Impress your guests - and yourself - with this deceivingly easy recipe of chocolate and cherry, all wrapped in a decadent desert. This take on a retro classic is filled with complimentary flavours, fresh fruit and shaved chocolate, all coming together to create a classic that will have you coming back for more.

Serves: 8 - 10

Prep time: 5 mins

Cooking time: 20 mins

You will need:

• Mixing bowl
• Small pan
• Electric whisk
• 22cm-diameter sandwich cake tins
• Grater

Ingredients:

• 175g salted butter, plus extra for greasing
• 3 medium eggs
• 200g bar dark chocolate
• 50g cocoa powder
• 250g golden caster sugar
• 250g plain flour
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

For the syrup:

• 200ml water
• 200g golden caster sugar
• 3 tbsp kirsch

For the toppings:

• 500ml double cream
• 4 tbsp icing sugar
• 4 tbsp kirsch
• 100g morello cherry jam
• 1 small punnet fresh cherries (optional)

Instructions:

1. Prepare oven - Pre-heat oven to Gas Mark 4 or 80°C, fan 160°C. Grease both of your cake tins sandwich cake tins and line the bases with baking paper.

2. Melt the chocolate - Combine half of the dark chocolate and butter in a small pan and gently heat, stirring, until completely melted.

3. Mixing bowl - Grab a large bowl and whisk together eggs, vanilla and sugar together with an electric whisk until thick. Once combined sift the cocoa powder and flour together, then fold in. 

4. Pour into cake tins - Divide the mixture between the two tins and bake for 25 minutes. Test with a skewer to ensure the mixture is done. Cool in the tins for 5 minutes, and then turn out onto a rack to cool completely.

5. Shred Chocolate - Shred the remaining chocolate using a grater, a potato peeler or by scraping the chocolate with a kitchen knife. Chill in the fright once finished.

6. Make the syrup - In a small pan mix together 200ml of water and sugar and bring to a boil. Leave to cool and stir in kirsch. Use a skewer to poke holes into the sponge and drizzle the syrup. Leave the cake to cool.

7. Make the whipped cream - Whip the cream and sugar to firm peaks, then fold in the vanilla and kirsch..

8. Assemble the cake - Level the tops of the sponges, if necessary. Spread a layer cherry jam over the top of your first sponge, halve some of the fresh cherries and layer over the jam. Apply cream to the bottom of other sponge and carefully sandwich the two cakes together. Brush with any remaining syrup. Spread the rest of the kirsch cream all over the sides of the cake. Use the palm of your hand to stick the chocolate shavings.

9. Top your cake - Spread the chocolate cream on the top along, decorate with fresh cherries, chocolate shavings and serve!