I am a huge fan of Cherry Ripes. Ok, when I say I’m a fan I’m not an eat it everyday type fan, nor do I always make sure I have a stash of them hidden away in the pantry, but Cherry Ripes are the only chocolate bar I eat. They are delicious and indulgent and when I was introduced to the delicious Cherry Ripe Roll’s that came out last year I was instantly converted from the original Cherry Ripe to this new yummy creation. By the way, if you have never heard of a Cherry Ripe (ps you are missing out) you can read about them here.
The other day I had a craving for Cherry Ripe but not having any in the house I thought I’d try my hand at making a Cherry Ripe cake instead. When I told my fiance I was making a Cherry Ripe cake he raised his eyebrow questioning how close I’d be able to get to the real thing (which incidentally he is a huge fan of too), but when he had his first bite he laughed. I thought I’d done something wrong, like stupidly substitute salt for sugar, but he laughed because he was amazed at how much it tasted like a Cherry Ripe. And he was right. It did taste like a Cherry Ripe, albiet a cake version, but the flavour was definitely there. One of my fiance’s work colleagues, who tried the cake when my fiance took the left overs in, even asked how many cherry ripes were in the cake.
For my creation I started with my favourite chocolate cake recipe, substituted coconut milk for buttermilk, added cherry brandy, chopped up glace cherries and coconut and baked two separate cakes. In between the layers of cake I added a cherry and coconut buttercream and then topped it all off with a chocolate cherry brandy ganache. It’s rich, very rich, but boy is it good.
Given Christmas is cherry season in Australia this cake wouldn’t be amiss as your Christmas dessert. After all it is a fruit cake 😉
So tell me, are you a Cherry Ripe fan? What is your favourite chocolate bar?
Cherry Ripe Cake
Ingredients
CAKE:
- Butter for greasing the pans
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups sugar
- 3/4 cups good quality cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 3/4 cups of coconut milk
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 2 extra-large eggs at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup of cherry brandy or cherry liqueur
- 200 g of glace cherries chopped into small pieces
- 1 cup of shredded coconut
CHERRY COCONUT BUTTERCREAM:
- 125 g of butter cut into cubes
- 1 cup of icing sugar
- 200 g of glace cherries chopped into small pieces
- 1/4 cup of shredded coconut
- 2 tsp of cherry brandy
- red food colouring optional
CHOCOLATE GANACHE:
- 1 cup of cream not thickened
- 300 g of dark chocolate chopped
- 1 tablespoon of cherry brandy or liqueur optional
Instructions
- Start with the cake. Preheat the oven to 175 Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit) and butter 2 8-inch/20cm round cake tin and line with baking paper.
- Sift the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and add the sugar and mix on low speed until combined.
- In another bowl, whisk together the coconut milk, oil, eggs and cherry brandy. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry.
- With mixer still on low, add the coconut milk, cherries and coconut and mix until just combined.
- Pour the cake batter into two 20cm prepared cake tins and bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.
- Cool in the pan for 30 minutes, then turn out onto a cake rack and cool completely.
- For the cherry buttercream add the icing sugar and butter into the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until light and fluffy. Add the food colouring, if using, and beat until well combined. Then add the glace cherries, coconut and cherry brandy.
- To make the chocolate ganache place the cream and chocolate in a saucepan over a low heat until melted and smooth. Add the cherry brandy (if using) and set aside and let it come to room temperature.
- To assemble the cake top one cake with the cherry coconut buttercream and then pour the chocolate ganache over the cake, letting it run down the sides. Then use a large offset spatula to spread from the center toward the edges, so that the cake is evenly and completely covered.
- Decorate with fresh cherries or decorate with chopped up cherry ripe bars.
