INGREDIENTS
- 6 egg yolks
- 50g caster sugar
- 50g plain flour
- 450ml whole milk
- 150g dark chocolate
- 425g tin black cherries in light syrup
- 400g fresh cherries
- 4 tbsp Kirsch or cherry liqueur
- 300ml double cream
- 300ml 50% less fat crème fraîche
- 1 pack of chocolate sponge cake
METHOD
Step 1: Put 6 egg yolks, 50g caster sugar and 50g plain flour in a large bowl and whisk until smooth.
Step 2: Pour 450ml whole milk into a large pan and put over a medium-low heat. Heat until just steaming, then remove from the heat and carefully pour over the egg yolk mixture, whisking continuously until fully combined.
Step 3: Pour everything back into the pan and reduce the heat to low. Cook gently for about 10 mins until the custard thickens and holds its shape on the back of a spoon.
Step 4: Remove the pan from the heat. Finely chop 100g dark chocolate and add to the hot custard, stirring until melted and smooth. Cover the top of the custard with a disc of nonstick baking paper to stop a skin from forming and set aside to cool completely.
Step 5: Drain a 425g tin black cherries in light syrup, reserving 4 tbsp of the syrup. Halve and stone the cherries and put in a bowl. Halve and stone 350g fresh cherries and mix into the bowl with the tinned cherries (if fresh cherries are unavailable, you can use extra tinned cherries or frozen cherries instead. If frozen, defrost according to pack instructions before using). Mix the reserved syrup with 4 tbsp Kirsch, or other cherry liqueur in a small bowl and set aside.
Step 6: Put 300ml double cream and 300ml 50% less fat crème fraîche into a large bowl and whip to soft peaks. Remove the baking paper cover from the chocolate custard and stir a large spoonful of the whipped cream into the custard to loosen the texture.
Step 7: Cover the sponge cakes with half of the mixed cherries, then spread over half of the chocolate custard and half of the whipped cream. Repeat with a second layer of the remaining sponge cakes, syrup, cherries, custard and finishing with the cream.
Step 8: Grate (or shave with a veg peeler or wide flat knife) 50g dark chocolate over the top, then decorate with 12 whole fresh cherries. Cover the top loosely with clingfilm and chill for at least 1 hr, or for up to 3 days, before serving.
