MINIATURE ALMOND CAKES WITH SUGARED CHERRIES AND KIRSCH CREAM

Miniature Almond Cakes with Sugared Cherries and Kirsch Cream image

Yield Makes 20 miniature cakes

Number Of Ingredients 19

For cake
4 large egg yolks
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large egg whites
For sugared cherries
4 teaspoons powdered egg whites
1/4 cup warm water
3/4 cup superfine granulated sugar
20 sweet cherries with stems attached
For kirsch cream
1/2 cup chilled heavy cream
1 tablespoon kirsch
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
Special Equipment
a 1- to 1 1/2-inch round cookie cutter

Steps:

Make cake:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a 9-inch square cake pan and line bottom with parchment or wax paper. Butter paper and dust pan with flour, knocking out excess.
Whisk together yolks, 1/2 cup sugar, milk, and extract in a large bowl until combined well, then whisk in flour and salt.
Beat whites with an electric mixer at high speed until they just hold soft peaks. Gradually add remaining 1/4 cup sugar, mixing at low speed until whites just hold stiff peaks. Stir about one third of whites into batter to lighten, then fold in remaining whites gently but thoroughly.
Pour batter into cake pan, spreading evenly, and bake in middle of oven until pale golden and a tester comes out clean, 14 to 16 minutes. Cool cake completely in pan on a rack.
Make sugared cherries while cake bakes:
Whisk together powdered egg whites and warm water in a small bowl until combined well. Put superfine sugar in another small bowl.
Holding 1 cherry by stem, brush evenly with some egg white and spoon sugar over it to coat. Transfer to a rack to dry and coat remaining cherries in same manner.
Make kirsch cream:
Beat cream with kirsch and sugar using cleaned beaters until it holds stiff peaks.
Assemble cakes just before serving:
Cut out 20 rounds from cake with cookie cutter and transfer to a platter. Top each round with a teaspoon of kirsch cream, then top cream with a cherry.