Chocolate Cherry Cakes with Cinnamon

Today I have a really fantastic and surprisingly quick and simple cake recipe.  Seeing as it’s full on cherry season over here I thought I’d bake something cherry inspired.

So the other day I donned my latex gloves and got to work pitting the cherries (I have a pretty serious allergy to cherries as you can read about here).  I had even considered wearing goggles but I was expecting the delivery man and just couldn’t imagine what he’d think about the already weird Canadian women once he saw me in a get-up like that.  And I’m happy to report that I got through the entire recipe with zero contact with the cherries and I didn’t end up looking like a monster as I did last year when I attempted the Cherry Lavender Jam.  My kids still have nightmares about that.

These deep chocolate cakes paired with the tartness of the cherries and the delicate spiciness of the cinnamon ended up being a really delicious combination.  I think these would be fantastic with raspberries, blackberries or even chopped peaches.  I made them in individual miniature pans but it would be just as nice baked in a large tart pan as well.

Read on for recipe…

3/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp flour
1/4 unsweetened cocoa
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
4 Tbsp butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 1/4 cups pitted cherries (halved or quartered)
2 Tbsp brown sugar

1.  Preheat oven to 375 (180) and grease 8 small tart tins or one big tart pan.  Mix all dry ingredients together in bowl and set aside.

2. Beat butter and sugar in mixer until creamy.  Add egg and vanilla and beat well.  Slow mixer down and add flour mixture in three times alternating with the buttermilk.

3.  Pour batter in small tart tins (I managed 8 with this recipe) or one large one.  Place cherries on top then sprinkle with a few tablespoons of brown sugar.

4.  Bake the small tarts for about 18-20 minutes and the large tart for about 25 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.  Cool on wire rack.

Enjoy! (recipe found here).

I actually made these for a dear friend who just turned 40.  A group of friends and I are headed out to the region of Piemonte today for a few days of celebrating together in a tiny medieval village.  Good food, good wine and good friends mixed with leaving the kids and husbands at home will make for a pretty memorable trip I think.  Look out Piemonte!