SOUR CHERRY AND LEMON ICE-BOX CAKE

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Sour Cherry and Lemon Ice-Box Cake image

Sour cherries seem to be an elusive fruit. Finding them fresh in the supermarket is nigh on impossible and finding them at a greengrocer or farmers market seems almost as hard. Thankfully, the frozen variety is a little easier to track down and I hoard them when I see them. I would encourage you to get your hands on some for this dessert. You can use regular sweet cherries, but the flavor won't be quite the same, so double the lemon juice, reduce the sugar a little, and add a few drops of almond extract to get you close. You can either freeze this, akin to a semifreddo, which is my preference, or simply chill it in the refrigerator, which will, of course, give it a softer finish.

Provided by Edd Kimber

Categories     Dessert     Frozen Dessert     Cake     No-Cook     Cherry     Lemon     Marscarpone     Milk/Cream     Kirsch     Vegetarian     Soy Free     Peanut Free     Tree Nut Free

Yield Serves 12

Number Of Ingredients 14

Unsalted butter or neutral-tasting oil, for greasing
For the sour cherry compote:
600 g (1 lb 5 oz) frozen pitted sour cherries, defrosted
120 ml (4 fl oz / ½ cup) kirsch
100 g (3½ oz / ½ cup) caster (superfine) sugar
Juice of ½ lemon
2 tablespoons cornflour (cornstarch)
For the filling:
250 g (9 oz / 1⅛ cups) mascarpone, at room temperature
35 g (1¼ oz / ¼ cup) icing (powdered) sugar
800 ml (28 fl oz / 3⅓ cups) double (heavy) cream
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
150 g (5½ oz / ½ cup) lemon curd
270 g (9¾ oz) digestives, graham crackers or speculoos biscuits

Steps:

  • Lightly grease the baking tin and line the base with parchment paper. If you want to remove the cake from the tin to serve, you can line the tin with a piece of parchment paper that overhangs the two long sides.
  • For the cherry compote, place the cherries, kirsch, sugar and lemon juice into a large saucepan and cook over a medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, until the fruit softens and releases a lot of juice. Use a slotted spoon to remove the cherries to a heatproof bowl, leaving the syrup in the pan. Continue cooking the syrup until it is reduced to about 240 ml (8½ fl oz / 1 cup).
  • Place the cornflour in a small bowl and whisk in a little of the cherry syrup to form a smooth paste. Add this to the cherry syrup in the pan and simmer, stirring, for a couple of minutes, or until slightly thickened. Pour the syrup over the fruit, cool slightly, then cover with clingfilm and refrigerate until cool.
  • For the filling, whisk together the mascarpone, icing sugar, 600 ml (20 fl oz / 2½ cups) of the cream and the vanilla in a bowl until the mixture just starts to hold its shape. Add the lemon curd and continue whisking until the mixture holds soft peaks.
  • To assemble the dessert, spread a thin layer of the lemon cream over the base of the prepared tin, then cover with a layer of biscuits, breaking them up as needed. Spread over half of the remaining lemon cream and then dollop over about a third of the cherry compote. Repeat the layering a second time and then finish with a final layer of biscuits.
  • Cover the tin with clingfilm and refrigerate or freeze for at least 4 hours before serving.
  • Just before serving, whip the remaining cream to soft peaks and spread over the dessert. Cut into slices and serve each portion with a spoonful of the remaining compote.
  • Store in a sealed container in the freezer for up to 2 weeks; if refrigerated, it will keep for 3-4 days.

Brown Chopz
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I've made this cake several times now and it's always a hit. The sour cherries and lemon are a great combination and the cake is incredibly easy to make. I highly recommend this recipe!


Usman Jan
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This cake is a summer favorite in our house! It's so easy to make and always a hit with guests. The sour cherries and lemon give it a light and refreshing flavor that's perfect for hot weather.


Chanique Loxton
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This cake was a bit of a disappointment. The sour cherries were too tart and the lemon flavor was overpowering. The cake was also a bit dry. I would not recommend this recipe.


Nadika Kumari
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This cake is amazing! The sour cherries and lemon are a perfect combination and the cake is so moist and flavorful. I love that it's so easy to make, too. I've already made it twice and I'm sure I'll be making it again soon.


MEGA PRINCE tv
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This cake was just okay. The sour cherries were a bit too tart for my taste and the lemon flavor was not very noticeable. The cake was also a bit dry. I would not make this recipe again.


Ahmed butt
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I love this cake! It's so easy to make and always turns out delicious. The sour cherries and lemon give it a unique and refreshing flavor. I've made it several times now and it's always a hit.


Shahid Jutt
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This cake is a perfect summer dessert. It's light, refreshing, and has a wonderful flavor combination. The sour cherries and lemon are a great match and the cake is incredibly easy to make. I highly recommend this recipe!


Duaa Lubna
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This cake was a disaster! The sour cherries were so sour that they made the cake inedible. The lemon flavor was also very overpowering. I would not recommend this recipe.


HoAu
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I'm not usually a fan of sour cherries, but I loved them in this cake! The lemon flavor really balanced out the tartness and the cake was incredibly moist and flavorful. I'll definitely be making this again.


Imam Hossen
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This cake is a summer staple in our house! It's so easy to make and always a crowd-pleaser. The sour cherries and lemon give it a light and refreshing flavor that's perfect for hot weather.


Kim Hodges
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This cake was just okay. The sour cherries were a bit too tart for my taste and the lemon flavor was not very pronounced. The cake was also a bit dry. I would not recommend this recipe.


Md Ridoy Hossn
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I made this cake for a potluck and it was a huge hit! Everyone loved the unique flavor combination of the sour cherries and lemon. The cake was also very easy to make, which is always a bonus.


Adil Mehmood
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This cake is delicious! I love the tartness of the sour cherries and the sweetness of the lemon. The cake is also very moist and flavorful. I will definitely be making this again.


ASAD BHUTTA
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I was looking for an easy and refreshing summer dessert and this cake fit the bill perfectly. It was so simple to make and the end result was delicious. The sour cherries and lemon gave it a nice tangy flavor that was perfect for a hot day.


Trinibad Scenes
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This was my first time making an ice box cake and it turned out great! The sour cherries and lemon were a perfect combination and the cake was so moist and flavorful. I'll definitely be making this again!


Ilobekeme Oseghale
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This cake was a disappointment. The sour cherries were too tart and the lemon flavor was overpowering. I also found the cake to be too dense and heavy. I would not recommend this recipe.


Prince Krishna Roy
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I've made this cake several times now and it's always a crowd-pleaser. The sour cherries and lemon give it a unique and delicious flavor. I love that it's so easy to make, too. Just a few simple ingredients and you're good to go!


Fares Goda
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This sour cherry and lemon ice box cake was a hit at my summer party! The combination of tart cherries and tangy lemon was refreshing and delicious. The cake was also incredibly easy to make - I just layered graham crackers, cherries, and pudding in