Ingredients

• 175g/6oz unsalted butter
• plus extra for greasing
• 175g/6oz caster sugar
• 6 free-range eggs
• separated
• 125g/4oz self-raising flour
• 75g/2½ cocoa powder
• 1 tsp instant coffee powder (or 1 tsp coffee granules dissolved in 1 tsp hot water)
• 50ml/2fl oz blackcurrant liqueur
• 50g/2oz black cherry jam
• 400ml/14fl oz whipping cream
• 50g/2oz caster sugar
• 25g/1oz icing sugar
• 1 vanilla pod
• seeds scraped out
• 400g/14oz black cherries in syrup
• drained
• 50g/2oz dark chocolate (at least 70 per cent cocoa solids)
• grated

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 180C/360F/Gas 4.
• For the sponges
• in a bowl beat the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy.
• Add the egg yolks and mix well.
• In a separate bowl
• whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form when the whisk is removed.
• Fold the whisked egg whites into the butter and egg yolk mixture.
• Sift the flour and cocoa powder into the mixture.
• Add the instant coffee and fold the mixture until just combined.
• Divide the sponge mixture equally between four greased and lined 7.5cm/3in spring-form cake tins.
• Place into the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes. Test the cakes with a metal skewer pushed into the centre of each cake. If the cakes are cooked through the skewer will come out clean.
• Remove the cakes from the oven and allow to cool. Slice each in half across the centre to create two sponge circles from each cake.
• Drizzle one half of each cake with the blackcurrant liqueur
• then spread the jam over the same half.
• Meanwhile whip the cream
• caster sugar
• icing sugar and vanilla seeds together in a mixing bowl until soft peaks form when the whisk is removed
• then fold in half of the cherries.
• Spread a little of the vanilla cream over the jam-covered half of each cake
• then place the other half on top.
• Top each cake with more vanilla cream and garnish with the remaining cherries.
• Sprinkle each cake with grated chocolate and serve.