Chocolate Cherry Cakes

Servings :  8 cakes

 

Ingredients  

1/2 C dried cherries
1/3 C port
1 C flour
1/4 C toasted walnuts or almonds
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t cinnamon
1/4 t salt
1/4 C + 2 T natural cocoa powder
1/4 C + 2 T warm water
1/4 C + 2 T canola oil
1/2 C + 2 T granulated sugar
1/2 C dark brown sugar, packed
1 egg @ room temperature
1/4 C milk @ room temperature
1 t vanilla

Chocolate Glaze
3 oz bittersweet or semisweet chocolate
1/2 C heavy cream
1 T corn syrup
1/2 t vanilla

Method

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly grease eight 6 oz ramekins or 8 wells in a standard cupcake pan.

Roughly chop the dried cherries and plump them in the port until they are soft.

Place the flour, nuts, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in the bowl of a food processor.  Process until the nuts are finely ground.

Stir the cocoa and warm water together until thoroughly blended.  In a separate bowl, whisk the oil, sugars and egg and blend well.  Add the cocoa mixture. 

Combine the milk and vanilla.  Add the dry ingredients to the sugar-egg-cocoa mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the milk and beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.  Stir in the cherries and port.  Pour into prepared ramekins, filling each about 3/4 full.

Bake until a tester comes out clean with just a couple of moist crumbs attached, about 18 minutes.  Cool on a wire rack.  Run a thin bladed knife around the edges to loosen and turn out the cakes. 

For the chocolate glaze, finely chop the chocolate.  Heat the cream and corn syrup on low heat until it reaches a good simmer.  Remove from heat, add vanilla and pour into a large measuring cup.  Add the chopped chocolate and let it sit for about a minute.  Stir slowly until fully combined.  Let it cool for a few minutes to thicken. 

Plate the cakes and pour some chocolate glaze over the top of each.