Black Forest Cake

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 180c.
2. Now, in a bowl cream together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. You can use a stand mixer or beat with a wooden spoon.
3. Once combined, add the water to the cocoa powder and mix. Then pour into the butter mixture. Slowly mix in the three, eggs one at a time. Then a tablespoon at a time add the baking powder and flour and mix to combine.
4. Using a little butter, grease the cake tin. I use two small 15cm cake tins which means the cake is taller, but you can use a wider cake tin.
5. Split the mixture in half and bake in the two tins. I bake for 35 minutes but if you use a larger cake tin it may take slightly less time. Check the cake after 25 minutes by using a skewer to check if the center is cooked. Once baked, remove and allow to cool completely. Once cooled, slice the cakes in half. Leaving you with four cake slices.
6. Now, make the chocolate buttercream, Firstly you want to melt the chocolate using a microwave or bain-marie method (see tip). Once melted, add to a bowl with the butter and icing sugar and cream together. You can add the milk if the buttercream is too thick.
7. Lastly, whisk the double cream and vanilla until it forms lovely peaks.
8. Now, the fun of assembling the cake. In the same cake tin that you cooked the cake, add a layer of cling film. It should come up the sides of the cake tin. Add the bottom layer of the cake, followed by half of the chocolate buttercream. Then add a second layer of cake. Now add two tablespoons of the cherry jam and spread across the cake. Followed by a layer of the whipped cream. Then repeat this again with the next two layers. Top with fresh cherries and a grating of chocolate.