Gingerbread cake with cherries

Ingredients for 16 servings:

• 125 g butter, soft or margarine
• 75 g sugar
• 4 tbsp sugar
• 2 packets of vanilla sugar
• 1 pinch of salt
• 2 m.-sized eggs
• 150 g flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tbsp gingerbread spice
• 5 tbsp milk
• 4 tbsp coffee, cold strong
• 1 jar cherry(s)
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 stalk(s) cinnamon
• 500 g whipped cream
• 250 g quark (low-fat quark)
• 3 packs of cream stiffener
• 250 g dark chocolate
• possibly cherry(s) (cocktail cherries)

Instructions

Working time approx. 1 hour 15 minutes; Rest time approx. 2 hours; Total time approx. 3 hours 15 minutes

Grease a springform pan (26 cm diameter). Mix together the fat, 75g sugar, 1 tsp vanilla sugar, and salt until creamy. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Mix the flour, baking powder, and spices and briefly stir in portions alternately with the milk. Spread into the pan. Bake in a preheated oven (electric oven 175°C, fan oven 150°C, gas mark 2) for approx. 20 minutes. Cool, then remove from the pan. Place the springform pan rim or a cake ring around the base. Drizzle with coffee. Drain the cherries, reserving the juice. Mix together the cornstarch and 6 tablespoons of the juice. Simmer the remaining juice, 1 tablespoon of sugar, and cinnamon for 2-3 minutes. Remove the cinnamon. Stir in the cornstarch, bring briefly to a boil. Fold in the cherries and spread on the base. Cool. Whip the cream until stiff peaks form, gradually adding 1 tablespoon of the sugar. Combine the quark, 2 tablespoons of sugar, 1 packet of vanilla sugar, and cream stabilizer. Immediately fold in the cream. Spread the quark cream in a slightly domed shape over the cherry compote and spread a thin layer around the edge of the cake. Refrigerate the cake for about 1 hour. Shave fine chocolate curls. Sprinkle the chocolate all over the cake. Decorate with cherries.