Cherry filling for pies and cakes

You're going to make a cherry filling for cakes, tartlets, and sponge cakes in just a few minutes and really delicious. The cherry filling (or any fruit you use) is a an incredibly versatile and addictive preparation: the process is the same as when you make cherry jam, but with a much lower sugar ratio, so it’s healthier and you’ll eat it without guilt.

In this post, you will see:

1. Differences between jam and pie filling
2. How to use cake filling (It's delicious and useful for much more than just decorating!).
3. The recipe for making cherry pie filling (or from the fruit you choose to make it).

You should know that just as today we prepared cherry filling, exactly The same recipe works to make raspberry, strawberry, and mixed berry filling, filled with figs... You get a thick sauce, full of fruit that holds its shape well, but that it melts in your mouth, while also adding flavor and color to any cake you apply it to. You're surely already eager to decorate your cheesecake with this incredible cherry filling!

Something to keep in mind is that you can make the cherry topping in just 10 minutes, and it’s already delicious as is (I use it a lot to go with yogurt and it tastes heavenly), but if you put it on pies before baking, the fruit will take on that intense roasted-fruit flavor, and the result is heavenly.

Differences between jam and cherry pie filling

• Cherry filling is very quick to make and lower in calories than jam. To give you an idea, to make jam you need 60% sugar by the weight of the fruit (that is, for each kilo of fruit, you need at least 600 gr of sugar), whereas you can make pie filling to your taste, using even 10 to 15% of the fruit’s weight in sugar, if you want (the sweetness will be up to the taste of whoever prepares it, although you do need a minimum amount of sugar for it to thicken).
• One consequence of using less sugar in this filling is preservation: the point of sugar in a jam is that it helps preserve, aside from sweetening (sugar is a great preservative). So this filling is meant to be prepared and used, or store for up to 5 days maximum sealed airtight in the fridge (while jam will last you up to a month, or you can keep it for years vacuum-sealed).
• To make jam you need pectin (in our case lemon juice) so that it reacts and gelatinizes the mixture. In the case of tart fillings, we also use lemon juice, but since there is less sugar, what we add to help it set is also corn flour.
• Another consequence of using less sugar in pie filling is that, in my opinion, the fruit's flavor is much more noticeable (and you enjoy the fruit’s acidic notes more and better, since the sugar won’t completely mask them), and you enjoy a greater contrast between the real flavor or the fruit’s more acidic notes and the sweetness of the body of the cakes and sponge cakes in which you apply the filling.
• Personally, since I reduced my sugar intake, I love using pie filling rather than jams because it’s less sweet, and I love enjoying the contrast and appreciating the flavor of the fruit.
• Finally, when preparing the filling, we'll add a little water, which isn't necessary when making the jam, but it helps make the whole process much faster and helps everything come together better.

How to use pie filling

The image will be your limit here: think of pie filling as if it were jam, and keep in mind that the fruit pieces are especially appreciated too. From here, make the most of it:

1. Use it to cover your cakes (the most classic use is in the cheesecakes*).
2. Fill your puff pastry pies or prepare puff pastry or shortcrust pastry tartlets individuals and simply apply this filling in the center. It couldn't be easier or more delicious.
3. Make a cookie of shortcrust or sablée pastry, and apply the filling in the center.
4. Make a pie, add the filling, and seal it with the same dough so the filling stays inside.
5. Make a piece of toast with butter and top it with this filling; it will be a delicious breakfast.
6. Use it in your yogurts: Serve plain or Greek yogurt in a glass or bowl and add a few spoonfuls of cherry filling. A treat.
7. To decorate and complement your cakes: decorate the plate on which you serve a chocolate lava cake with this filling (the combination with chocolate is magnificent), or serve with a brownie or other cakes.
8. For making your ice cream, or to serve with it.
9. In foams
10. As a crepe filling (apply a very small amount, as due to its liquid consistency it will seep out), or to decorate them or serve alongside.

*Tip! If you're going to use it as a topping for cheesecakes or similar desserts, I recommend that, once the cake has set and is practically done, you add the topping on top and finish baking with it in place (if you do it earlier, the topping will sink to the center of the cake, and that's not what you want). By baking the topping, the fruit will roast and its flavor will be greatly enhanced, becoming much more intense. It's a great way to turn a cheesecake into a cake fit for the gods!

Cake filling recipe

Ingredients para the cherry filling*:

• 1 Kg of fresh cherries (or frozen when out of season)
• 110 ml of water
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 150 g of white sugar (you can use 100 gr of white sugar + 50 gr of brown sugar)
• 4 tbsp cornstarch (Maizena)
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract, optional
• One teaspoon of vanilla extract, optional

*I'm using cherries, but you can make the same filling with fresh or frozen raspberries, strawberries, mixed berries... Choose your favorite fruits.

For preparing the cherry filling:

1. If you have fresh fruit, pit the cherries with a pitter and cut the cherries in half (you can also leave them whole; it totally depends on your preferences for the fruit size in the filling).
2. In a pot over medium heat, add all the ingredients: the cherries, water, lemon juice, sugar, and cornstarch.
3. Let it come to a boil. Then reduce the heat to low and let it cook, stirring constantly for about 10 minutes.
4. If you're going to use almond or vanilla extract, add it.
5. Turn off the heat and let it cool before using as a topping or filling for your cakes.

Notes

1. The charm of this filling, at least traditionally, is that you can appreciate the shape of the fruit—you can tell which fruit it is, even though it’s somewhat broken down and tender. But if you prefer a smoother texture, you can leave it on the heat longer so it breaks down more, or you can blend it with a mixer to get a sauce-like or jam-like filling.
2. Use it the same day or store it in an airtight jar up to 5 days. Remember that it is not a jam and does not contain a large amount of sugar (it will not keep for many days).
3. If you're following the recipe to make strawberry or fig filling, you'll be interested cut the fruit probably beforehand, so that the pieces of fruit aren't too large with each bite.

I hope you enjoy this cherry filling a lot, many times, and in many different ways... and tell me about it! Leave your comments to let us know what you thought and where you'll use it—we'd love to know.

Claudia