Death By Chocolate

Ingredients:

175g plain chocolate (40–45% cocoa solids)
50g cocoa powder (70% cocoa solids)
140g butter
4 eggs
210g sugar
60g plain flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 tbsp thick buttermilk

Method:

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C (350°F/Gas Mark 4) then line a 23cm cake tin with greaseproof paper and grease the tin.

Break the chocolate into small pieces and melt with the butter in a bain-marie (double boiler) over hot water. Whilst the chocolate is melting, beat the eggs with sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder and vanilla extract. Slowly fold the chocolate mixture and the buttermilk into the batter and spoon into the cake tin.

Place in the centre of the oven and bake for about 50 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before removing from the tin. At this point remove the domed top of the cake, slice the cake through the centre to make two layers. For the filling cover the bottom half of the cake in black cherry jam and make a butter icing from butter, sugar and cocoa powder. Layer over the jam, add the top layer and add chocolate frosting, as below.

Create a frosting by melting 225g of dark chocolate with 225g of butter in a bain-marie. Add about 40ml of liqueur (Kirsch is good) and when molten spread the chocolate over the cake using a knife heated in boiling water.

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