Piana Vyshnia Cake (Drunken Cherry Cake)
User Reviews
4.9
Piana Vyshnia Cake (Drunken Cherry Cake)
Description
This Drunken Cherry Cake starts by preparing a cherry syrup where fresh or canned pitted cherries are simmered with sugar, then soaked in horilka (vodka) to infuse boozy flavor. Separately, a chocolate sponge cake is made by whisking eggs and sugar until airy, then carefully folding in sifted flour, cocoa, baking powder, and baking soda. This sponge bakes to a light, tender texture.
After cooling, the sponge is halved horizontally and the interior crumb is removed to create space. The cake is then filled and layered with a cream made from thick sour cream, vanilla, dulce de leche (a rich caramel-like sweetened condensed milk), and unsalted butter. Fresh cherries are incorporated into the cream layers, adding brightness and texture. The assembled cake offers moist chocolate layers infused with cherry and vodka flavors, balanced with a sweet, tangy cream filling.
The cake slices reveal the interaction of soft sponge, fruity syrup, and creamy filling, making it a distinctive dessert that requires some preparation but results in a nuanced balance of tastes and textures.
Ingredients
Cherry syrup:
- 2 lbs Cherry canned cherries work as well, fresh
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 fl oz horilka vodka
Chocolate sponge:
- 5 egg large
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tbsp baking soda
- 3 tbsp cocoa powder
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
Cream:
- 1 cup sour cream thick
- vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cans dulce de leche (condensed milk)
- 12 oz butter at room temperature, unsalted
- 4 cups Cherry fresh
Instructions
How to Make Cherry Syrup:
- Cut each cherry in half and remove the pits.
- Place the cherries in a small pot.
- Add the sugar and bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
- Reduce the heat to low and let the cherries simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove from the heat and cool completely.
- Add horilka and let the cherries soak for a few hours. Squeeze the cherries gently before using them to release excess alcohol and liquid.
How to Make Chocolate Sponge:
- Preheat the oven to 350 ºF/ 175° C. Sift the dry ingredients: flour, cocoa, baking powder, and baking soda into a small bowl.
- Whisk the eggs and sugar on high speed (approx. 5 minutes).
- Add the egg mixture to the dry ingredients in two parts, stirring thoroughly and carefully not to deflate the air bubbles.
- Bake the sponge (approx. 25 minutes).
- Remove from the oven and cool completely.
- Slice the sponge in half. Remove the middle of the cake in chunks, leaving an outer sponger layer intact.
- Set the sponge pieces aside for now.
How to Make the Cream:
- To prepare the cream, beat the butter with a mixer for about 5 minutes, making sure to stop and scrape it off the sides of the bowl every once in a while.
- Add the dulce de leche gradually, in 3 batches, whisking in between, until homogenous. Finally, fold in the sour cream and vanilla until well-mixed and creamy.
- Reserve ⅓ of the cream and place it in a separate bowl.
- Strain the cherry syrup we prepared before and set aside for now.
- Add the sponge pieces to the remaining 2/3 of the cream and mix them until combined. Make sure the sponge pieces are not mashed.
- Add the strained cherries and mix with the cream and sponge. Do not over mix, keeping the sponge pieces and cherries large.
How to Assemble the Cake:
- Soak the top and bottom cake crusts with the reserved strained cherry syrup.
- Place the bottom of the sponge cake on a cake platter. Pack all of the cream/sponge/cherry filling and cover with the top crust of the cake sponge.
- Ice the top and sides of the cake with the reserved cream.
- Decorate the cake with the one-pound pile of fresh cherries.
- Sprinkle the top and sides of the cake with chocolate shavings. Use a potato peeler or grater.
- Refrigerate overnight or for at least 6 hours.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.9
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