Rich Black Forest Cake

Ingredients (serves 16)

• 250g butter, chopped
• 1 tablespoon instant espresso coffee powder
• 1 1/2 cups caster sugar
• 1 cup milk
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder, sifted
• 2 1/2 cups self-raising flour, sifted
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• 180g block dark chocolate, chopped
• 600ml thickened cream
• 1/4 cup kirsch (see note)
• 2 tablespoons icing sugar mixture
• 2 x 425g cans stoneless black cherries in syrup, drained
• Grated dark chocolate, to decorate

Method

1. Preheat oven to 160°C/140°C fan-forced. Grease a 6cm-deep, 23cm square cake pan. Line base and sides with baking paper, allowing a 2cm overhang on all sides.
2. Place butter, coffee powder, sugar, milk and cocoa powder in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes or until smooth. Cool for 20 minutes.
3. Whisk flour into chocolate mixture. Whisk in eggs. Pour mixture into prepared pan. Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour or until a skewer inserted in centre of cake comes out clean. Cool in pan.
4. Place chocolate and 1/3 cup cream in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on medium-high (75%) for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring with a metal spoon every 30 seconds, or until smooth. Refrigerate for 15 minutes or until thickened.
5. using an electric mixer, beat remaining cream and icing sugar until stiff peaks form. Reserve 1 1/2 cups cherries. Halve remaining cherries. Fold halved cherries into half the whipped cream.
6. Using a serrated knife, cut cake into 3 layers. Place base on a plate. Brush with 1 tablespoon kirsch. Spread half the cherry cream over cake. Top with another layer of cake. Brush with 1 tablespoon kirsch. Spread with remaining cherry cream. Top with cake top. Brush top and sides of cake with remaining kirsch.
7. Spread chocolate mixture over sides of cake. decorate sides with grated chocolate. Dollop remaining whipped cream over top of cake. Top with reserved cherries. Serve.

Notes

• 
  Kirsch is a cherry brandy. You could use the drained cherry syrup instead.