Sponge ingredients and method:
Eggs – 4
Sugar – 100g
Flour – 120g
Cornfour – 1tbsp
Baking powder – 1/2tsp
Pre-heat the oven to 160 C Fan.
Beat eggs and suger until “ribbon stage”. Fold in the sifted flour, cornflour and baking powder.
Line the base of a 24cm baking tin, don’t line or grease the sides. Pour in the cake mix. Rotate a few times to even out the centre of the cake.
Bake for 35 mins.
Cool the cake upsidedown in the tin. Cut out of the tin when cool.
Leave for 5 hours before cutting into 2 even layers.
Frosting ingredients and method:
Morello cherries (defrost from frozen) – 300g
Butter (room temperature) – 200g
Condensed Milk – 397g (1 tin)
Cocoa powder – 10g
Cherry juice – 2tbsp
Vanilla essence – 1tsp
Light syrup for cake moistening.
Beat the butter until white and fluffy, add in the condensed milk 1 tbsp at a time. Add in the cocoa powder, cherry juice and vanilla essence.
Use the syrup to moisten the first layer of cake. Spread some chocolate cream over the top, arrange the cherries by pressing them gently into the cream.
Use a cake former, and add more cream to enclose the cherries.
Add the next cake later and moisten. Refrigerate for 30-40 mins.
Decorating – final steps:
Dark chocolate – 100g
Butter – 60g
Dark chocolate – grated
Microwave the butter, and then melt the chocolate into it, try to keep the chocolate tempered.
Pour the ganache over the cake and spread around the sides (keep aside about 2 tbsp). Decorate the sides with the grated dark chocolate.
Use the set aside ganache to draw “geese feet” into the centre of the cake. Use the rest of the buttercream to add a border to the cake – use a star shaped nozzle in the piping bag.
Keep in the fridge, but take out of fridge 30 mins before serving.