House Roof Cake

House Roof Cake (with sour cherries and chocolate)

I discovered this recipe after seeing it at Merișor, and it seemed like a practical idea for when you want a chocolate dessert but without baking. I adapted it a bit and made two loaf pans. It turned out well, the texture was just right, and the combination of sour cherries and chocolate remains one of the simplest and most balanced for quick cakes.

Quick Info

Total time: approximately 40-50 minutes (plus a few hours in the fridge)
Effective preparation time: 35-40 minutes
Cooling time: minimum 3-4 hours
Number of servings: 16-20 (two loaf pans)
Difficulty: medium
Recipe type: no-bake dessert, suitable for family or when you have guests

Ingredients

500 ml liquid cream (I used Hulala, but any plant-based cream works)
400 g cooking chocolate (52% cocoa concentration)
3 packets of gelatin (30 g)
4 tablespoons sugar
2 wafers
1 vial orange essence (Dr. Oetker)
1 jar of pitted sour cherries (drained)
200 ml concentrated coffee
Syrup from the jar of sour cherries (as much as results, used to soak ladyfingers)
30 ladyfingers
100 ml water

Preparation Method

1. Preparing the pan:
I used two loaf pans. Each pan is lined on the bottom and sides with wafers. Cut the wafers to the size of the pan, so they fit snugly, without large gaps. There's no need to wet them.

2. Chocolate cream:
In a saucepan, put 400 g of broken cooking chocolate and 350 ml of the total amount of cream. Heat on low and stir until the chocolate is completely melted. Do not boil, just melt until it becomes homogeneous. Let it cool to room temperature.

3. Gelatin:
Soak the gelatin in 100 ml of cold water in a bowl, letting it sit for 10 minutes until it expands. After it has swollen, place it over a double boiler or on the stove on low heat, just enough to dissolve it, do not let it boil. Let it cool for a few minutes.

4. Whipped cream:
The remaining cream (150 ml) is whipped with the 2 tablespoons of sugar (from the total of 4) until it thickens. It doesn't need to be over-whipped, just enough to hold its shape.

5. Assembling the cream:
The melted and cooled chocolate is mixed a little with a mixer until fluffy. Add the whipped cream, mix with a spatula, then add the orange essence. Add the well-drained sour cherries (enough so they don't wet the cream). Finally, when the gelatin has cooled, incorporate it into the cream. Mix everything gently with a spatula so the whipped cream doesn't deflate.

6. Syrup for ladyfingers:
Mix 200 ml of concentrated coffee with the syrup from the sour cherries and the other 2 tablespoons of sugar (or to taste). The syrup should be quite strong but not excessively sweet.

7. Layering in the pan:
In each pan, over the wafer on the bottom, place a thicker layer of cream (about one-third of the total). Dip the ladyfingers one by one in the syrup (be careful not to soak them too much, just a quick dip), and place the first layer – one ladyfinger in a row. Add more cream, followed by the second layer, consisting of two ladyfingers side by side. Another layer of cream, then the last layer with three ladyfingers side by side. Top with the remaining cream to cover everything well.

8. Cooling:
Place the pan in the fridge for a minimum of 3-4 hours, ideally overnight, for the cream to set completely.

9. Serving:
Invert the cake from the pan onto a platter, gently remove the wafer from the sides if desired, or leave it as is. It can be decorated with whipped cream or grated chocolate, but it also works well plain.

Why I make this recipe often

It's relatively quick to make and doesn't require baking. The ingredients are usually on hand, especially if you have preserved sour cherries and ladyfingers. It keeps well in the fridge and is easy to cut. It's suitable for when you need a dessert with a strong chocolate flavor but don't want something too heavy or too sweet.

Tips and Variations

Tips

- For easier cutting, use a thin-bladed knife dipped in hot water.
- The sour cherries must be well-drained; otherwise, the cream may deflate.
- If the plant-based cream is very sweet, you can reduce the sugar for the syrup a bit.
- Be careful with the gelatin – do not let it boil, otherwise, it will lose its gelling properties.

Substitutions

- Plant-based cream can be replaced with natural cream, but it needs to be whipped very well.
- Sour cherries can also be from compote or frozen, well-drained.
- If you don't have wafers, the cake can also be made without them, just with plastic wrap in the pan.

Variations

- The orange essence can be replaced with rum or vanilla.
- You can also add other sour fruits, like raspberries, for a change of flavor.
- If you want a lighter cake, use chocolate with a lower cocoa percentage.

Serving Ideas

- It can be served with additional whipped cream or extra sour cherries on top.
- It pairs well with bitter coffee or unsweetened tea.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use round ladyfingers instead of rectangular ones?
Yes, but it will be harder to achieve the roof shape, so I recommend using classic ladyfingers.

How strong should the coffee be for the syrup?
The coffee should be quite concentrated, like a long espresso. Do not use weak coffee, otherwise, it won't balance the sweetness of the cream and cherries.

Can I use gelatin sheets instead of packets?
Yes, but you need to calculate accordingly (1 packet of 10 g is equivalent to about 6 g of gelatin sheets).

If I don't have wafers, can I use parchment paper in the pan?
Yes, if you don't have wafers, you can use parchment paper so you can easily remove the cake.

What do I do if the sour cherries are too sour?
You can add a tablespoon of sugar when draining them, but not too much, so the syrup doesn't become too sweet.

Nutritional Values

Values are approximate for one serving, if the cake is cut into 18 slices.

Calories: ~230 kcal/serving
Protein: 3-4 g
Carbohydrates: 23-25 g
Fats: 12-13 g

Most of the calories come from chocolate, cream, and ladyfingers. The cake has a moderate sugar content, considering the amounts used and the fact that it doesn't have butter or condensed milk creams.

Storage and Reheating

It can be stored in the fridge, covered, for up to 4-5 days. I do not recommend freezing, as the cream may separate upon thawing. It does not need reheating – it is served directly from the fridge. If left too long at room temperature, the wafer on the edges may soften, but it does not affect the taste.

The first time, I lined the walls of the cake pans with wafers, the side walls, and the bottom of the pan. Then I melted chocolate with 350 ml of cream. After melting, we set it aside and let it cool. Meanwhile, we soak the gelatin in 100 ml of water and let it dissolve (expand in volume). We mix the chocolate well until it becomes creamy, mix the remaining cream with 2 tablespoons of sugar and combine it with a spatula with the chocolate cream, orange essence, and well-drained cherries. We put the gelatin on the stove until it reaches boiling point (be careful not to boil), just let it melt, then let it cool slightly and add it to the cream. We mix well with the spatula until well incorporated. From the resulting cream, we put a thicker layer on the bottom of the cake pans, then we mix sweetened coffee with 2 tablespoons of sugar and the syrup from the cherries, dip the ladyfingers one by one, gently, in this syrup and place them over the cream in the first row, each with one ladyfinger, then we add more cream. The second row is made with two ladyfingers side by side, we put the remaining cream, and the last row is made with three ladyfingers side by side. The pans are placed in the fridge for a few hours. The cake pan is turned onto a platter, and you can decorate it with chocolate or cream if you like, or simply leave it as is. It’s super delicious and really low in calories considering the high cocoa concentration. Only 4 tablespoons of sugar are used. Enjoy your meal! Thank you again, cranberry!

 Ingredients: 500 ml hulala cream, 400 g dark chocolate 52% cocoa concentration, 3 sachets of gelatin (30g), 4 tablespoons of sugar, 2 wafers, 1 orange essence (Dr. Oetker vial), 1 jar of pitted cherries, 200 ml concentrated coffee + cherry syrup, 30 ladyfingers, 100 ml water

 Tags:  sponge cake chocolate cake