Paying homage to the 1980s Black Forest gateaux here.  There was no reason to make a cake, I just fancied it! I am cutting it in to small slices for peoples lunch boxes.

Chocolate and cherry are always great friends. What I have found is that I did initially buy frozen cherries. But because the dark chocolate is such a strong flavour they don’t really pack a punch. I prefer in this instance to use a fresh, good quality variety with that really sweet / sour taste which works amazingly

Top tips

  1. Mix the cherries in at the end with a spoon carefully. Or plop them in over the top of the batter once in the tin
  2. Use a potato peeler to make chocolate curls. Grab a chocolate bar and peep the side of it
  3. Make the ganache in the microwave

100 g dark chco melted

100g chocolate chips white or dark

200 g soft butter

200 g dark brown sugar

300g self raising flour

4 eggs

220g of fresh stoned cherries

25g cocoa powder

50ml  milk

Preheat the oven to 189 degrees centigrade

Place your butter and sugar into a mixer or you can do by hand or with a hand beater. Beat until light coloured.

Then add your eggs and whisk

Pour in the remaining dry ingredient and mix well

Then add your melted chocolate beat well

Mix in your cherries gently, or pop them in once you have poured the batter in to a tin.

Line a 23cm springform cake tin

Pour your batter in

Place in the oven for 45 – 50 minutes until a skewer comes out clean. It can come out with cherry on or melted chocolate from the chips but not batter you will be able to tell.

Once cooked leave to cool.

For the ganache

60g of 60 percent cocoa solids chocolate

60g double cream

Place it in a microwave dish and put on full power for 20 seconds and then stir keep going thereafter with 5 second bursts, stirring each time until melted

Pour the ganache on top spreading with a spatula

If you wish curl some chocolate on the top to decorate

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