Cherry Amarena cake, chocolate-mocha glaze

Ingredients

• 200 g of softened butter
• 160 g of powdered sugar
• 50 Amarena cherries in syrup
• 210 g of wheat flour (type 45), plus a little extra for the cherries
• 40 g of cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon of instant coffee
• 4 cl of dark rum (optional)
• 4 tablespoons of honey
• 5 medium-sized eggs
• Vanilla seeds from a vanilla pod (or 1 packet of vanilla sugar)
• 2 teaspoons of baking powder
• A pinch of salt
• 200 ml of full-fat liquid cream
• 1 tablespoon of instant coffee
• 200 g of dark chocolate with a minimum of 70% cocoa content
• 1 vanilla pod (or 1 vanilla sugar packet)
• 1 packet of vanilla sugar for whipping cream

Grease and line a loaf pan, approximately 28 cm in size, with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 170 °C (340 °F) with a hot air function (or 180 °C/350 °F with natural convection).

Stir the instant coffee into the rum until it is completely dissolved.

Carefully drain the cherries and roll them in a little flour: this will prevent them from sinking to the bottom of the dough and ensure they are evenly distributed.

Split the vanilla pod open and scrape out the seeds.

Sift the flour and mix it with the starch and yeast.

Separate the egg whites from the yolks and whip the whites into stiff peaks with a pinch of salt, in a clean mixing bowl.

Whip the butter until it is very light and fluffy, then fold in the powdered sugar, honey, vanilla seeds, and rum-soaked coffee.

Add the yolks one at a time, without stopping the beating, then continue to beat for at least 5 minutes, until you have a creamy mixture.

Gently fold in the flour mixture, alternating with the whipped egg whites, then add the cherries.

Pour, pour into the mold and bake for approximately 1 hour at half-height, until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Let the cake cool for 10 minutes, then remove it from the pan and allow it to cool completely on a wire rack.

For the glaze, finely chop the chocolate. Split the second vanilla pod and scrape out the seeds.

Heat one-third of the cream with the empty pod and instant coffee, bring to a boil, then remove from the heat.

Remove the shell, add the chocolate, and stir until melted, then incorporate the vanilla seeds.

Let the icing cool until it thickens, then spread it over the cold cake and let it set completely.

Whip the remaining cold cream with the vanilla sugar and serve it with the cake slices.