Recipe: Black Forest Chocolate Fudge Cake

This year for my mum's birthday I went for a play on the traditional Black Forest Cake.  Instead of using a basic chocolate cake I decided to use a rich chocolate fudge cake as the base for this emazingly sweet creation.  I felt that my mum really deserved a grand treat and as much as I rely upon my trusted basic chocolate cake recipe this one is that much more indulgent, of which my mum definitely deserves.  When adding this cake recipe with the tartness of the morello cherries and the lightness of the fluffy cream I couldn't really go wrong.  



What I love about this cake is that despite its grand size, glossiness and richness the complexity of each of the three elements isn't overwhelming.  You could quite easily prepare all the elements at different times and then just leave the assembly to the last minute.  It is simply divine.  Happy Birthday Mum.  Xx em xX

 Ingredients:
1 x 670g jar morello cherries
2 tbs caster sugar
1 tbs cornflour
600ml thickened cream
2 teaspoons of icing sugar
60ml (1/4 cup) kirsch
2 tbs boiling water
2 tbs caster sugar, extra
100g dark chocolate

Method:
1.     Prepare and bake the chocolate fudge cake.  Turn onto a wire rack to cool completely. Use a large serrated knife to cut the cake horizontally into 3 even layers (In my case I just made two cakes and then cut one of the cakes into two);
2.     Drain the cherries, reserving 160ml (2/3 cup) of the juice. Keep some cherries on in order to decorate the top.  Place the remaining cherries and the reserved juice in a saucepan with the sugar and cornflour. Stir over medium-low heat until the mixture boils and thickens. Allow them to cool;
3.     Use an electric beater to beat cream and icing sugar in a medium bowl until firm peaks form; and
4.     Place kirsch, water and extra sugar in a jug and stir until the sugar dissolves.


Assembly:
 1.     Place one cake layer on a serving plate and drizzle over half of the kirsch mixture. Spread with half of the cherry mixture and a thin layer of the cream. Repeat with the remaining two layers of cake, kirsch mixture, cherry mixture and cream, finishing with a layer of cake;
2.     Spread some of the remaining cream over the top and side of the cake. Sprinkle the chocolate over the top and gently press onto the side of the cake; and
3.     Arrange the reserved cherries around the cake and sprinkle with the additional chocolate curls.


Tips:
Make sure that you allow the cherries to cool completely before assembling otherwise it will split the cream.  
Also ensure that the cherries for the decorations on the top have been drained completely so not to colour the cream on the top.

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