Chocolate dipped cherry cake

This is a very special and delicate cake and I can say is not as complicate as it sounds :) I saw this cake first at a romanian foodie and then got inspired by the recipe from BBC Goodfood and adjusted a bit as per my liking.

Ingredients :

• 100g milk chocolate (I used Milka)
• 175g self-raising flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 100g sugar (golden ideally)
• 150g very soft butter, slightly salted
• 3 eggs
• 3 tbsp milk
• 1 banana, mashed
• 200g white chocolate
• 500g cherries
• 150ml creme fraiche

Method :

1. Preheat the oven to 160C fan / 180C gas.

2. Prepare the tin of the cake with baking paper and butter.

3. Grate half of the chocolate and chop the rest.

4. Mix the flour, baking powder and sugar and then beat together with the butter, eggs and milk until you have a light and fluffy composition.

5. Add the chocolate (grated & chopped) and mashed banana and stir delicately.

6. You can now bake the cake - either in 1 or 2 tins (20 cm). If you are using 1 tin bake for 40-45 minutes, if you are using 2 tins, split the composition in 2 and bake for 25-30 minutes. Cake should be left to cool for about 1 hour before icing.

7. While the cake is baking, prepare the filling and topping. Start by melting the white chocolate au bain marie.

8. Dip the cherries for topping (I prepared 15) one by one, into the chocolate to half coat them, then put them on a baking sheet to dry.

9. Now prepare the filling : mix the half of the remaining white chocolate with the creme fraiche. Then pit the remaining cherries and cut each of them in 4 pieces. Add them in the chocolate mixture.

   

10. Cut the cake in 2. Spread the the chocolate mixture over the first layer of cake and add the second layer.

    

11. Spread the rest of the chocolate over the top and decorate with the dipped whole cherries and optionally flowers.