Red Wine Black Forest Pound Cake

To Make the Brandied Cherries:

1. Add the cherries, granulated sugar, and fresh lemon juice to a small saucepan over medium-high heat.  Stir to combine.  
2. Once the mixture begins to bubble, stir again and reduce heat to medium-low.  Allow to cook for 10-15 minutes, or until the cherries are softened (but not mush).  
3. Combine the water and cornstarch in a small prep bowl.  Add to the cherry mixture.  Increase heat to medium-high for one minute.
4. Remove mixture from heat.  Add brandy to the mixture.  Use a camp lighter or very long match to CAREFULLY light the brandy.  Allow the brandy to burn off completely before stirring.
5. Place cherries in a heat-proof container and allow them to cool to room temperature before covering. Then, cover and cool completely before using.

To Make the Cake:

1. Pre-heat your oven to a true 325°F.  This temperature is critical to cake success!  An oven thermometer will help you determine if your oven runs hot or cold.
2. Sift together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, natural cocoa powder, and kosher salt in a large mixing bowl.  Set aside.  
3. QUICK NOTE: *Sifting is incredibly important!  Cocoa powder tends to clump, and the only way to avoid those clumps in your cake is to sift.  So please don’t skip this step!*
4. Thoroughly combine the granulated sugar, eggs, pure vanilla extract, and red wine with a balloon whisk.  
5. Add vegetable oil to the liquid mixture and combine with the whisk until everything is thoroughly combined.  The oil will take a minute or two to combine with the rest of the mixture, but it will combine!
6. Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and stir with the balloon whisk until no lumps of flour or cocoa powder remain.
7. Prepare your bundt pan (my favorite way is the butter/cocoa powder method for this cake!) and add the batter to the prepared bundt pan.
8. Bake for 65-75 minutes in a 325°F oven, or until an instant-read thermometer reads 210°F-215°F.  My Goldilocks temp is 212°F.  Alternatively, you can remove this cake from the oven when a toothpick or skewer comes out with very few moist crumbs.
9. Remove from the oven and allow to place on a cooling rack, in its pan, for ten minutes.
10. After ten minutes, invert the cake onto the cooling rack and allow to cool completely.

To Make the Simple Syrup:

1. Add the water, granulated sugar, cocoa powder, and salt to a small saucepan.  Bring to a boil and boil just until all of the solids are dissolved.  Remove from the heat.
2. Add the vanilla extract and stir to combine.
3. Allow the simple syrup to cool completely, then brush it onto the completely cooled cake.

To Make the Chocolate Ganache:

1. Place the chocolate chips in a heat-proof bowl.  Set aside.
2. Place the heavy cream in a heat-proof measuring cup (like this one!) and heat in a microwave until just before it starts to boil (45-75 seconds, depending on the microwave).
3. Pour the heavy cream over the chocolate chips and cover with plastic wrap.  Do not stir yet!
4. Allow the heavy cream to melt the chocolate for 5 minutes.  Stir with a small whisk or spoon to combine.  If the chocolate does not melt, place in the microwave at 10-second intervals, stirring in between intervals, until the mixture is completely smooth.
5. Allow the ganache to cool slightly (3-5 minutes) before using.  If you wait too long, the ganache will thicken and will not pour easily over the cake.
6. Pour the ganache over the cake using a spouted measuring cup, a squeeze bottle, or a spoon.

To Make the Stabilized Whipped Cream:

1. Place the gelatin in the 4 tsp of water.  Stir to combine completely.  Microwave for 10 seconds ONLY.  Set aside.
2. Place cold heavy cream and confectioner’s sugar into a large mixing bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer.  Stir gently until the confectioner’s sugar is completely covered in heavy cream.
3. Mix at a medium pace with a large ballon whisk or in the bowl of your stand mixer for 1-2 minutes, or until very soft peaks form.
4. Add the gelatin/water mixture to the soft peaks and continue mixing on high speed (or keep working that balloon whisk!) for another 30-40 seconds.

Build the Cake:

1. Using a spouted measuring cup, spoon, or squirt bottle, add the chocolate ganache to the cake.  Allow the chocolate ganache to cool and set for a minute or two before piping the whipped cream onto the cake.
2. Use a piping bag (or a DIY piping bag!) to pipe the stabilized whipped cream over the top of the cake in your favorite shape. 
3. If desired, you can sprinkle some chocolate shavings over the whipped cream.
4. Add several cherries to the top of the whipped cream.  I add some of the reserved cherry juice to the cake as well.
5. Serve alone, or with more of the brandied cherries on top.