Chocolate and Blackberry Cake
Serves 12-14
Ingredients:
Chocolate Sponge:
- 225g plain flour
- 325g caster sugar
- 80g cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 2 large eggs
- 225ml milk
- 100ml vegetable oil
- 2 tsp vanilla essence
- 125ml boiling water
Blackberry Jam:
- 300g blackberries
- Juice of half a lemon
- 200g caster sugar
Mascarpone Cream Filling:
- 125g mascarpone
- 30g icing sugar
- 180ml double cream
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
Chocolate Ganache:
- 150ml double cream
- 150ml butter
- 180g dark chocolate
- Pinch of salt
- 1 tbsp golden syrup
To Decorate:
- Blackberries
- Figs
- Pecans
- Star Anise
- Rosemary Sprigs
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celcius.
- Add all the ingredients into a large bowl (apart from the boiling water) and mix together with a hand or electric whisk.
- Slowly add the boiling water, mixing as you go until fully combined.
- Divide evenly between two greased and lined 8 inch cake tins.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes until a knife comes out clean.
- Leave to cool in the tins for 10 minutes before turning out and letting cool fully (if you're making a day ahead, wrap the sponges in cling film while still slightly warm, it will keep them nice and moist!).
- For the jam, add the blackberries, lemon and sugar to a saucepan and let simmer so that the sugar dissolves, breaking down the berries to help them release all their juices.
- Then bring up to the boil for around 7-8 minutes. Transfer to a bowl or jar, and leave to cool fully.
- For the ganache, heat the chocolate, butter, salt and golden syrup in a bowl over a pan of simmering water until metled, then remove from the heat and stir in the cream. Leave to cool (stir occasionally) until it thickens up to a spreading consistency.
- Meanwhile make the mascarpone cream. Whisk the mascarpone and icing sugar together until smooth, then whisk in the cream and vanilla. Add a few large dollops of the cooled blackberry jam to the cream and swirl through.
- Level off the cakes with a serrated knife, and sandwich with the blackberry and mascarpone cream.
- Coat the cake in the ganache, using a palette knife or cake scraper to smooth.
- Top with blackberries, and other autumnal fruit and nuts to decorate.
- Enjoy!
Head to my Instagram @alice.fevronia to see my Reel on how to make this. If you give it a go, please tag me I would love to see!
