Creme Fraiche Cake

For months, I've had an email from a friend starred in my inbox. It's a recipe for Clare de Boer's "Cake Belle Hélène," a dreamy snacking cake inspired by the classic French dessert of poached pears, warm dark chocolate ganache and vanilla ice cream. She nestles chunks of ripe pear and dark chocolate into a simple crème fraîche batter and honestly, it's brilliant. I'm going to wait to try her exact recipe in the fall when pears are peak, but while it's still spring, I thought I'd try my own version with cherries and dark chocolate. 

The best part about this cake is that it's so simple! No need to remember to leave out the butter at room temperature or fuss with fancy techniques. It's a simple batter made with melted butter and crème fraîche that reminds me a lot of the famous no measure "gâteau au yaourt” (yogurt cake) that French children starting making as young as age three. 

The beauty of this recipe lies in its simplicity. Have your ingredients on hand and you will have an incredible snacking cake ready to enjoy within the hour...tender crumb, crisp around the edges, molten chocolate chunks encasing the luscious cherries. It's the perfect thing to make on Saturday morning and enjoy all weekend long. 

Crème Fraîche Cake (makes one 9" cake)

4 TBSP (57 grams) unsalted butter

2 large eggs

3/4 cup (150 grams) sugar 

1/2 cup crème fraîche

Drizzle vanilla paste or extract

1 cup (140 grams) all-purpose flour

3/4 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp salt

2 handfuls fresh cherries, pitted and halved

2-3 oz (75 grams) dark chocolate, cut into small chunks

Step 1. Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a 9" cake pan with a large piece of parchment paper. Melt the butter in a small pan and let it cool slightly. 

Step 2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat eggs with the sugar on medium-high until they're light yellow and forming ribbons, about 2 mins. Add the melted butter and mix for a minute. Add crème fraîche and mix for another 30 seconds. Add flour, baking powder, and salt and fold through until just combined. Do not overmix.

Step 3. Spoon the batter into the cake pan. Sprinkle cherries on top, followed by the chocolate, pressing both into the batter slightly. Bake until the top is golden brown and springs back when you press the center, about 35-40 minutes but it will greatly depend on your oven. Let it stand for ten minutes to cool slightly before lifting it out of the tin and pulling away the parchment. Slice, top with more crème fraîche and enjoy!