Velvet poppy seed and cherry cake: Flourless, sugar-free, and incredibly juicy

If you love poppy seed cakes, this is a recipe you'll want to save. The velvety poppy seed and cherry cake will win you over at the first bite – it's incredibly soft, juicy and light, and it doesn't contain a single gram of flour or refined sugar.

Natural sweetness is provided by sweeteners like stevia or erythritol, while a layer of slightly cooked cherries brings the perfect dose of refreshing sourness that goes great with poppy seeds and chocolate.

A special advantage of this cake is that some of the ground poppy seeds can be replaced with ground almonds, hazelnuts or walnuts, so it will have a slightly different aroma each time. The result is a luxurious, rich-tasting cake that looks festive, and is much easier to prepare than you might expect.

Ingredients

For a 26 cm diameter mold

For a biscuit

6 eggs a pinch of salt 180 g butter at room temperature sweetener to taste (stevia, erythritol or a combination) 4 tablespoons rum 40 g grated dark chocolate 280 g ground poppy seeds

If desired, up to half of the poppy seeds can be replaced with ground almonds, walnuts or hazelnuts.

For the cherry layer

350 g pitted cherries (fresh or frozen) sweetener to taste 1 heaping tablespoon of thickener 2 tablespoons of water For the chocolate glaze

150 g dark chocolate 100 ml sweet cream

For decoration

cherries

Preparation

Puff pastry

Separate the egg whites from the yolks. Beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff peaks form.

In another bowl, beat the softened butter with the sweetener for a few minutes, then add the egg yolks and continue beating until the mixture becomes foamy. Add the rum and grated chocolate.

Alternately add the ground poppy seeds and egg whites, mixing carefully with a spatula to keep the mixture light and airy.

Line a 26 cm cake tin with baking paper, pour in the mixture and bake for about 35 minutes at 170 degrees.

Cherries for pleasure

While the sponge cake is baking, prepare the cherry filling.

Place the cherries in a saucepan, add the sweetener and cook briefly until they release their juice. Dilute the syrup with two tablespoons of water, then add it to the cherries and cook for a few more minutes until the mixture thickens slightly.

Cover the cooled sponge cake with a warm layer of cherries.

Chocolate finish

Heat the heavy cream until just before boiling, then pour it over the chopped dark chocolate. Stir until you have a smooth, shiny glaze.

Pour over the cake, smooth out and decorate with fresh fruit as desired.

After briefly cooling in the refrigerator, the cake is ready to serve.

It is at its most delicious on the first day, when its texture is almost foamy, and every bite literally melts in your mouth.

Pleasant!