Drunken Cherry Cake with Creamy Cherry Filling
This classic Drunken Cherry Cake combines chocolate sponge with cognac-soaked cherries, a creamy condensed milk filling and a rich chocolate glaze. It makes an impressive dessert for a festive table.
Updated : 04 November, 2026
Easy
More than 1 hour.
Ingredients
7
Chicken eggs
0.1 teaspoon
Salt
8 tablespoon
Sugar
130 grams
Wheat flour
50 grams
Cocoa
300 grams
Sour Cherry
100 milliliters
Cognac
230 grams
Butter
200 grams
Condensed milk
150 milliliters
Cream
200 grams
Dark chocolate
Table
Table of volume measurements:
- teaspoon - 5 ml
- dessert spoon - 10 ml
- tablespoon - 20 ml
- glass - 200 ml
Preparation
Step 1
Prepare all the ingredients for the chocolate sponge, cherry filling and glaze.
Step 2
Place 300 g thawed pitted cherries in a bowl. Add 1 tablespoon sugar and 100 ml cognac, mix well and set aside to infuse.
Step 3
Crack 7 room-temperature eggs into a large bowl, add a pinch of salt and beat with a mixer until lightly foamy.
Step 4
Add 6 tablespoons sugar to the eggs in two additions and continue beating for about 10 minutes, until the mixture is pale and fluffy.
Step 5
Combine 130 g all-purpose flour and 50 g cocoa powder in a separate bowl and mix well.
Step 6
Sift the flour and cocoa mixture into the beaten eggs in several additions.
Step 7
Gently fold the dry ingredients into the egg mixture with a spatula, working from the bottom upward to retain as much air as possible.
Step 8
Line the bottom and sides of a suitable cake pan with parchment paper. Pour in the batter and spread it evenly. Bake in an oven preheated to 330°F for about 1 hour.
Step 9
Remove the baked sponge from the oven and take it out of the pan. Cut a layer about ½ inch thick from the top and set it aside.
Step 10
Carefully scoop out part of the soft center of the sponge and place the crumbs in a deep bowl, leaving walls and a base about ½ inch thick.
Step 11
Strain or spoon off some of the liquid from the soaked cherries and use it to moisten the inside of the hollowed sponge.
Step 12
For the cream, place 200 g sweetened condensed milk in a bowl. Add 200 g melted, slightly cooled butter and mix until smooth.
Step 13
Add the soaked cherries to the cream mixture and stir until evenly combined.
Step 14
Add the cherry cream mixture to the bowl with the reserved sponge crumbs and mix thoroughly.
Step 15
Place the removable ring of the cake pan around the hollowed sponge. Fill it evenly with the prepared cherry mixture and gently press it down with a fork.
Step 16
Cover the filling with the reserved sponge layer and refrigerate the cake for 2–3 hours.
Step 17
Pour 150 ml of 33% heavy cream into a saucepan and add 30 g sugar. Heat gently, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
Step 18
Remove the saucepan from the heat and add 200 g chopped dark chocolate with nuts. Stir until the chocolate melts and the glaze becomes smooth and thick. Add 30 g softened butter and mix again until glossy and uniform.
Step 19
Transfer the chilled cake to a serving plate. Pour the cooled chocolate glaze over the top and spread it evenly over the cake.
Step 20
Let the glaze set, then cut the cake into portions and serve.
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