recipe

This is based on the recipe for chocolate cake in the November edition of BBC Olive magazine.

Butter and line a 20cm cake tin. Using an electric whisk, beat together 250g butter and 300g light muscovado sugar until fluffy. Added a 100g plain flour and 100g self-raising flour and 5 eggs. Beat it all together. It might look as if it's splitting for a second, but just keep beating. Pour 300g of melted dark chocolate, once it has slightly cooled, into the mixture and beat until fully combined. Spoon into the tin and bake for about 1hour and 15 minutes at 160C (fan) 140C/gas mark 3. The cake should be risen with a crust on top. Test it with a skewer. Let it cool, then cut the top crust off, I don't like it much, then cut the rest in three. Whip up 300ml of double cream, and spread half on to the bottom layer. Scatter about 250g of cherries soaked in krisch over the cream. I bought a 500g jar of black cherries in kirsch from the supermarket. Repeat with the second layer.

For the covering melt 300g dark chocolate, once it has cooled slightly, mix in 300ml of double cream. Let it cool for little bit longer, and then spread all over the cake.

Mmm...chocolate heaven.