This festive cake is a perfect way for you to enjoy Firetree Chocolate through the Yuletide.
Once made, these cakes will keep for 5-7 days, well-wrapped and in a cool, dry place, so is ideal for a last-minute fruit cake recipe if you've missed Stir Up Sunday!
If you want the cakes to keep for up to 2 weeks, you can ‘feed’ them every couple of days with 2-4 tablespoons of rum - see Top Tip for alternatives.
Makes: 2 x 9-inch round cakes
INGREDIENTS
200g sweet or sour dried cherries, roughly chopped
60ml plus 150ml extra rum (see Top Tip)
180g plus 1 tablespoon plain flour
50g good quality cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
140g unsalted butter, at room temperature
400g light brown sugar
2 large eggs plus 1 extra egg yolk, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
180g buttermilk or low-fat natural yogurt
135g walnuts or almonds, toasted and finely chopped
120g Create with Firetree easy melt, roughly chopped (we recommend our Vanuatu 72% for this recipe)
METHOD
Two days before you plan to make the cake, mix the cherries in 60ml of the rum. Cover and leave in a cool, dry place, stirring every half day.
On the day, grease two 23 cm/9-inch round or loaf tins and line the bases with greaseproof paper. Preheat the oven to 180ºC/160ºC fan/350ºF.
In a mixing bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, salt, bicarbonate of soda, and baking powder. Set aside.
Add the butter and sugar to another large mixing bowl and whisk with an electric whisk, or by hand for 3-5 minutes or until very fluffy and light in colour.
In a jug, stir together the eggs, extra yolk and vanilla. Then dribble these into the butter mixture whilst beating, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl to make sure they are completely incorporated.
Then, mix in one-third of the flour mixture, then half of the buttermilk until just incorporated. Repeat with another third of the flour mixture and rest of the buttermilk.
Finally add the remaining flour mixture and gently stir in the nuts, volcanic chocolate and cherries - which should have absorbed all the liquid but If not, add that as well.
Equally divide and smooth the batter between the two prepared loaf pans and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Try to avoid overbaking the cakes.
Once baked, poke 50 or so holes in each of the cakes with a toothpick and spoon 75ml of rum over each cake. Let the cakes cool completely. Then garnish with seasonal foliage and ribbon, or sandwich the cakes with a thin layer of marzipan for the ultimate festive treat.
STORAGE
These cakes will keep for 5-7 days, well-wrapped and in a cool, dry place. If you want the cakes to keep for up to 2 weeks, you can ‘feed’ the cakes every couple of days with 2-4 tablespoons of rum, see Top Tip for alternatives.
TOP TIP
You can use the same amount of another favourite spirit in place of the rum. Or make it a teetotal cake with hibiscus or rooibos tea instead.
