Dessert: Devil's Food Cake with Vanilla Ice Cream and Sour Cherries

Recipe by Tom Colicchio The classic combination of chocolate cake, cherries, and cream found in the traditional Black Forest cake was our inspiration for this cream'wich. In the summertime, fresh cherries can be used in lieu of dried. We advise that you

Ingredients

3/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder, such as Valrhona
1/2 c. warm water
1 tbsp. warm water, combined with water above
3/4 c. cake flour
3/4 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
5 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 3/4 c. dark brown sugar
3/4 tsp. vanilla extract
1 egg, preferably pasture-raised
1 egg yolk
1/2 c. buttermilk
2 tbsp. buttermilk, combined with buttermilk above

Instructions

To make the Devil's Food Cake: Preheat the oven to 350 °. Whisk together the cocoa and water in a bowl to make a paste. Sift together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, combine the butter, brown sugar, and vanilla on medium speed. Add the egg and the yolk, followed by the cocoa paste. Once combined, alternate adding the dry ingredients and the buttermilk. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, turning after the first 30 minutes, until the cake is firm to the touch and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven, let rest in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove from the pan and transfer to a cooling rack.
To make the Ice Cream: Split the vanilla beans lengthwise and scrape the seeds from each side into the measured sugar. In a medium saucepan, combine the milk, cream, and half of the vanilla sugar. Whisk together and bring to a full rolling boil over medium-high heat.
While the milk mixture is heating, whisk together the egg yolks and the remaining vanilla sugar. Temper the eggs into the boiling milk mixture by removing the saucepan from the heat and pouring half of it over the yolks. Whisk this well and return the yolk mixture to the saucepan. Whisk in the salt. In a metal bowl over ice, chill the ice cream base thoroughly. Strain the base through a fine-mesh sieve. Process the base in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. Transfer the ice cream to a covered container and place in the freezer until it is firm, about 2 hours.
To make the Sour Cherries: In a small pot, combine the wine, sugar, and anise seeds and heat until the sugar is dissolved. Add the dried cherries, stir, and slowly reduce the mixture until it has the consistency of a syrup. Set aside to cool.
To Assemble: When ready, let the ice cream defrost at room temperature for 15 minutes. Mix the sour cherries into the ice cream. Cut the chocolate cake into 8 1/2-inch-thick slices. Evenly spread the ice cream over 4 slices, covering them all the way to the edge. (The ice cream must be soft enough to avoid ripping the cake.) Top with a matching 4 slices of chocolate cake and place them in the freezer for at least 1 hour before serving.