Chocolate and Cherry Layer Cake
Untitled Document
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Makes 1 x 23 cm layer cake
INGREDIENTS
3 cups self-raising flour
1¼ cups caster sugar
2 tablespoon cocoa
200g dark chocolate, chopped
1½ cups milk
3 eggs, lightly beaten
185 butter, softened
1x425g can pitted cherries, drained and chopped
Chocolate Mock Cream
¾ cup caster sugar
⅓ cup water
80g dark chocolate, chopped
125g butter
1 tablespoon cherry brandy, optional
(*)available at IFFI product portfolio.
METHOD
1. Preheat oven to 180ºC. Brush two deep 23cm round cake tins with melted butter or oil, line base and sides with paper; grease paper.
2. Sift first three ingredients into large mixer bowl.
3. Place chocolate in glass bowl. Stir over barely simmering water until melted; remove from heat.
4. Pour combined milk and eggs onto dry ingredients; beat on low speed for 2 minutes until just moistened. Add butter and melted chocolate.
5. Beat mixture on high speed for 5 minutes or until it is free of lumps and increased in volume. Stir in cherries.
6. Pour mixture evenly into prepared tins; smooth surface. Bake 30 minutes or until skewer comes out clean when inserted in centre of cakes.
7. Stand cakes in tins 10 minutes before turning onto wire rack to cool.
8. To make Chocolate Mock Cream: Combine sugar and water in small pan. Stir over low heat until sugar has dissolved. Simmer 5 minutes; remove from heat; cool. Melt chocolate as for Step 3. Beat butter with electric beaters in small mixer bowl until light and creamy. Pour cooled syrup in a thin stream over creamed butter, beating constntly. Add chocolate and cherry brandy; beat until glossy and smooth.
9. Cut each cake in half horizontally. Place first cake layer on a board. Spread cake evenly with chocolate mock cream. Continue layering with remaining cake and cream, ending with cream on top. Transfer to serving plate.
Note: This cake may also be assembled on the serving plate.