Ingredients

• 400g plain flour
• 4 tbsp cocoa powder
• 2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 225g golden caster sugar
• 100g dark soft brown sugar
• 40g ground almonds
• 335ml melted coconut oil
• 4 tbsp golden syrup
• 335ml whole milk
• 4 large eggs
• 400g frozen black cherries, thawed
• 150ml Kirsch
• 2 tbsp golden caster sugar
• 400ml double cream
• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
• 200ml double cream
• 200g dark chocolate (minimum 70% cocoa solids), chopped

Decoration:

• 50g milk chocolate
• 50g white chocolate
• 100g fresh cherries (with stalks if possible)
• 50g dark chocolate (minimum 70% cocoa solids)
• icing sugar, for dusting (optional)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C fan. Grease and line three 20cm round sandwich tins.
2. Sift the flour, cocoa powder, bicarb. of soda and baking powder into a mixing bowl. Stir in both types of sugar and ground almonds.  Pour the melted coconut oil, golden syrup, milk and eggs. Using an electric mixer, beat on low speed until combined and smooth.
3. Divide the mixture into three tins. Bake for 25–30 minutes until the sponges are springy to a light touch. Cool in the tins for a few minutes, then turn out on to a wire rack to cool fully.
4. Filling: Put the cherries, Kirsch and sugar into a small saucepan, heat over a low heat for about 5 minutes, until sugar has completely dissolved and mixture is bubbling. Remove from heat and cool.
5. Cream: Whip the double cream with vanilla in a large bowl until just thick. Spoon into a piping bag (large round nozzle). Keep in the fridge until needed.
6. Ganache: Pour the cream into a saucepan and heat over medium heat until small bubbles appear round edge. Take the pan off the heat, add the chocolate. Leave for 10 minutes before mixing until smooth. Chill to thicken up slightly.
7. Melt the milk and white chocolate separately in microwave. Lay a piece of greaseproof paper on a baking sheet.  Using a teaspoon or small piping bag with fine nozzle, drizzle/pipe the milk chocolate into various tree shapes, stars and swirls. Repeat with white chocolate. Place in fridge to set.
8. Place one of the cooled sponges on a board. Make a few holes in sponge with a skewer, then spread a third of black cherry and Kirsch filling over. Pipe a layer of vanilla cream over the top.  Turn a second sponge over and spread a layer of ganache. Repeat with sponges.
9. Using remaining ganach in piping bag, decorate top of cake. Add the reserved soaked Kirsch cherries and chocolate shapes.