In Sour Cherries and Sunflowers, writer Anastasia Zolotarev traces her family’s food heritage across Ukraine, Belarus and beyond, weaving together memory, migration and mealtimes. Rooted in Eastern European flavours, she explores how cooking has become a way to reconnect with her Slavic origins and continue culinary traditions from her home in Sydney, Australia.
I have made this cake many times for many occasions when I wanted to make something simple, delicious and beautiful. It’s lovely and earthy – use a thick, luscious soured cream, or give it a quick whisk to thicken before use. Using buckwheat flour also means this recipe is a good gluten-free option.
200g butter, diced small
200g dark chocolate (70% cocoa), chopped into small chunks
2tbsp espresso
1tsp vanilla extract
250g brown sugar
5 eggs
100g buckwheat flour
325ml soured cream
100g walnuts, finely chopped or blitzed in a food processor
For the sauce
100g pitted sour cherries (frozen or fresh)
100g sugar
1tbsp cornflour mixed with 1tbsp cold water
Preheat the oven to 200C. Line the base and sides of a 23cm springform cake tin with baking paper. Set a medium heatproof bowl over a small saucepan of simmering water. Put the butter, chocolate, espresso, vanilla and ¼tsp salt in the heatproof bowl and stir the mixture occasionally. Once everything has melted, mix thoroughly, then remove the bowl from the pan and set aside.
Put the sugar and eggs in the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk on a medium-high speed for about 7 minutes or until the mixture has increased in size and is light and frothy (or use an electric hand whisk). Meanwhile, sift the buckwheat flour into the bowl with the chocolate mixture. Use a hand whisk to mix the flour through completely. Mix in 125ml of the soured cream.
Once the sugar and egg mixture is light and frothy, pour the chocolate mixture into the bowl. Use a spatula to fold in until well combined – this might take a couple of minutes. Try not to overfold, though, so that the mixture remains airy. Add the walnuts and fold through a few more times.
Pour the batter into the prepared cake tin and cook in the oven for 30-40 minutes or until the top has risen slightly and it looks firm in the centre. Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool for a few minutes before turning on to a wire rack.
Mix the ingredients for the sauce in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Cook gently for about 10 minutes, stirring often. Leave to cool.
Give the rest of the soured cream a good stir, then spoon it all over the surface of the cooled cake. Drizzle the sour cherry sauce on top and serve.
(Quadrille, £22), Photography © Karen Fisher
