Drunken Cherry Cake Recipe

Drunken Cherry Cake is a variation of the European Black Forest cake that has become a staple in Russian cuisine. While it's not easy to make and requires time and skill, this cake will definitely be the centerpiece of your holiday table. Just remember, this treat is for grown-ups!

Step-by-step recipe

Step 1:

Place fresh or thawed pitted cherries with juice in a bowl, add sugar and stir.

Step 2:

Pour in strong alcohol, stir well and leave to infuse overnight or for 24 hours.

Step 3:

Line the bottom of the pan with parchment.

Step 4:

Break eggs into a deep bowl, add a pinch of salt and beat with a mixer for half a minute.

Step 5:

Add sugar and vanilla sugar and continue beating until white and fluffy, about 9 minutes.

Step 6:

Preheat oven to 180 degrees.

Step 7:

Combine flour and cocoa powder, add baking powder, sift the mixture into the dough one third at a time, stirring gently with a whisk.

Step 8:

Pour the batter into the pan, spread evenly and bake for 30 minutes.

Step 9:

Run a sharp knife around the edge of the slightly cooled sponge cake, remove the pan and turn the sponge cake out onto a wire rack to cool completely, then wrap it in cling film and refrigerate for several hours.

Step 10:

Combine cocoa powder and sugar in a saucepan and mix well with a whisk.

Step 11:

Pour in the milk, stir, bring to a boil over medium heat, simmer for 1 minute and remove the glaze from the stove.

Step 12:

Add the butter and mix well. Set aside 50 grams of frosting for the cream, covering it with cling film.

Step 13:

Drain the cherries in a sieve, reserving the juice to soak the cake.

Step 14:

Cut off one third of the sponge cake.

Step 15:

Cut out the center of the remaining piece, leaving 1.5 cm from the edge, but not all the way through. Remove the center piece without damaging the bottom – for convenience, you can cut it into a mesh shape.

Step 16:

Place the removed biscuit pulp in a deep bowl and crush lightly.

Step 17:

Place the butter in a bowl and beat with a mixer for 3-4 minutes until light and fluffy.

Step 18:

While continuing to whisk, pour in the condensed milk.

Step 19:

Add the chocolate spread and mix with a mixer. Set aside some of the finished cream for decoration and refrigerate.

Step 20:

Combine the cream with the biscuit crumbs and stir.

Step 21:

Place the bottom cake layer in a springform ring and soak it well with “drunken” cherry juice.

Step 22:

Place some of the cream and spread well.

Step 23:

Spread a third of the cherries evenly over the cream, pressing lightly with a spoon.

Step 24:

Place another layer of cream and cherries and cover the last layer of berries with cream.

Step 25:

Place the top layer of cake, press well and soak.

Step 26:

Cover the cake with cling film and refrigerate for 3 hours.

Step 27:

Melt dark chocolate in a bag, place it on parchment paper to form curls and let cool.

Step 28:

Spread chocolate spread on top of the cake and spread it out. Cover the sides of the cake as well and decorate with crumbs.

Step 29:

Beat the cooled cream with a mixer, place it in a piping bag, and decorate the cake using a star tip. Place dried cherries in the centers of the flowers.

Step 30:

Add chocolate curls.

Cooking tips

Don't grease the sides of the pan. Let the eggs come to room temperature. If your mixer isn't very powerful, you can beat the whites and yolks separately and then whisk them together. To help distribute the batter evenly in the pan, you can make a spiral with a wooden skewer, gently shake, and swirl the pan. Don't open the oven during baking, otherwise the cake will collapse. Be careful with the chocolate decorations—they're fragile. You can make