12 portions
DARK CHOCOLATE SHARDS FOR GARNISH
90 g dark chocolate
2 rectangles of baking paper 40cm x 30cm
1 cardboard core from an empty roll of kitchen paper or foil
Gently melt the chocolate in a small bowl over hot water.
Spread the chocolate on one sheet of baking paper leaving a wide border.
Lay the second sheet on top.
Use a rolling pin to gently level the chocolate between the sheets of baking paper. Don't roll out too thinly.
Roll the paper around the cardboard core and secure with paper clips. Leave to set hard in the fridge.
Unroll the paper and pull the top sheet straight while unrolling, this will splinter the chocolate on the bottom sheet into slightly rounded shards.
CAKE
1 x 400 g tin pitted black cherries
3 extra large eggs
1 cup (250 ml) oil
1 cup (250 ml) of liquid made up of juice drained from cherries and strong black coffee
1 x 650 g Ina Paarman's Chocolate Cake Mix
FILLING AND TOPPING
2 cups (500 ml) cream
4 T (60 ml) Ina Paarman's dry Cheese Cake Mix
cherries, fresh if available or use bottled stemmed cherries
dark chocolate shards (see above)
METHOD
Adjust oven shelf to middle position.
Preheat oven to 180°C, butter 2 x 20 cm cake tins generously and line bases with baking paper. Pour the tin of cherries into a sieve and drain well over a bowl.
Beat eggs and oil for 2 minutes on high speed until well blended. Add cherry juice and black coffee and beat for 1 minute on high speed. Add Chocolate Cake Mix and fold in by hand with a scraper until combined. Scrape mixture into prepared pans. Weigh each pan to make sure you have the same amount of mixture in each. Level the mixture.
Bake on middle shelf at 180°C for 40 minutes. Cake is done when a thin-bladed knife inserted in the centre comes out clean or cake pulls away slightly from the sides of the pan.
Cool cake in the pan for 10 minutes. Turn out on a wire rack. Divide each cake into two layers through the middle (check video for technique).
TO PREPARE THE FILLING
Half whip the cream and then add the dry Cheesecake Mixture. Whip cream until just firm. Spread ¼ of the filling over one cake. Place one third of the drained cherries evenly on the cream. Position next cake on top and add cream and cherries, as above, until all four layers have been used. Garnish with remaining cream, stemmed cherries and chocolate shards. Leave in the fridge to firm for 1 hour before serving. Serve on a cake stand.
PRE-PREPARATION:
Assemble the cake the day before, but only add the stemmed cherries and chocolate shards just before serving.
INA'S TIP:
Our Cheesecake Mix is an excellent addition to whipped cream in place of sugar. It flavours the cream, helps to stabilise it and prevents it from drawing water. Clamp the foil packet with a peg and keep in the fridge for whenever you want to stabilise whipped cream or yoghurt. Also divine added to smoothies.
