Cherry full of love

Be it a simple jam - filled Victoria sponge cake , a moist and luscious lemon drizzle cake or a super indulgent chocolate gateau , all of these beat everything store - bought , when it is home baked . The wonderful aroma that fills the air from a warm kitchen and the satisfaction of presenting one's own creation to family and friends , is so rewarding that it's no wonder that home baking is as popular now , as it ever was . I love doing traditional cake recipes , as these are easy to make and have simple icing and decoration pairings . Also , whether its your mid- morning coffee , evening tea , a birthday celebration or dinner centerpiece , you will always find these cakes to fit in the occasion and dominate the table with their flavor .

While baking cake at home , there are some basic secrets to success that i always follow . 1st , I suggest to read the recipe before you start baking and make sure that , you have all the ingredients at room temperature . Weighing out all the ingredients accurately , specially the rising agent like the baking powder is critical , as too much or too little can drastically effect the quality of the end result . It is also very important to pre- heat the oven for a good 10 mins or so , before you place the cake tin in to the oven . At the end of the bake , remember that freshly baked cakes are also very fragile , hence , make sure you leave the cake to cool completely to room temperature ( in the tin they are baked in ) before turning them out .

This classic Chocolate - Cherry is an ode by the Hungry boy to usher in the cherry season - a time when fresh cherries are found almost every where . This moist dark chocolate sponge smothered liberally with fresh cherries , is very easy to make and is a firm favourite for chocolate lovers . If you are making this for some special occasion , you can ice the cake with the rich and creamy dark chocolate frosting and layer - soak it with some rum sugar . Alternatively , you can simply serve this cake serve with a dollop of creme fraiche , which also makes a delicious dessert . Let me take you through this baking process .

Things you will need for the cake ( All ingredients need to be in room temperature ) :

• 2/3rd cups of plain flour

• 01 cup of cocoa powder ( You can use Hershey's or Cadbury )

• 01 tsp baking powder

• 02 large eggs

• 01 cup of granulated sugar

• 100 gms of butter

• 1/2 cup of buttermilk

• 03 tbsp oil

• 1 tsp salt

• 01 cup of fresh cherries

• 01 tbsp of dark rum

• 01 tsp vanilla essence

Things you will need for the frosting ( Optional ) :

• 175 gms plain dark cooking chocolate

• 5 tbsp double cream

• 55 gms unsalted butter

• 01 tbsp dark rum

Steps to follow :

• Preheat the oven at 180 degrees celsius .

• Rub the inside of your 6 inch cake tin with butter and line the same with butter paper / parchment paper as keep aside, as we prepare the batter.

• In a large bowl , sieve together the flour , cocoa powder , salt and baking powder .

• In another bowl , using a hand blender , beat the butter , vanilla essence and sugar till white in color . To this add one egg at a time and incorporate well .

• At this point , using a spatula , mix in the buttermilk along with the the flour & cocoa mixture and mix everything with a light hand , using the cut and fold method . Note - Do not over mix the batter at this point or else , you will risk ending up with a very dense cake .

• Lightly dust the fresh cherries in 01 tsp plain flour and add them to the batter ( Dusting the fruit will prevent them from sinking to the base of the cake )

• Lastly mix in the rum and pour the batter into the prepared cake tin .

• Bake the cake at 180 degrees for 40 mins or till firm to touch ( a skewer inserted into the center should come out clean )

• Once outside the oven , cool the cake 10 mins and then turn it onto a wire rack to cool completely. Dust with some powdered sugar , top with cherries , slice and serve !

• Alternatively , you can use the frosting option mentioned below :

For the Chocolate Frosting ( Optional )

• For the frosting , place the chocolate , cream and butter in a heat proof bowl and set the same over a saucepan of simmering water .

• Leave this to melt - then remove from heat and beat in the rum .

• Cool this mixture for 20 mins and then chill in the refrigerator , stirring occasionally , for about 30 mins or until the frosting is thick enough to spread .

• Spread the frosting over the top of the cake , decorate with chocolate curls or just dust lightly with cocoa powder .

Pro-tip : If you can get your hand's on some cherry liqueur like kirsch or some cherry brandy , you can pierce the warm cake with a skewer and spoon over the liqueur for extra flavor.