Choc-Cherry Jelly Cakes

Last month’s SABH prompt, as described by Miss Sweet was to take a childhood favourite and turn it into something bigger, better or even maybe something a little bit adult. This fits right into where I’m at right now, re-visiting childhood memories… the popsicle party started it, and the reminiscing goes on…

When I think back to my earliest kitchen memories, one that stands out is helping my mum make jelly cakes. I’m not sure she made them a lot, but I do remember clearly helping dip cakes in jelly and coconut. Being quite young, I’m not sure how much help I really was, but there you go! Jelly cakes, when made well, are just so good! We even had them at our wedding reception. Sadly I was too busy talking to guests to taste more than one.

Speaking of weddings, these little cakes are like the marriage of two classics – Trifle and Black Forest Cake. As it is my Dad’s birthday in March, and those are his top two favourite desserts, I thought I’d make an attempt at combining them into one for his birthday celebrations this year. Although I was too late for the February blog hop, I was glad of the inspiration.

Taking the simple jelly cake to another level, these are adult-friendly chocolate cherry cakes, split, filled with cream, dipped in liqueur-spiked jelly and then rolled in coconut. Same same but different. Enjoy!

Choc-Cherry Jelly Cakes

Adapted from delicious. and Taste.com.au

Ingredients
175g good-quality dark chocolate
80ml (1/3 cup) cherry liqueur
100ml (6 tbs) strong black espresso
75g caster sugar
3 eggs, separated
100g unsalted butter, melted, cooled
50g almond meal
50g plain flour, sifted
425g can pitted black cherries, drained, with 1/4 cup juice reserved

Cherry liqueur jelly
1x 85g pkt dark cherry flavoured jelly crystals*
250 ml (1 cup) boiling water
110ml cold water
60ml (1/4 cup) reserved cherry juice
80ml (1/3 cup) cherry liqueur

3 cups desiccated coconut
300ml thickened cream

Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line 18 regular-sized muffin holes with cupcake papers.

Place the chocolate, cherry liqueur and espresso coffee in a bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering water until melted. Set aside to cool.
Reserve 1 tablespoon of the caster sugar. Place the remaining sugar and egg yolks in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until pale and light. Add the cooled melted butter and almond meal and beat until combined. Combine with the chocolate mixture.

Beat the egg whites until stiff. Add the reserved caster sugar and continue to beat until thick and glossy. Gradually fold the egg whites, alternating with the flour, into the cake mixture.
Reserve half the cherries, then fold the remaining half into the cake mixture and spoon into patty pans. Bake for 20 – 25 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool cakes on a wire rack.

Dissolve jelly crystals in 250ml boiling water, then stir in cold water, cherry juice and liqueur to make up to 500ml. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until cold and slightly thick. Meanwhile, beat cream until thick. Set aside.

Place coconut into a large bowl. After removing cupcake papers, cut each cake in half horizontally. Sandwich halves back together using one teaspoon of whipped cream. Using a slotted spoon, lower cakes, one cake at a time, into jelly. Drain excess jelly. Toss cakes in coconut until well coated. Place onto a lined tray and refrigerate for 30 minutes or until set.

• I used Aeroplane Jelly Lite Dark Cherry flavour, but if you can’t find it, port wine flavour will do just as well.