake is a community recipe submitted by svenja and has not been tested by Nigella.com so we are not able to answer questions regarding this recipe.

Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4. Butter and line the bottom of three 20cm sandwich tins.

CHOCOLATE CAKE LAYERS

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder and salt. In another bowl whisk together the eggs, sour cream and vanilla until blended.

Using a freestanding or handheld electric mixer, beat together the melted butter and sunflower oil until just blended (you'll need another large bowl for this if using the hand whisk; the freestanding mixer comes with its own bowl), then beat in the water. Add the dry ingredients all at once and mix together on a slow speed. Add the egg mixture, and mix again until everything is blended and then pour into two of the prepared tins.

Sprinkle the cherries on top of one of the chocolate cakes. Bake the cakes for 50-55 minutes, or until a cake-tester comes out clean. Cool the cakes in their tins on a wire rack for 15 minutes, and then turn the cakes out onto the rack to cool completely.

CHEESECAKE-LAYER

Mix together sugar, butter, semolina, vanilla sugar, egg yolks, lemon juice and sour cream. Then beat the egg whites until stiff and fold into the batter. Whisk until the batter is smooth.

Pour into the last of the sandwich tins and bake for approx. 35 minutes. Cool the cake in the tin for about 15 minutes then turn it out onto the rack to cool completely. But be careful as this is only the filling of my Mom's Cheesecake and therefore lacks a base and topping it's a little fragile. I find that it helps to leave it on the baking paper with which I line the tins when letting it cool on the rack. To make the icing, melt the chocolate in the microwave 2-3 minutes on medium should do it or in a bowl sitting over a pan of simmering water, and let cool slightly.

In another bowl beat the butter until it's soft and creamy (again, I use the KitchenAid here) and then add the sieved icing sugar and beat again until everything's light and fluffy. Then gently add the vanilla and chocolate and mix together until everything is glossy and smooth.

Spread some of the icing on the cherry-chocolate cake and put the cheesecake on top. Then spread more icing on that one and put the chocolate cake on top. Now ice the top and sides too, spreading and smoothing with a rubber spatula.

Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4. Butter and line the bottom of three 20cm sandwich tins.

CHOCOLATE CAKE LAYERS

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder and salt. In another bowl whisk together the eggs, sour cream and vanilla until blended.

CHEESECAKE-LAYER

Mix together sugar, butter, semolina, vanilla sugar, egg yolks, lemon juice and sour cream. Then beat the egg whites until stiff and fold into the batter. Whisk until the batter is smooth.

In another bowl beat the butter until it's soft and creamy (again, I use the KitchenAid here) and then add the sieved confectioners' sugar and beat again until everything's light and fluffy. Then gently add the vanilla and chocolate and mix together until everything is glossy and smooth.

Additional Information

I used melted butter which is a variation from the original recipe but I found out accidentally that if you use melted butter the icing seeps through the top layer of the cake giving the chocolate cake an even more fudgy taste. It just takes a little longer to dry but it's worth it! The cake was a full success by the way ;)