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:

  1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celcius.

  2. Add all the ingredients into a large bowl (apart from the boiling water) and mix together with a hand or electric whisk.

  3. Slowly add the boiling water, mixing as you go until fully combined.

  4. Divide evenly between two greased and lined 8 inch cake tins.

  5. Bake for 20-25 minutes until a knife comes out clean.

  6. 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!).

  7. 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.

  8. Then bring up to the boil for around 7-8 minutes. Transfer to a bowl or jar, and leave to cool fully.

  9. 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.

  10. 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.

  11. Level off the cakes with a serrated knife, and sandwich with the blackberry and mascarpone cream.

  12. Coat the cake in the ganache, using a palette knife or cake scraper to smooth.

  13. 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!

 

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