A mission. I scoured myriad, confusing recipes looking for the most streamlined yet authentic version.
Eventually I settled on the Hairy Bikers’ recipe which has much to recommend it:
- One-bowl food processor mix for the sponge cakes (and no beating of egg whites)
- Two cakes sliced in two thus making four layers
- Sour cherry jam plus the addition of dried sour cherries was a labour-saving winning filling.
My modifications on the Hairy Bikers:
- I used 200g (not 160g) of dried sour cherries and they were unsweetened.
- I added a tin of drained pitted black cherries from Cooks & Co.
- I cooked the filling for about an hour (not 15 minutes) to reduce it.
- I did not use cherry brandy. I used 6 Tablespoons of Kirsch but the taste cooked away. I question how crucial it is. The cherries do the real work. It is all about the sour cherries.
- When it came to decorating the cake, there were no piping, nozzles or rosettes involved. Just a palette knife and lots of whipped double cream.
The most challenging part of this recipe was cutting the two cakes into half horizontally without demolishing them. A long-bladed serrated knife was crucial for the exercise. This Hairy Biker advice was also essential: “Keep the knife parallel to the work surface, to get a good even cut.”
I would add: Make sure Nothing Else is happening as you crouch over the cake, delicately sawing away.
Modified recipe
Ingredients for sponge cakes
- 225g/8oz butter at room temperature (and extra for greasing)
- 225g/8oz caster sugar
- 160g/5½oz self-raising flour (or gluten-free self-raising flour)
- 65g/2¼oz cocoa powder
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 4 eggs at room temperature
Ingredients for filling
- 340g/11¾oz jar of morello cherry jam – get a good quality one
- 200g/7.05 oz pack of dried sour cherries
- 1 tin of drained black cherries
Ingredients for decoration
- 500ml/18fl oz double cream
- 50g/2oz dark chocolate, coarsely grated.
Instructions
Make the cakes and the filling the night before and assemble all on the day.
CAKES
- Grease 2 x 20cm/8 in loose-based sandwich tins and line bases with baking parchment.
- Preheat the oven to 190°C/375F/Gas 5.
- Put the butter, sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and eggs into a food processor and blend until smooth and thick. Make sure it is well blended.
- Divide the mixture between the two cake tins
- Bake for 20–25 minutes
- Remove from oven and cool for 5 minutes before turning out on to a wire rack. Take off paper. Leave cakes to cool.
- When the cakes are cold, cut them in half, horizontally, with a long-bladed serrated knife.
- Wrap individually in tin foil and store in cool place.
FILLING
Put the jam in a saucepan with the dried sour cherries and drained can of black cherries. Simmer gently until liquid is reduced, maybe about 1 hour. Do not let it burn.
The cake and filling can be made the day before.
ASSEMBLING CAKE
Whip the cream with an electric hand-whisk until firm.
Cover the three cake layers with cherry filling and whipped cream and sandwich together.
Top with the three filled layers with the fourth cake layer and cover with cream and sprinkle with grated dark bitter chocolate.
Real Food Lover 