My aunt made this every summer when sour cherries came into season. She lined a springform pan with ladyfingers dipped in milk and rum, filled it with a cream cheese and sour cherry mixture set with gelatin, and topped it with whipped cream. It went into the fridge overnight and came out the next day looking like she had been to pastry school.
She had not. The sour cherries cook with sugar and vanilla until thick, then get blended smooth and mixed with dissolved gelatin. Half the whipping cream gets folded into the cream cheese and cherry mixture. The other half gets whipped and spread on top. No oven. No baking. Patience and a fridge. I still think she’d be smug about how easy this actually is.
Tips for Making Sour Cherry Cake
Dip the ladyfingers briefly
A quick dip in the warm milk and rum mixture is enough. If you soak them too long, they fall apart and the base of the cake becomes soggy.
Cover both the bottom and sides of the springform pan. The ladyfingers are the structure of the cake.
Dissolve the gelatin fully
The gelatin must be completely dissolved in the cherry mixture or you get rubbery spots in the filling.
Bloom the gelatin in water first, then stir it into the still-warm cherry mixture. If the cherries have cooled too much, gently reheat before adding.
Sour Cherry Cake
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: Serves 8
- Diet: Omnivore
Description
Ladyfingers, a set cream-cheese-and-sour-cherry filling, and whipped cream, built in a springform pan and chilled overnight — no oven required.
Ingredients
- 3.5 oz (100 g) ladyfingers
- 3.3 oz (100 ml) warm milk
- 1 tbsp rum
- 5.2 oz (150 g) sour cherries
- 2.6 oz (75 g) sugar
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 pack (10 g or 0.35 oz) gelatin
- 5.2 oz (150 g) cream cheese
- 13.5 oz (400 ml) whipping cream
Instructions
- Cut ladyfingers in half and dip each into warm milk combined with rum.
- Line a 7.8 inch (20 cm) springform pan with ladyfingers, covering both the bottom and sides.
- Combine sour cherries with sugar and vanilla. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until the mixture thickens.
- Remove from heat, let cool slightly, and mix in a blender.
- Dissolve gelatin in the cherry mixture. Set aside.
- Whip half of the whipping cream and combine with cream cheese and the sour cherry mixture.
- Spread the filling evenly over the ladyfingers.
- Whip the remaining cream and spread over the cake. Use some to decorate, if desired.
- Refrigerate overnight.
- The next day, remove the cake from the pan and serve.
Notes
- Dip the ladyfingers quickly, a second or two per side is plenty. Any longer and they turn soft, and the base goes soggy under the filling.
- The gelatin needs to be fully dissolved before it goes into the cherry mixture, or you get rubbery spots in the filling instead of a smooth set.
- No rum in the house? Cherry juice or even water works for the dip. The cake sets up the same either way.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: European
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 25
- Sodium: 50
- Fat: 22
- Saturated Fat: 12
- Unsaturated Fat: 8
- Carbohydrates: 40
- Fiber: 2
- Protein: 5
- Cholesterol: 40
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use frozen sour cherries?
Yes. Thaw and drain them first. Fresh sour cherries have a short season, so frozen is the practical choice for most of the year. The flavour is nearly identical once cooked with sugar.
What if I do not have rum?
Cherry juice or water both work as substitutes for dipping the ladyfingers. The rum adds a subtle warmth but the cake is still good without it.
How far ahead can I make this?
Make it the night before. It needs at least eight hours in the fridge to set properly. It keeps for up to three days refrigerated, covered with plastic wrap.
