First Courses Main Courses Veg & Veggie Baking Desserts Christmas

Fabulous Chocolate and Cherry Cake

Serves: 8–10
This is an impressive cake (so good, in fact, that it's on the cover of the book!), perfect for a celebration. It may seem a lot of water to add to the cake, but it is needed to make a paste with the cocoa powder.
This recipe is from
Mary 90
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Ingredients

  • 55g (2oz) cocoa powder, sifted
  • 6 tbsp boiling water
  • 4 large eggs
  • 225g (8oz) baking spread, straight from the fridge, plus extra for greasing
  • 225g (8oz) caster sugar
  • 225g (8oz) self-raising flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder

  • For the filling

  • 6 generous tbsp cherry jam
  • 300ml (½ pint) pouring double cream, lightly whipped

  • For the ganache

  • 200ml (⅓ pint) pouring double cream
  • 200g (7oz) Bournville chocolate, broken into pieces

Instructions

  • 1
    Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C Fan/Gas 4. Grease and base line 2 x 20cm (8in) loose-bottomed sandwich tins.
  • 2
    To make the ganache, measure the cream and chocolate into a glass bowl. Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water and heat until runny. Remove from the heat and leave to cool in a cold place until thick and stiff.
  • 3
    Meanwhile, measure the cocoa powder into a large bowl with the boiling water. Mix to a paste. Add all the remaining cake ingredients and whisk together until light and fluffy using an electric hand whisk.
  • 4
    ivide the cake mixture between the tins and level the tops. Bake in the preheated oven for about 25–30 minutes until well risen and shrinking away from the sides of the tin. Leave to cool in the tins for a few minutes, then transfer the cakes to a wire rack to finish cooling.
  • 5
    Place one of the cakes upside down on a board. Spread the cherry jam over the surface and top with the whipped cream. Place the second cake on top. Spread the ganache icing over the top of the cake and swirl to make a pretty design.

  • Mary’s Tips

  • 1
    Can be made completely up to 8 hours ahead.
  • 2
    Freezes well filled but ice on the day.
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