Chocolate and Cherry Cake Recipe

This is a light chocolate sponge paired with a cherry filling, whipped double cream and fresh cherries to decorate the top. It is a lovely light cake inspired by a Black Forest Gateaux. It is a perfect bake for Valentine’s and could be made richer and more chocolatey by adding a chocolate ganache to the middle with the cherries.

Ingredients

225g Caster Sugar

225g Butter (softened)

270g Self Raising Flour

4 Level Tablespoons Cocoa Powder

2 Level Tablespoons Baking Powder

4 Large Eggs (beaten)

4 Tablespoons Milk

For the Cherry Filling

500g Fresh Cherries

150g Caster Sugar

Method

Preheat the oven to 180c and grease and line two 6″ round cake tins.

Sieve the flour, cocoa and baking powder into a bowl and beat in the other ingredients until fully combined but not overbeaten.

Pour into the cake tins and bake for around 30 minutes. The cake will be firm to touch and starting to shrink away from the sides of the tins. (Test with a skewer).

Put a few fresh cherries to one side for the top of the cake. Take the stones out of the rest of the cherries and chop them a little then put in a pan with the caster sugar and two tablespoons of water. Bring to the boil gently stirring to allow the sugar to dissolve and the cherries to soften. (Add a little more water if needed). When the cherries are completely soft and syrupy allow them to cool fully.

To complete the cake, sandwich the two layers together with the cherry filling in the middle.

Whisk some double cream to decorate the cake as desired. (If using double cream the cake will need to be eaten immediately or stored in the fridge)