LADY FINGERS

• Preheat oven to 375°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper
• Separate your egg whites into a big bowl and your yolks into another bowl
• Using a mixer, beat your egg whites until frothy, and then add your ¼ cup of sugar in, one-third at a time. Mixing in between until all are added. Once all the sugar is added, beat until stiff peaks form
• To the bowl with your egg yolks, whisk in vanilla and 2 ½ tablespoons of sugar for one minute until the mixture becomes pale yellow
• Add the yolk mixture to your egg whites and use a spatula to lightly fold together. Don’t fully combine at this stage; it’s important not to over-mix this mixture and risk losing too much air.
• Sift your flour, cornstarch, and cocoa powder into the mixture and fold through until just combined. Again, do not overwork your batter.
• Place mixture into a piping bag and cut a ½-inch wide cut off the tip of your bag
• Pipe your ladyfingers about 3-4 inches long. Give them a little space on the tray as they may spread slightly as they bake (but they won’t spread too much).
• Bake for 5-8 minutes, until lightly puffed and appear dry
• Slide your parchment paper with your baked fingers off your baking sheet onto a cooling rack immediately after removing them from the oven.
• Cool completely

CHERRY FILLING

• Stir together your 2 tablespoons of cornstarch with ⅓ cup of water until dissolved. Then, in a medium pot, add your pitted cherries, ⅓ cup of sugar, lemon juice, and your cornstarch slurry, stir, and place over medium heat
• Stir until lightly thickened, about 4-5 minutes.
• Remove from heat and use an immersion blender to blend into a thinner, sauce-like consistency
• Pour into a heat-safe bowl to cool to room temperature or place in the fridge to chill
• Allow to completely cool before assembly (you don’t want to melt your whipped filling)

WHIPPED FILLING

• Add your cream cheese to a bowl and give it a quick beat
• Pour in your heavy cream and sift over your powdered sugar. Beat until thick and fluffy; it should no longer be runny
• Place into the fridge until ready to assemble

ASSEMBLY

• Lightly grease a 9-inch springform pan and line the bottom with parchment paper
• One at a time, quickly dip a ladyfinger into your cherry juice and place it dipped-side up on the bottom of your pan. Do only a quick dip!
• Once the bottom is lined with fingers, top with half of your whipped filling, spreading into an even layer. Then top with a third of your cherry filling, again spreading into an even layer. Repeat these layers 2 more times, ending with your cherry filling on top
• Cover with foil, without touching the cherry layer, and refrigerate for a minimum of 6 hours
• Before serving, remove the sides of the springform pan and, if desired, top with fresh cherries and chocolate shavings
• Slice and enjoy!