(Image credit: Future / Simon Brown)
Even if you have no intention of making these chocolate cherry bombe alaskas for your Christmas day menu (magnificent and surprisingly easy, though they are), don’t pass the chocolate cake base by. It’s such a light, fudgy cake, perfect with ice cream and chocolate sauce or iced as a birthday cake. If you can’t find morello or sour cherries in syrup, don’t worry, black will do.
Chocolate Cherry Bombe Alaskas
(Image credit: Future / Simon Brown)
Ingredients
- For the cake
- 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup + 2 tbsp (60g) 70% cocoa powder (60g)
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 cup (190g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (190g) packed dark brown sugar
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- ½ cup (125ml) buttermilk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp chocolate extract or brandy
- 9 tbsp (125g) unsalted butter, cubed
- ½ tsp salt
- 8 scoops white chocolate or vanilla ice cream
- For the cherry compote
- 12 oz jar (340g) morello or sour cherries in syrup or 14 oz can (400g) black cherries in light syrup
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise with seeds scraped out
- For the meringue
- 4 egg whites
- ⅔ cup (140g) granulated sugar
- 1 ¼ cups (140g) powdered sugar
- 1 tsp cocoa powder, for dusting
Method
- Pre-heat the oven to 375°F and line a 8 x 12 inch cake pan (like this Nordicware Aluminum cake pan from Amazon) with non-stick baking paper.
- Sift the all-purpose flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking soda, and baking powder into a large mixing bowl (these Pyrex colored mixing bowls from Amazon have handy lids). Stir in the sugars, mixing everything together evenly.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, buttermilk, vanilla extract, and chocolate extract or brandy together briefly.
- Place the cubed butter and salt in a saucepan with 1 cup (240ml) water. Set over a medium heat and remove the pan as soon as the water boils. Pour into the dry mixture and begin to stir in with a spatula or large metal spoon, pour in the egg mixture and fold everything together thoroughly.
- Pour into the tin and bake for 25–30 minutes, until risen and springy. Turn out and peel the paper away then leave to cool.
- Meanwhile, put the cherries and their syrup in a saucepan with the sugar and vanilla bean and seeds. Bring to the boil and simmer briskly, stirring occasionally, for about 6 minutes, until the liquid is thick and syrupy. Set aside to cool. Remove the vanilla bean.
- Pre-heat the oven to 430°F. Using a plain round cutter (these biscuit cutters from Amazon are ideal), stamp out 2 ½ inch diameter circles of cake (the remaining cake scraps can be frozen and defrosted to serve with ice cream when needed). Space the cake discs out on a baking tray and top each with a spoonful of cherry compote.
- Using an electric whisk (we like this KitchenAid Hand Whisk from Macy's) – handheld or free-standing – whip the egg whites, salt and granulated sugar together until holding stiff peaks. Sift the powdered sugar over and continue to whisk for 3-4 minutes, until the mixture is very stiff and has a shine to it. Put a scoop of ice cream on top of each cherried cake disc. Using a palette knife (like these frosting cake knives from Amazon), smooth an even coating of meringue over each stack, right down to the baking sheet, making sure there are no gaps at all. The Alaskas can be frozen for up to 24 hours at this point and baked straight from the freezer.
- When you are ready to serve, put the Alaskas in the oven for about 3 minutes, until just browning on top. Alternatively, you can use a powerful blowtorch (like this mini kitchen blow torch from Amazon) to brown the meringue all over. Serve immediately, scooping them onto serving plates with a fish slice. Dust lightly with cocoa powder at the table using a small sieve.
For a different dessert option that's chocolate-free, try Clodagh McKenna's Butterscotch Mousse with Cardamon Biscuits, which is a beautifully creamy and lightly spiced dish.