Chocolate cake with cream cheese and cherries

Ingredients:

Chocolate cake

• 110g butter, melted and slightly cooled; extra for greasing the pan
• 1 cup all-purpose flour; a little extra for dusting the bottom of the pan
• 1 cup of sugar
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup sour milk (or kefir), room temperature
• 1 large egg at room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Cottage cheese filling with cherries in syrup

• 1/4 cup cherries in syrup (drain the syrup and dry the berries)
• 2 tablespoons cherry syrup without berries
• 10 g of gelatin
• 110 g of cream cheese (cream cheese) at room temperature
• 1/2 cup sour cream at room temperature
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp almond extract

Chocolate glaze

• 250 g dark chocolate (50 - 60% cocoa), finely chopped
• 3/4 cup heavy cream 33%

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 170°C. Grease two 20cm round baking pans with butter and line them with parchment paper. Grease the parchment and dust it with flour, shaking out any excess flour.
2. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl, whisk together melted butter until smooth. sour milk, egg, vanilla, and 1/2 cup water. Add the liquid mixture to the dry mixture and whisk. Divide the batter evenly among the baking pans, smoothing the surface well. Bake, rotating the cakes at 180°C (350°F) for even baking, for about 25 minutes. Check for doneness with a dry toothpick.
3. Cool the cakes in the pan for 15 minutes, then turn them out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Remove the parchment paper and invert the cakes. Let them cool completely.
4. Prepare the cherry filling: quarter the cherries, place them in a medium bowl, and add 2 tablespoons of cherry syrup. In a small bowl, combine the gelatin with 1 tablespoon of water and let it bloom for 5 minutes. Microwave the gelatin, stirring constantly, until completely dissolved, about 10 seconds.
5. Place the gelatin, cream cheese, sour cream, sugar, salt, and almond extract in a food processor and blend until smooth. Pour the cream into the bowl with the cherries and blend. Refrigerate, checking every 5 minutes to see how thickened the cream is, for a total of 5 to 15 minutes (the cream should not thicken too much).
6. Place the bottom sponge layer on a serving platter, place the cream in the center, and spread it into an even, thick layer. Top with the second layer, trim it, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
7. Prepare chocolate ganacheWhile the cake is cooling, bring the cream to a boil in a small saucepan and remove from heat. Add the chocolate, gently shaking the pan to distribute it evenly. Let it sit for 3 minutes to melt the chocolate. Whisk the glaze until smooth, then refrigerate for 15-20 minutes until thickened. Don't let it set too much; it should have a mayonnaise-like consistency.
8. Stir the glaze again and pour it over the cake, spreading it evenly over the surface and sides. Refrigerate the cake until the glaze sets, at least 2 hours (or overnight).