Cherry & almond cake with sesame

The calculation is for a square mold with a side of 16 cm (6.3 inch).

For the chocolate sponge biscuit:

• Flour - 192 g | 6.75 oz
• Cocoa - 36 g | 1.25 oz
• Sugar - 152 g | 5.35 oz
• Salt - 2 g | 0.05 oz
• Milk (3.2%) - 128 g | 4.50 oz
• Instant coffee - 1 tsp | 1.00 tsp
• Baking soda - 3 g | 0.10 oz
• Eggs - 85 g | 3.00 oz
• Sunflower oil - 52 g | 1.85 oz
• Baking powder - 8 g | 0.30 oz

Preheat the oven to 150C (302F); top / bottom mode, no convection.

Sift the flour. Mix all the dry ingredients. Dissolve the coffee in hot milk, and add it to the dry mixture; combine. Add the eggs, and mix again. Pour in the sunflower oil. Knead the mixture with a silicone spatula. Pour the dough in a prepared mold.

Bake the biscuit for 40 to 50 minutes, until a dry skewer. Focus on the oven.

Cool the biscuit on a wire rack. Wrap it slightly warm in a plastic wrap, and put it in the fridge for at least 6 hours (better overnight).

For the almond cheesecake (16 cm | 6.3 inch square mold):

• Cream cheese - 400 g | 14.10 oz
• Sugar - 95 g | 3.35 oz
• Cream 33% - 90 g | 3.15 oz
• Almonds - 27 g | 0.95 oz
• Eggs - 113 g | 4.00 oz
• Vanilla extract - 2 g | 0.05 oz
• Salt - 1 g | 0.05 oz

Preheat the oven to 120C (248F), top / bottom mode.

Grind the almonds into crumbs (you can pre-peel it, if you wish).

Knead the room temperatured cream cheese (take it out of the fridge 40-50 minutes before cooking) with a silicone spatula until smooth so that there are no lumps. Add the salt and sugar to the cheese, and mix. Add the eggs, and mix well. Add the cream and the almonds. Mix everything well until smooth, and transfer to a prepared mold.

Place the cheesecake in the oven, and lower the temperature to 110C (230F), top / bottom mode. Bake it in a water bath for 1 hour 10 minutes.

NOTE: the edges of the cheesecake should grab, and the middle should shake.

Let the cheesecake cool in a slightly open oven for 2 hours, and then put it in the fridge overnight; then, take the cheesecake out of the mold.

For the sesame crème:

• Sesame - 100 g | 3.55 oz
• White chocolate - 75 g | 2.65 oz
• Glucose syrup - 8 g | 0.30 oz
• Vanilla essence - 2 g | 0.05 oz
• Cream 33% - 100 g | 3.55 oz

Make a paste from the sesame seeds (like peanut). Heat the cream with the glucose syrup in the microwave (bring it almost to a boil, but don’t boil). Fill in the chocolate. Wait a little. Stir the cream and the chocolate with a silicone spatula until the chocolate dissolves completely. Pour over the sesame paste, and mix. Add the vanilla essence, and mix again. Mash the mass with a blender. Place the crème in a container. Cover it with foil in contact, and put in the fridge for 8 to 12 hours to stabilize.

For the assembling crème with mascarpone:

• Mascarpone cheese - 500 g | 17.65 oz
• Powdered sugar - 100 g | 3.55 oz
• Cream 33% - 100 g | 3.55 oz

Whisk the cheese with the powdered sugar until combined; add the cold cream, and whip again. It’s important to stop here at the right time, as mascarpone very easy to overwhip!

For the spicy cherries:

• Cherry liqueur (can be replaced with red wine or cherry juice) - 300 g | 10.60 oz
• Pitted cherries - 250 g (can be frozen) | 8.80 oz
• Carnation buds 2-3 pcs | 3.00 items
• 1/2 tsp lime zest (lemon can be used) | 1.00 tsp
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger | 1.00 tsp
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg | 1.00 tsp
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon | 1.00 tsp
• Ground allspice on the tip of a knife | 0.00 pinch

Pour the wine into a container; place the spices, and mix. Put the cherries in the mix. Let it brew overnight (at least 4 hours).

For the cherry compote:

• Sugar - 50 g | 1.75 oz
• Corn starch - 10 g | 0.35 oz

The next day, put the infused cherries (without liquid) in a saucepan. Heat it, stirring; add the sugar mixed with the starch. Bring the mix to a boil, stirring constantly, and boil for a couple of minutes. Remove the mix from the fire, and cool.

For the cherries (for decoration):

• Liquor (wine or juice) - 200 g | 7.05 oz
• Cherry (with twigs and seeds + pitted cherry) - 500g | 17.65 oz
• Sugar - 100 g | 3.55 oz
• Corn starch - 25 g | 0.90 oz

Spread the cherries (branches up) on the bottom of a wide saucepan, and fill it in with the strained liquor (remaining after the tincture).

Mix the sugar with the starch. Heat the cherry with the liqueur; gently add the sugar and the starch. Bring the mix to a boil, and simmer for a couple of minutes. Cool it down.

For the covering crème:

• Cream cheese - 600 g | 21.15 oz
• Butter 82.5% - 200 g | 7.05 oz
• Powdered sugar - 100 g | 3.55 oz

Take the butter out from the fridge 30-40 minutes before cooking. Whip it with the powdered sugar until whitening and fluffy. Add the cream cheese. Mix before combining.

The crème turns out to be dense, white and stable. It doesn’t require titanium dioxide. You can draw on it!

Assemble the cake, following the next order:

a sponge biscuit layer / crème with mascarpone / cherry compote / crème with mascarpone / almond cheesecake / crème with mascarpone / sesame crème / crème with mascarpone / a sponge biscuit layer.

Bon Appetit!