Whipping a cake never requires any special occasion or an excuse for me. If I am not mistaken I do bake as often as I can. Trying and testing with varieties of dry fruits, fresh fruits and sampling with nuts ignites my passions and keeps me rolling. I just enjoy shifting all ingredients in the baking pan, turning down the oven and wandering around while the oven does all the work.. After sometime, delicious aroma starts to waft through the house and as the kitchen warms up it is time for me to devour every crumb.
Ever since I have started baking from my 12th grade I have experimented replacing and substituting ingredients but never taken chances with the raising agents that gives life and lift to the cake .Even though the cake tastes delicious but the soft and porous texture makes a lot more difference. Once I remember I was baking at my in laws place and I used Sodium benzoate (preservative) instead soda bi carbonate by mistake and cake turned out to be rock hard. It was such an embarrassment when they were eagerly waiting for their lions share.
I have been visualizing this cherry compote and chocolate combo cake since ages and during my recent visit to the farmers market I quickly grabbed a carton of fresh cherry and happily skipped home to warm the oven and get my mittens ready.
NOTE- This post has been recently (updated 2018) and has combination of old and new photos. I love the way how my photography and styling has made progression over the years, I am sure this noticeable. Here are the original photos ( 2008) that I would like to keep it as well.
How to make Cherry Compote
¼ cup sugarCombine the pitted cherry and sugar in a saucepan and keep stirring on a medium fire till the mixture thickens and resembles like this. Remove and cool it.
HOW TO MAKE A SUPER MOIST AND DELICIOUS CHOCOLATE CAKE
Ingredients
Super moist Chocolate Cake
- INGREDIENTS
- 2 cups (500ml) water
- 3 cups (660g) caster sugar
- 250g butter, chopped
- 1/3 cup (35g) cocoa powder, sifted
- 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda, sifted
- 3 cups (450g) self-raising flour
- 4 eggs, beaten lightly
Combine the water, sugar, butter and combined sifted cocoa powder and soda in medium saucepan; stir over heat, without boiling, until sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil then reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes. Transfer mixture to large bowl; cool to room temperature.
Add flour and eggs to bowl; beat with a balloon whisk until mixture is smooth. Pour 1/2 mixture into a 9 inch greased round dish. Spread the compote generously and top it with rest of the batter.
Bake cake in moderate oven of 180 'C for about 50 minutes. Stand cake in baking dish for 10 minutes, before turning onto wire rack.
HOW TO MAKE WARM CHOCOLATE SAUCE
Combine 150g dark chocolate with 125 ml of pure cream and vanilla essence in a small saucepan and stir over medium to low heat until chocolate melts and the ingredients are well combined. Remove from heat and serve warm or at room temperature. (The sauce will thicken as it cools.) Store in an airtight jar in the fridge for up to 1 week. Pour the sauce and arrange cherries on the top and serve…
25 Comments
Both cakes looks delicious S. Butterfly cake looks superb.
Chocolate and cherries is such a great combination. That chocolate cake looks really good!
Wow!! u have a good taste for pictures. Very nice. Looks delicious. wanna grab a piece.
I love compotes! they are the best way to retain the flavor of seasonal fruits:) the cake looks rich and beautiful Shibani!:)
cake looks very delicious. So far I have not tried anything in oven. will try now :).
hMM Simply delicious!!!
so many delicious food!all made from you?happy beijing’s day
i love the way your chocolate cake looks and cherry compote is a favourite in our home too.
😀 at your mishap baking for the in laws…
I picked up a box of cherries…I know what to do with them now….
The butterfly cake is lovely..
both cakes look awesome!! the pictures are just as perfect as the cakes…the butterfly cake is a great idea for kids cakes!! 🙂
Beautiful chocolate cake 🙂 Love the butterfly in plate
Great combo, chocolate and Cherry, what more could you want? Delicious!:)
hey! Your cake looks simply delicious!
I never need excuses for chocolate!
This a great recipe. I’ve got a box of cherries (half now that the rest has been eaten). I think I’ll make this.
The chocolate cake sounds awesome, and I love the butterfly 🙂
both cakes look beautifulllll
Delicious cake! We bring cherries and the kids finish it up even before I get to use them in cakes:)
You have been waiting since 12th grade..wow!
The chocolate and cherry compote slices look utterly gorgeous!
Cherry and chocolate is one of my all time favourites. You do not realise how much I wanted to eat this cake when I saw it!!!!
oooooooo this is another one for me to try!!definitely bookmarked…
love it..
chk my todays post.have put up the mango bar:)..thank u so much for the recipe..
Awesome chocolate cake, delicious. I just love chocolate and ur cake looks mouth-drooling!!!! Yuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu :)))
beautiful cakes Shibani! lovely choco cake and cute butterfly cake.
I have something waiting for you at my blog 🙂
heay pearl, theres something for u on my blog..check it out 🙂
What a pretty cake Shibani…love the idea of cherry compote on it before it’s been baked. looks scrumtious, as does the coconut almond biscotti! Both are great combinations!