Cherry Chocolate Cake

The flavour combination of cherry and chocolate is such a wonderful thing. In my family, it's always been a festive treat. A black forest pudding after a Christmas lunch. However, I decided that I love this particular combination so much that it has to be brought out for the rest of the year.

This is a deliciously fudgy cake with a creamy, sweet buttercream to sandwich the layers together. Then a secret hidden layer of cherry jam in the centre. What more could you want from a cake?

12 Servings

INGREDIENTS

260g Self Raising Flour

55g Cocoa Powder

300g Caster Sugar

1tsp Salt

2 Large Eggs

250ml Hazelnut Milk (you can use cows milk)

125ml Olive Oil

1tsp Vanilla Essence

100ml Boiling Water

5tbs Cherry Jam/Conserve

200g Butter

400g Icing Sugar

METHOD

- Preheat the oven to 180c/350f or 160c/320f fan.

- In a large bowl, add the flour, cocoa powder, salt and caster sugar and mix

- Next, add the eggs and milk whilst slowly mixing

- Now pour the oil into the mix and then the water and vanilla and turn the mixer up to a medium speed to well combine

- Separate the cake mixture into two cake tins. I used silicone trays and buttered them to prevent sticking. Nothing worse than a cake that sticks.

- Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes.

- Leave the cake to cool on a wire rack whilst you prepare your butter cream

- In a bowl, add the butter and mix to soften. Now, sift the icing sugar into the butter and continue to mix until lovely and creamy.

- Take half of the butter cream out of the mixer and set to one side.

- With the half still in the bowl, add 3tbs of cherry jam and mix together.

- On the cooled cake layers, to one add 2tbs of jam and spread out. Whilst on the other, add your cherry buttercream.

- Add the layers together and top with the plain buttercream and decorate.