Sour Cherry Chocolate Tonka Bean Christmas Cake
This Sour Cherry Chocolate Tonka Bean Christmas Cake is deliciously moist, rich and decadent. Tonka beans give a unique flavor, something between vanilla and cinnamon. The cake is topped with the silkiest chocolate cream, named Namelaka, which means ''smooth'' or ''creamy'' in Japanese. And the sour cherry filling brings the perfect balance. You have to try it out, it's the perfect dessert for the Holiday table!
Ingredients
Tonka Pound Cake
- 2 ½ tbsp (35ml) vegetable oil
- 3/4 cup (150g) sugar
- 1 egg
- 1/3 cup (75ml) buttermilk
- 3/4 cup (90g) all-purpose flour
- 3 tbsp (25g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tsp (5g) ground tonka
- 1/2 tsp (2.5g) baking powder
- 1/2 tsp (2.5g) baking soda
- 1/4 tsp (1g) salt
- 1/3 cup (75ml) hot coffee
Sour Cherry Filling
- 5 oz (150g) sour cherries , fresh or frozen
- 1/4 cup (50g) sugar
- 1 tsp (5g) cornstarch
- 2 tbsp (30ml) cold water
Namelaka Cream
- 3 tbsp (40ml) milk
- 1/2 tsp (2g) glucose
- 1/4 tsp (1g) vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp (2g) gelatin powder
- 2 tsp (10ml) cold water
- 4 oz (110g) white chocolate, chopped
- 2/3 cup (160ml) whipping cream
For Decoration (optional)
- Christmas tree sugar/gingerbread cookies
- sugar-coated red currants
- crispy pearls
- fresh rosemary
- cake balls truffles (from the remaining chocolate cake crumb)
Instructions
Prepare the Namelaka Cream.
- You can make this cream a day or two ahead so you don't have to wait for it.
- In a small bowl bloom the gelatin with cold water. Leave in the fridge for 10 minutes.
- In a small saucepan bring the milk and glucose to a boil.
- Add vanilla extract and gelatin to milk and pour over the chocolate.
- Stir until the chocolate is fully melted and the mixture is homogenized.
- Add the cold whipping cream.
- Mix with a hand blender to get a shiny mixture.
- Pour into a bowl, cover with plastic film directly onto the surface and let it sit in the fridge for at least 6 hours.
- After 6 hours, mix the cream with a hand mixer at low and then medium speed for about 1 minute. You should get a soft and shiny cream, ready for piping.
Prepare the sour cherry filling.
- Put the sour cherries and sugar into a saucepan and bring to a boil for 5 minutes over medium heat.
- In a small bowl mix the cornstarch and cold water.
- After the sour cherries and sugar are boiled for 5 minutes, add the cornstarch mixture and boil for another 5 minutes.
- Set aside to cool completely.
Prepare the tonka chocolate pound cake.
- Preheat the oven to 350F (180C). Grease and line an 8½ x 4½-inch (21x11 cm) loaf pan with parchment paper.
- Place oil, sugar and egg in a large bowl, and stir to combine.
- Add the buttermilk to the oil mixture.
- In another bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, cocoa and salt.
- With the mixer on low, gradually incorporate the dry ingredients into the oil mixture.
- Carefully pour the hot coffee into the batter and mix to combine.
- Pour the batter into the loaf pan. Bake for about 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Allow cooling completely in the pan.
Assemble the cake.
- Cut a lid off the cake loaf and hollow out a little bit of the inside, just enough so you can make some cake pops for decoration.
- Fill the empty space of the cake loaf with the sour cherry filling.
- Fill a piping bag with the namelaka cream. You can use whatever nozzle tip you prefer or just a spoon. Then gently pipe all the cream over the cake.
- For decoration, you can make leftover cake pops covered in chocolate, sugar-coated red currants or cherries, sugar cookies, sprinkles, or anything you have in mind. Be creative! And have a wonderful Christmas!
Video
Nutrition
Serving: 1 serving out of 10Calories: 259kcalCarbohydrates: 38.3gProtein: 4gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 4.8gCholesterol: 28mgSodium: 152mgFiber: 1.4gSugar: 23.7g