Pistachio and Cherry Liqueur Cakes
Janusz Domagała's Cake Week Signature - twelve mini Polish wuzetka, the classic Warsaw chocolate sandwich cake reimagined as twelve identical individual portions. Two thin layers of light chocolate sponge are sandwiched with pistachio cream and a soaked sour cherry, then finished with glossy dark chocolate ganache, a piped pistachio-cream rosette, and a fresh cherry. Janusz framed his bake as a Polish answer to Black Forest gâteau, soaking the sponges with wiśniówka, the Polish sour cherry vodka liqueur. Prue Leith called it "neat as a pin… very light and boozy"; Paul Hollywood called the texture "perfect" but found the alcohol "overwhelming". Janusz won Star Baker for Cake Week. This Fix-It version reduces the wiśniówka soak, balances it with macerated sour cherries and a spoonful of cherry conserve, and applies the traditional bottom-only soak - preserving the texture and appearance both judges praised, while resolving the alcohol-overwhelm critique. Baker’s Notes On wiśniówka and s…
- Time: 210 min
Source: Relaxed Recipes
Ingredients
- STEP 1 — BAKE THE CHOCOLATE SPONGE
- Preheat the oven to 180°C . Line two 33 × 23 cm Swiss roll tins with parchment,
- STEP 2 — MAKE THE CHERRY VODKA SOAK
- While the sponge bakes, place the frozen sour cherries, granulated sugar and wat
- STEP 3 — CUT THE SPONGE DISCS
- Using a 6 cm round cutter, stamp out twenty-four discs from the two cooled spong
- STEP 4 — BRUSH THE BOTTOM SPONGES ONLY
- Place the twelve bottom discs on a tray. Using a pastry brush, soak each one gen
- STEP 5 — MAKE THE PISTACHIO CREAM
- If using gelatine, bloom 1/4 tsp in 1 tbsp of cold water for 5 minutes, then war
- STEP 6 — ASSEMBLE WITH CHERRY CENTRES
- Working on a board, take a soaked bottom disc and pipe a ring of pistachio cream
- STEP 7 — CHILL THE ASSEMBLED CAKES
- Transfer the assembled cakes to a tray and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- STEP 8 — MAKE THE GANACHE
- Place the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Heat the cream just to a simmer
- STEP 9 — GLAZE THE TOPS
- Working with the chilled cakes still on the tray, spoon about 1 1/2 teaspoons of
- STEP 10 — FINISH AND SERVE
- Once the ganache is set, pipe a small rosette of the reserved pistachio cream on