Wine, dine and dessert your guests with a little help from Penns Woods Winery‘s Lacrima Dolce wine, a late-harvest merlot bursting with flavors of ripe, juicy cherry, capped with a long, silky, chocolate-meets-cinnamon finish.
Lacrima Dolce is a perfect pair to rich desserts, so why not add a bit — or, in this case, an entire bottle — into your next baking venture? You can: This Lacrima Dolce flourless chocolate cake, topped with macerated cherries, is rich, yet not-too-sweet, and is a stress-free option when company awaits.
Lacrima Dolce Flourless Chocolate Cake with Macerated Cherries
| Yield |
|---|
| Serves 8 |
| Prep Time | Cook Time | Total Time |
|---|---|---|
| 90 min | 25 min | 115 min |
Ingredients
- 1 bottle Lacrima Dolce
- 1/4 cup plus 1 teaspoon sugar, divided
- 1/4 teaspoon plus pinch salt, divided
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 pint cherries, pits and stems removed, halved
- 1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 egg yolks
- 2 egg whites
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- Whipped cream for topping
Method
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit the bottom of a 9-inch cake pan. Grease the pan and line with the parchment round.
- In a small pot over medium heat, bring Lacrima Dolce to a simmer and reduce by half, so about 1 cup remains. Chill.
- In a small bowl, mix together 1/2 cup of the reduced Lacrima Dolce, 1 teaspoon of sugar, pinch of salt and black pepper. Add the cherries and marinate for at least one hour.
- To make the cake, place the chocolate and butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave the chocolate and butter at 15-second intervals, stirring after each round, until the chocolate is melted.
- Pour the melted chocolate and butter into a large mixing bowl. Add 1/4 cup sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, vanilla, egg yolks, egg whites and the remaining 1/2 cup of the reduced Lacrima Dolce to the chocolate. Whisk to combine.
- Add the cocoa powder to the batter and whisk until smooth.
- Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. Place the pan in the oven and bake for about 25 minutes, or until the middle is set and a thin crust has formed over the top. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
- Portion the cake into slices and serve with the Lacrima Dolce cherries and whipped cream.
Recipe and photo by Dish Works.
