Cherries have always been one of my favourite fruit. First, because of their delicious taste, and second, because they always announced summer. If you have followed me for a while you will know that in Romania fruits and vegetables are seasonal. The cherry season starts at the end of May and finishes mid-July.
The other day I went shopping at the Turkish shop (they have the best fruits and vegetables here in England) and noticed they had cherries. But not any cherries – big, plump, juicy cherries. I couldn’t help but buy a kilo. I knew I had to do something special with them, but what? Searching online I found Laura Adamache’s cherry and chocolate cake. She is a Romanian food blogger who has been around for years. Her cherry and chocolate cheese cake looked divine, and I couldn’t resist giving it a try.
Me being me, I couldn’t help but put my own twist on the recipe, and added a few extra flavours, like rum essence in the chocolate and lemon zest in the cheese cream.
The result? A Romanian cherry and chocolate cheese cake that tastes like summer and childhood nostalgia, with a grown-up chocolate kick. It’s the perfect way to celebrate cherry season, and I can’t wait to share the recipe with you!
Ingredients for the Romanian Cherry and Chocolate Cheese Cake
For this recipe, you will need 100 grams of flour, 120 grams of sugar, 4 eggs, 100 grams of butter, 1 bar of dark chocolate, 250 grams of very well-drained ricotta cheese, 1 pack of baking powder, 200 grams of cherries, 1 teaspoon of vanilla essence, lemon zest from half a lemon, and 1 teaspoon of rum essence.
How to Make the Romanian Cherry and Chocolate Cheese Cake
Start by cleaning the cherries and removing the pits. Set them aside. On very low heat, melt the dark chocolate and butter together in a saucepan, stirring continuously until they blend into a smooth mixture. Turn off the heat and add a teaspoon of rum essence to the melted chocolate.
In a mixing bowl, beat two of the eggs with the sugar using an electric mixer until the mixture becomes creamy and light in colour. Pour in the melted chocolate and mix well to combine. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour and baking powder, then add this dry mixture to the chocolate-egg mixture, stirring until you obtain a thick batter.
In another bowl, mix the ricotta cheese with the remaining two eggs, vanilla essence, and lemon zest. This will be the cheese layer of your cheesecake.
Preheat your oven to 170 degrees Celsius. Line the bottom of a baking tray with baking paper. Spread half of the chocolate batter evenly over the bottom of the tray. Carefully pour the cheese mixture over the chocolate layer, then distribute the cherries evenly on top. Finish by spreading the remaining chocolate batter over the cherries. This final layer might be thick and a bit challenging to spread, so take your time to ensure it covers the cherries completely.
Place the tray in the preheated oven and bake for 30-35 minutes. The cake is done when a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Once baked, allow the cake to cool completely before cutting into it.
Notes and Tips:
- Ensure the ricotta cheese is very well drained to prevent the cheesecake from becoming too watery. You can do this by placing it in a sieve or cheesecloth and letting it sit for a few hours or overnight in the fridge.
- Melt the chocolate and butter on very low heat to prevent the chocolate from burning. Stir continuously until fully melted and smooth.
- When spreading the thick chocolate batter, use a spatula dipped in water to help smooth it out more easily.
Romanian Cherry and Chocolate Cheese Cake
Ingredients
- 100 gr flour
- 120 gr sugar
- 4 eggs
- 100 gr butter
- 1 dark chocolate bar
- 250 gr ricotta cheese very well drained
- 1 pack baking powder 9 grams
- 200 gr cherries
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
- 1 tsp rum essence
- lemon zest from half a lemon
Instructions
- Start by cleaning the cherries and removing the pits.
- Next, on very low heat, add the chocolate broken into pieces and the butter cut into cubes.
- Mix continuously until the chocolate is melted and blended with the butter.
- Turn the heat off and add a teaspoon of rum essence.
- Add two of the eggs inside a bowl and add the sugar.
- Mix with a mixer until you obtain a creamy consistency and a light colour.
- Add the melted chocolate and mix well.
- Mix the flour with the baking powder and add to the chocolate and eggs mix.
- You should obtain a thick batter.
- In a different bowl, mix the ricotta cheese with the other 2 eggs, the vanilla essence, and the lemon zest.
- It’s time to assemble the cake.
- Place a baking paper on the bottom of a tray and spread half of the chocolate batter.
- Cover with the cheese cream.
- Add the cherries.
- Finish with the last layer of chocolate. The batter will be thick and a bit hard to spread so take your time.
- Preheat the oven to 170 degrees Celsius.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes.
- The cake is ready when you insert a toothpick into the centre and it comes out clean.
- Leave the cake to cool down before cutting into it.
FAQ:
Can I use other types of cheese instead of ricotta?
Yes, you can substitute ricotta with other creamy cheeses like mascarpone or cream cheese, but the texture and flavour may vary slightly.
Can I use frozen cherries?
Yes, you can use frozen cherries, but make sure to thaw and drain them well before adding to the cake to avoid excess moisture.
What if I don’t have rum essence?
You can substitute rum essence with vanilla or almond essence, or even omit it if preferred.
For more similar Romanian dessert recipes, check out my recommendations below:
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Hi there do you sell a cookbook of your recepies?
Hi Eda,
I don’t have a physical cookbook. I publish all the recipes for free on my blog 🙂
If you are interested in a particular dish let me know and I will do my best to make it and publish the recipe in the next newsletter.
I hope you will enjoy cooking them.