A lavish and beautiful cake that can be served as a cake or as a dessert
and will really impress your friends and family!!
FOR THE CAKE
4 Large eggs – separated
85gm S.R. Flour
45gm good quality cocoa powder
130gm Caster sugar
45gUnsalted butter – melted
3-4 Tblsp black cherry jam
FOR AMARETTO SYRUP
250ml water
220 caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla paste
60ml Amaretto liqueur
FOR THE CHOCOLATE MOUSSE
200gm dark chocolate
2 gelatine leaves
30ml water
105gm caster sugar
500gm double cream
CHOCOLATE GANACHE
100gm dark chocolate
100gm double cream
TO FINISH
1 chocolate flake bar
METHOD
Make the sponge. Set the oven to 180°C Fan and grease and line a 9 inch (23cm) loose bottom cake tin.
Make the syrup – combine the water, sugar, vanilla and amaretto into a small, pan and heat. Simmer for 10 – 12 minutes until reduced, set aside to cool.
Make the cake - Place the eggs and sugar in a mixer bowl and beat on fast speed until really double in bulk and very pale in colour.
Sieve the flour and cocoa powder and carefully fold into the egg mix being careful not to lose the precious air you have put in!
Gently pour the melted butter around the edge and also fold that in ensuring that there is not a residue of butter left in the bottom of the bowl.
Spoon into the prepared tin and bake for approx 25 minutes or until golden and a skewer will come out clean. Leave in the tin for a few minutes and then turn out on to a wire rack to cool.
Wash the tin up in very hot water to remove all grease, dry thoroughly.
Make the mousse - melt the chocolate in a bowl placed over a pot of simmering water or gradually in a microwave oven. Let cool slightly.
In a shallow dish soak the gelatine leaves in cold water.
In a small saucepan gently heat 50ml of the cream with the sugar until the sugar has dissolved.
Squeeze the water out of the gelatine and stir into the hot cream until dissolved.
Add the cream mixture to the melted chocolate and stir to combine.
Whip the remaining cream with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form.
Combine one-quarter of the whipped cream with the chocolate mixture. With a spatula, gently fold in the remaining cream.
To make up the gateau, line the sides of the cake tin with silicone or parchment, cut the cake in half horizontally and place the bottom half back into the cake tin.
Using a pastry brush dab over half of the cooled amaretto syrup.
Spread over evenly the black cherry jam
Evenly spoon the mousse over the jam layer.
Refrigerate until the louse has set enough to place the remaining cake half on the top.
Turn the top half of the cake over and dab on the rest of the syrup,
Carefully turn back over and place on top of the cold mousse.
Refrigerate for a couple of hours.
Remove from the tin onto a serving plate or board and make the ganache,
Cut the chocolate in to small chunks if not using calettes and gently heat the cream just to boiling point,
Pour over the chocolate pieces and leave to soak in briefly. Stir until completely dissolved.
Spread the ganache over the cake letting it dribble down the sides.
Sprinkle with crushed flake to finish.
