- 225g/8oz unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
- 200g/7oz golden caster sugar
- 1 tbsp golden syrup
- 200g/7oz self-raising flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 25g/1oz cocoa powder
- 4 free-range eggs
- 100ml/3½fl oz milk
- 250g/9oz icing sugar, sifted
- 125g/4½oz butter, at room temperature
- 100g/3½oz melted chocolate
- 300g/10½oz black cherry jam
- 450ml//16fl oz double cream, softly whipped
- 500g/1lb 2oz fresh cherries, stones removed
- 225g/8oz dark chocolate, shaved
- 50g/2oz unsalted butter
- a few blueberries
- Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/Gas 5. Butter a 20cm/8in deep cake tin and line with baking parchment.
- For the chocolate sponge cake, combine all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl and cream together with a handheld electric mixer.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared cake tin and smooth the top with a palette knife.
- Bake for 50-55 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Remove from the oven and cool in the tin for ten minutes. Then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- For the chocolate buttercream, beat the butter and melted chocolate with a handheld electric mixer and gradually mix in the sifted icing sugar.
- When the cake is cool, place on a board or cake turntable and cut the cake horizontally into three equal layers.
- Place one layer of chocolate cake onto the serving plate. Spread half the jam on the cake followed by one-third of the whipped cream. Top with the middle cake layer and repeat with the remaining jam and another one-third of the cream. Place the final cake layer on top.
- Spoon the chocolate buttercream onto the top of cake and spread to the edges.
- Decorate with cherries, blueberries, shaved chocolate and whipped cream.