Happy birthday to my lovely friend Jo! I made her this easy, from scratch cherry Victoria sponge cake with chocolate for her birthday and she was thrilled!
A classic Victoria sponge is a great cake to master as it is so versatile and lends itself to dressing up when the occasion demands it. Usually I just dust a sponge cake with sifted icing sugar and that’s fine but for Jo’s birthday I thought a blanket of my old faithful chocolate ganache was in order.
This cake isn’t as delicate and air-filled as some sponges but there’s no way I could top an ordinary sponge cake with thick chocolate and cherries and not have the whole thing collapse so I think it is a winner.
I studded the ganache with dried cherries to continue the theme of the cake.
My inspiration for this recipe is the Victoria sponge in the most amazing book Naked Cakes by Lyndel Miller. Everything I have baked from this book has worked like a dream and unlike many other recipes, I never have to reduce the amount of sugar.
I would like to try this recipe with a boozy twist next time… watch this space
GATHER:
100g butter, diced, at room temperature
100grams caster sugar
100 grams self-raising flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 eggs
50 grams whole dried cherries
LET’S GET TO IT:
Spray a 20cm round baking tin with non stick spray and line the bottom with baking paper.
In bowl of electric mixer beat the butter and sugar until pale and creamy – this should take around four minutes.
Sift the flour and baking powder together then take turns adding it into bowl with the egg, making sure it is well-mixed after each addition
Use a silver spoon to stir through the cherries.
Scrape the mixture into the tin and bake for 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean.
Sit in tin for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool. When completely cold top with chocolate ganache if desired: In a small pan over low heat melt together half a cup of single / pouring cream with 125 grams dark chocolate broken into chunks. Stir together until melted and glossy then set aside to cool completely. Don’t take your eyes off it as it can burn and be ruined.
