150g unsalted butter
150g golden caster sugar
3 eggs
1 tap vanilla extract
130g self raising flour
40g cocoa powder
3 tbsp milk
1 cup cherries (You can use fresh, frozen or tinned cherries here. I forgot to weigh them but about a cups worth went in, measure it with your heart!)
6tbsp Cherry liqueur
300ml double cream
3tbsp icing sugar
1/4 cup cherries + 1 tbsp cherry liqueur (leave to marinate for a while)
1tbsp grated chocolate
– Heat the oven to 180°C and grease and line a loaf tin.
– Cream together the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl.
– Beat in one egg at a time.
– Mix in the vanilla.
– Fold in the flour and cocoa powder.
– Fold in the cherries.
– Scrape the mix into your prepared tin.
– Bake in the middle of the oven for 1 hour, turning it halfway through.
– Remove from the oven and pour the cherry liqueur over the hot cake. (If using frozen or tinned cherries you can use the juices.)
-Leave to cool in the tin.
– In a small mixing bowl whip the cream and sugar until it forms stiff peaks.
– Lightly fold in the cherries. (Barely fold them at all, you want the pink to ripple, not make the whole thing pink.) Retain three good looking cherries.
– Untin the cake and place on serving dish.
– Spread the cream evenly over the top of the cake.
– Garnish with your reserved cherries and grated chocolate.
– Store covered in the fridge for up to three days.
Anna in the kitchen 