Chocolate Cherry Cake

Hey Guys, I made this cake at school (because we got to make any cake we wanted to) but I made all the decorations etc. at home. The cake was easy to make but the decorations were a little fiddly and took a lot of time to make, it was worth it though as all my family really enjoyed it. It is basically a simple chocolate cake covered in chocolate ganache and fondant/white chocolate decorations.

The Cake

Ingredients
100g unsalted butter, at room temperature

260g caster sugar
2 eggs
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
45g cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
170g plain flour
160 ml milk

2 x 20cm cake tins, base-lined with greaseproof paper                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              

Method

1. Preheat oven to 170 degrees C.

2. Cream the butter and sugar (using a handheld electric whisk) until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well and scraping any unmixed ingredients from the side of the bowl with a rubber spatula after each addition.

3. Turn the mixer down to a slow speed and beat in the vanilla extract, cocoa powder, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt until well mixed. Then, add half the flour, then all the milk, and finish with the remaining flour. Mix well until everything is well combined.

4. Pour the mixture into the prepared cake tins and smooth over with a palette knife. Bake in the oven for 25 mins and leave the cakes to cool slightly in the tins before turning out onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

Filling and Decorating

Ingredients
200g (approx. half a jar) cherries (stoned)
600ml double cream
600g dark chocolate
100g white chocolate
Pink, blue and green food colouring

300g fondant icing

Method

1. To make the chocolate ganache, break the chocolate into a microwavable bowl. Then, bring the cream to the boil and pour it over the chocolate. Next, submerge the chocolate beneath the cream and leave undisturbed for 2 minutes.

2. Now, start gently stirring the chocolate and cream, until the cream is fully incorporated into the chocolate. Eventually, the lumps of chocolate will fully dissolve and the chocolate ganache should become smooth and glossy.

3. Top the first sponge with 1/4 of the chocolate ganache, then place a layer of  the cherries on top (I like to place them in concentric circles). Next, place the other sponge on top of the cherries and cover the cake (top and sides) with the remaining chocolate ganache.

4. Finally arrange the decorations on the top and sides of the cake.

I hope you like it, thanks for reading. Please comment below and it'd be great if you made it!

                                                                                                                                       

Chocolate Fudge Cake

I love this chocolate fudge cake recipe, it's so so easy, but it tastes great. The original recipe uses a melted chocolate and butter topping. But I like to cut the cake in half and fill and top it with chocolate butter cream (so i've changed the recipe below to this)

Profile: Easy, 15 - 20 mins prep, 25-30 mins cook

Ingredients
175g margarine
175g caster sugar
150g self-raising flour
35g coco powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3 eggs
A little oil for greasing
About 10-15 glace cherries for decorating
For the butter cream
250g icing sugar
150g margarine
50g coco powder

Method
1.  Put the oven on 180 degrees C. Then, brush a 20cm cake tin with a little oil, line it with greaseproof paper, then spread a little more oil on top.
2. Beat all the ingredients together with a wooden spoon, in a large mixing bowl.
3. Spoon into the tin and smooth so the surface of the cake is even.
4. Bake the cake for 25-30 minute, until it has risen and browned, and the top springs back when pressed lightly.
5. Leave the cake to cool for a couple of minutes, then lose the sides and turn out onto a wire rack.
6. Carefully, cut the cake in half (so it is like two thin cakes) and leave to cool completely (this could take up to 15 minutes) whilst you make the butter cream.
7. Do this by mixing the icing sugar, margarine and coco powder together. Do not be tempted to add more butter until you have mixed the ingredients well, as it takes a while for the butter cream to become the right consistency.
8. Finally, spread the butter cream on one cake layer, then put the other one on top (flat side up) and spread that with butter cream too.
9. Cut approximately 10 glace cherries in half and place them in a circle around the edge of the cake.
10. Voilla!

Chocolate Fudge Cake

White Chocolate and Rasberry Cheesecake

I love white chocolate and raspberry combos so i decided to add them to a simple cheesecake recipe. Therefore, ending up with a white chocolate and raspberry cheesecake:

Profile: Medium, 25 mins prep, 1 hour chill time

Ingredients

• 100 g digestive biscuits, or cookies, crushed into fine crumbs
• 50 g sugar
• 50 g butter, melted
• 500 g full-fat cream cheese
• 100 g icing sugar
• 100g fresh raspberries (plus a few extra, to decorate)
• 100g white chocolate (plus a few shavings, to decorate)
• 200 ml double cream

Method

1. In a mixing bowl, mix together the biscuit crumbs and sugar. Add in the melted butter and mix well. 

2. Spoon the biscuit mixture into a 20cm spring-form cake tin lined with silicon paper or baking parchment. Use a metal spoon to press the biscuit crumbs down firmly and evenly. Chill in the refrigerator until set.

3. In a large mixing bowl, using a whisk or a wooden spoon, beat together the cream cheese and icing sugar until well mixed. 

4. Melt the chocolate in the microwave for 30-45 seconds, stirring well. Then. fold in the double cream, melted white chocolate and raspberries to the cheesecake mixture, mixing well.

5. Spoon the cream mixture over the chilled biscuit base, making sure that there are no air bubbles. Smooth the top of the cheesecake with a palette knife or metal spoon. 

6. Chill the cheesecake in the refrigerator for 1 hour until set. 

7, Finally, sprinkle a few raspberries and white chocolate curls on top of the cheesecake.

My White Chocolate and Raspberry Cheesecake!