Preparation method

Cake:

• Preheat oven to 180 C and grease 2 x 24cm cake tins
• In a large bowl combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix together
• Add butter and sugar in another bowl and cream until light and fluffy
• Add each egg, one at a time, and mix until fully incorporated
• Add vanilla extract, sour cream and boiling water and beat until fully incorporated
• Fold dry ingredients into batter
• Divide the batter between the two greased tins and bake for 25-30 minutes
• Remove tins from oven and place on cooling rack for 10 minutes
• Turn cakes out of tins onto a cooling rack and allow to cool completely

Cherry filling:

• Bring cherries, lemon zest, castor sugar and brandy to the boil
• Simmer for 10 minutes
• Ensure that you continue stirring until the sugar has dissolved
• Set aside and allow to cool

Mascarpone cream:

• Cream the mascarpone and icing sugar together until smooth
• Add cream and whip together until light and fluffy

Chocolate ganache:

• Add dark chocolate to a bowl
• Place cream into a saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer
• Tip cream over the chocolate and stir until melted and combined
• If ganache is too runny, place in the fridge for 5-10 minutes

Assembly:

• Carefully cut each cake horizontally into two layers
• Place one layer of cake on board
• Spread 1/3 mascarpone cream and 1/3 of the cherry jam
• Repeat this process until cake is completely filled leaving the top of the cake plain
• Pour half of chocolate ganache over the top of the cake
• Decorate accordingly

Garnish:

Truffles:

• Use the remaining chocolate ganache to roll varying size truffle balls
• Reserve in fridge till needed.

Chocolate house:

• Melt chocolate and pour into moulds.
• Allow to cool and, once hard, remove from moulds
• Use remaining melted chocolate to glue house together

Trees:

• Melt chocolate, then place into a piping bag with 3mm nozzle
• Pipe varying shapes and sizes of trees on greaseproof paper and allow to set
• Place house, truffles and tress, together with fruit on the top layer of cake
• Sprinkle with icing sugar