February is a month that by now has a tradition of being the month of love, with the emphasis being on romantic love. But love comes in many, many forms, and my favourite way of expressing it is through baking. So recipes like these are my way of showing love and gratitude towards life.
With the wonderful interplay of tart berries, sweet fruit wine, and rich vanilla, this cake is perfect for any celebration. Whether it is February 14th, a simple Friday get-together with your favourite people, or even a little birthday party, this cake is a good choice. Soft vanilla layers, smooth raspberry filling, and a tart cherry jelly make for a fantastic little sweet treat. And I think we can all agree that whether you celebrate St Tryphon or St Valentine, you can never have too much good wine or love.
Ingredients
For the soft cake layers
230 grams plain flour
50 grams cornflour
4 teaspoons baking powder
230 grams granulated sugar
300 millilitres carbonated water
50 millilitres vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
For the raspberry cream filling
400 millilitres soy milk, cold
100 grams granulated sugar
60 grams cornflour
4 tablespoons freeze-dried raspberries, ground and sifted
150 grams vegan block butter, at room temperature
For the wine jelly
150 millilitres cherry wine, unfined
150 grams sour cherries, fresh or defrosted
50 grams granulated sugar
30 grams cornflour
50 grams vegan block butter
For the raspberry jelly
50 grams blended raspberries, fresh or defrosted
50 millilitres cold water
10 grams cornflour
Preparation
Start by making the wine reduction. Pour the wine into a heavy-bottomed saucepan, place it over medium-high heat, and let it boil gently until it cooks down to about one-third. Once the wine is reduced to about 50 millilitres, remove from heat and let it cool down completely.
While the wine is cooling, make the raspberry filling. Add the sugar, freeze-dried raspberries, and cornflour to the cold soy milk, whisk very well, and place over medium-high heat. Mix it gently until it starts to boil, and once it does come to a boil, cook and stir for about 2-3 minutes, until it thickens. Remove from the heat, cover the surface with a piece of cling film or baking parchment, and let it cool down to room temperature. Be mindful about this part, because if the filling is too cold, it will be difficult to blend later.
By now, the wine should be cool, so add in the cherries, granulated sugar, and the cornflour, place it over medium heat, and let it come to a boil. Cook, stirring constantly, for about 2-3 minutes, until thickened significantly and quite fragrant. Remove from the heat, immediately add vegan butter and mix, either by hand or with a hand mixer, until everything is combined. Cover the surface with cling film or a piece of baking parchment, and let it cool to room temperature.
To make the raspberry jelly, whisk together all the and cook in exactly the same way as the cherry jelly, by placing it over medium heat, and cooking for about 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly. As soon as it thickens considerably, pour it out onto a piece of baking parchment or a silicone mat, and spread it with a spatula to about 5 mm thick. Let it cool down completely.
Proceed to make the cake layers. Let the oven preheat to 180°C and line a heart-shaped mould (20 cm in the widest part with a depth of 6 cm) or a regular, square cake pan (18x18 cm) with baking parchment.
Take a large bowl and sift in the flour, cornflour, and the baking powder. Whisk to combine, add in sugar, and whisk once again. Pour in the carbonated water, oil, and vanilla, and mix until just combined. Pour the batter into the prepared mould or pan and bake immediately, in a nicely preheated oven, at 180°C, for about 30 minutes or so. Check it with a toothpick to make sure it is baked through, but not dry. Once baked, remove from the oven and let it cool down completely in the pan.
When everything is cool to the touch, proceed to assemble the cake, and start by stirring the wine jelly very well, to loosen it up.
Next, whip the raspberry filling with an electric mixer on high until it becomes light and airy. Whip the softened vegan butter in the same fashion, and blend them together. The filling should be smooth and firm.
Cut the raspberry jelly into tiny cubes or place it into a bowl and whip it with a mixer, to create very small pieces. Add it to the filling and combine very well. If you want a smoother texture, this can be done with an immersion blender, as well.
If you used a square cake pan, cut out a heart shape by using a template and a sharp finely serrated knife. If you used a heart-shaped mould, simply take the cake out of it. Slice it into three thin cake layers and lay them out flat.
Place the first cake layer onto the serving platter, spread half of the cherry and wine jelly, and then one-quarter of the raspberry filling. Repeat this once more, and place the final cake layer on top. Press the cake down lightly with your palm, to make sure everything is sticking together, and proceed to decorate. The cake is very firm, so it can be decorated immediately with the rest of the filling.
Decorate as desired and place the entire cake in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours. The cake is best served after being at room temperature for about 15 minutes before slicing. Yields 16 servings.
