Ingredients:
10 ounces dried cherries or 10 ounces tart cherries
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup cognac, plus
1/2 cup cognac
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup chopped toasted almonds
3 1/2 ounces best-quality bittersweet chocolate or 3 1/2 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
6 tablespoons butter, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
4 large eggs, separated
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
1/2 cup whipping cream, plus
2 tablespoons whipping cream
5 ounces best-quality bittersweet chocolate or 5 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
3 tablespoons milk
1 large egg yolks
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 ounces best-quality bittersweet chocolate or 4 ounces semisweet chocolate, shaved into shreds with vegetable peeler
premium-quality vanilla ice cream
Directions:
For cherries: Combine cherries, water, 1/3 cup Cognac and sugar in small saucepan; bring to boil, stirring occasionally; reduce heat to low and cook until most liquid has been absorbed, about 30 minutes; cool; add 1/2 cup Cognac; cover; chill overnight.
For cake: Preheat oven to 300F; position rack in centre of oven; butter bottom and sides of 9-inch-diameter springform pan; line sides with parchment paper strip; sprinkle bottom with almonds; melt chocolate in top of double boiler over simmering water, stirring until smooth; remove from over water; cool slightly.
Beat butter and 1/4 cup sugar in large bowl until fluffy; add yolks 1 at a time, beating well after each addition; fold in melted chocolate, then cocoa; with clean, dry beaters, beat egg whites in medium bowl until soft peaks form; add 1/4 cup sugar, beat until stiff but not dry; fold whites into chocolate mixture in 2 additions, folding until just combined; pour batter into pan; bake until tester inserted into centre comes out clean, about 35 minutes; cool on rack (cake will fall to a height of about 2 inches); cut around sides of pan to loosen cake; release pan sides; remove parchment; reattach sides of pan.
For custard: Preheat oven to 300F; bring cream to boil in small saucepan; remove from heat; add 5 oz chocolate; stir until smooth; whisk in milk, yolk and vanilla; drain cherries well, reserving liquid; press enough cherries onto top of cake to cover completely; wrap outside of pan with foil; pour custard over cake, covering completely and allowing some custard to fill space between sides of pan and cake; press down on cherries to submerge; using tip of knife, pierce any bubbles on surface; bake until custard is barely set, about 30 minutes.
Transfer cake to rack; cool completely; cut around sides of pan to loosen cake; if custard is not completely set, refrigerate cake 15 minutes; release pan sides; press chocolate shavings onto sides of cake; (Can be prepared 4 hours ahead; cover and chill).
Serve cake with ice cream; drizzle ice cream with reserved cherry liquid.
Servings: 8
Time preparation: 55 min.
Time total: 120 min.