Ingredients

• 225g/8oz unsalted butter
• plus extra for greasing
• 225g/8oz caster sugar
• 225g/8oz plain flour
• 1½ tsp baking powder
• 3 tbsp cocoa powder
• 4 large eggs
• 2 tsp arrowroot
• 450g/1lb canned morello cherries
• 275ml/10fl oz double cream
• 1 tbsp caster sugar
• 2-3 tbsp rum
• 50g/2oz dark chocolate

Directions

• Preheat oven to 190C/380F/Gas 5.
• Butter two 20cm/8in round baking tins then line with buttered baking parchment.
• Beat the butter and sugar together until they are light and fluffy.
• Sieve the flour
• baking powder and cocoa together into a clean bowl.
• Beat the eggs into the butter and sugar mixture
• one at a time.
• Gently fold in the sieved flour with a metal spoon.
• Divide the mixture between the two prepared cake tins and place into the oven to bake for 20-25 minutes
• or until the cake tops spring back when lightly pressed with your finger.
• Remove from the oven and leave the cakes to cool in their tins for five minutes
• then turn out onto a wire rack
• remove the baking parchment and leave until they are completely cool.
• Meanwhile
• for the filling
• drain the cherries
• reserving six tablespoons of the syrup. Place the reserved syrup into a small pan and heat gently.
• Mix the arrowroot with two tablespoons of water and add to the heated syrup
• stirring constantly until the sauce has thickened.
• Add one tablespoon of the rum
• then remove from the heat and leave to cool.
• Slice the sponge cakes in half and sprinkle each half with the remaining rum.
• Cut the drained morello cherries in half
• (removing their stones if necessary). Leave 10-12 cherries whole for decoration.
• Whip the cream and the sugar together in a bowl until soft peaks form when the whisk is removed.
• Reserve half of the cream mixture to cover the top of the cake. Stir the halved cherries and the heated syrup.to the remaining half of the cream.
• Spread a third of the cream and cherry mixture onto one side of one layer of the cake. Add a second layer and spread with more of the cherry cream. Add a third layer of cake and spread the remaining cherry cream over the top.
• Top with the final piece of cake and top with the reserved whipped cream.
• Grate the dark chocolate over the top and decorate with the reserved whole cherries.