Chocolate & Cherry Layer Cake

Ingredients

Sponge:

Filling:

Sponge:

Separate the egg whites from the egg yolks in two separate bowls
Melt the butter and leave to cool
Using an electric whisk, whip the egg whites until stiff peaks form
Slowly pour in 50g sugar and stop whisking when it has all been combined together
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the yolks and remaining sugar (80g) until pale and fluffy
Then stir in the melted butter
Now add the flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder and gently fold the ingredients together
Add a little egg white into this chocolatey mix and fold gently to loosen
Once combined, carefully pour in the remaining egg whites and fold until all blended well

Baking:

Carefully pour the batter onto a lined baking tray and using a spatula gently spread it out into an even rectangular shape
Bake in a preheated oven at 200 degrees for 10 minutes
Leave the sponge on the tray, covered with a damp cloth until completely cool
Cut into three equal-sized rectangles, these will form the three layers of the cake

Crème Anglaise:

In a bowl, whisk together the cream, 40g sugar, and vanilla until thick, creamy, and spreadable
Chill until ready to use

The Cherries:

In a pan, add the cherries and remaining sugar (350g)
Cook on medium heat until all the sugar has dissolved, and the cherries have softened and the liquid thickens slightly (around 10 minutes)
Use a sieve to separate the cherries from the juice (you will use the juice to pour directly onto the sponge later)

Place your first sponge rectangle on a plate, use the cherry juice to soak the sponge
Layer a filling on this first sponge, adding crème Anglaise first, and then adding the cooked cherries on top, keeping the cherries mainly in the middle (leaving a 1cm surround where there’s only cream)
Repeat the above steps with the next two sponge rectangles
Use half the ganache to roughly encase the cake, then chill the cake for 30 mins
Layer on the remaining ganache & bon appetite