Cherry Pie Cake Stacks

~Cherry Pie Cake Stacks~

Ingredients:
Pound cake:
-3 large eggs, room temperature
-45mL milk, room temperature
-7mL vanilla
-375mL (150g) sifted cake flour
-5mL baking powder
-1mL salt
-190mL (150g) granulated white sugar
-200mL (185g) margarine, room temperature

-250mL cherry pie filling
-250mL whipping cream

Chocolate Sauce:
-90mL margarine
-375mL brown sugar
-125mL sugar
-250mL heavy cream (whipping cream)
-pinch of salt
-60mL Cocoa powder
-30mL instant espresso powder
-5mL vanilla extract

Method:
Day 1 Pound Cake
1. Preheat oven to 350°F or 175°C and place rack in the center of oven.
    Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper and spray the paper with non-stick cooking spray.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, and vanilla extract.
3. In the bowl of your electric mixer, place the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar) and mix on low speed for about 30 seconds or until blended. Add the margarine and half of the egg mixture.
    Mix on low speed until the dry ingredients are moistened.
    Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat for about one minute to aerate and develop the cake's structure. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
    Gradually add the remaining egg mixture, in 2 additions, beating about 30 seconds after each addition to incorporate the egg and strengthen the cake's structure.
4. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon. Bake for about 30 to 35 minutes or until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If you find the cake browning too much as it bakes, cover with a piece of lightly buttered aluminum foil after about 30 minutes.
5. Remove the cake from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool for about 10 minutes. Remove the cake from the pan and cool completely on a lightly buttered wire rack.
6. The Pound Cake can be covered and stored for several days at room temperature, for one week when refrigerated, or it can be frozen for two months. Store your cake in a ziplock bag and refrigerate until next class.

Day 2: Assembly
Chocolate Sauce:
7. Heat the margarine in large saucepan. Stir in the sugar and brown sugar and allow to dissolve. Stir in the cream, salt, cocoa and espresso powder.
    Bring to a simmer and cook 5 minutes, whisking to blend.
    Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla.
    The sauce can be stored, covered, in a glass container in the refrigerator for 1 month. Heat gently before using.
8. Whip the cream until stiff using an electric mixer, stir in 10mL icing sugar and 2mL vanilla. Fill the piping bag with the whip cream and add an open star tip.
    Using the cooking rings cut out four circles out of the pound cake.
    Slice each cake into three pieces each with a very sharp knife.
9. To create your stack; start with a cake layer add 25mL of the cherry pie filling then top with another cake layer. Repeat and add a final cake layer on top. Pour some of the chocolate sauce flowing over the sides.
    Pipe the whipping cream into a spiral pattern on the top of the cake stack.
    To complete the plating use a sieve and sprinkle icing sugar over the stack.