CAKE:
1 tblsp vinegar
1 cup evaporated milk
1½ cups plain flour
Pinch salt
½ cup cocoa
1½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
1¼ cups caster sugar
185g (6oz) butter or margarine, melted
1 tsp vanilla essence
2 eggs
FILLING:
60g (22oz) jar morello cherries, pitted
2 x 300ml (½ pint) cartons cream
3 tblsp caster sugar
TO DECORATE:
250g (½ lb) cooking chocolate, grated
Maraschino or glace cherries
Add the vinegar to the milk, stir well and set aside.
Sift the flour, salt, cocoa, soda and sugar into a bowl. Pour
in the melted butter and half the soured milk and beat well
for two minutes.
Add the remaining cake ingredients including milk and
beat for a further two minutes. Pour the mixture into two
greased 20cm (8 inch) sandwich tins base lined with
greaseproof paper. Bake at 180°C (350°F) for 35 minutes, or
until skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Allow
to cool in the tins.
Filling: Drain morello cherries, reserving the syrup in which
they are packed. Measure ½ cup of the cherry syrup and
place in a saucepan. Bring mixture to the boil, then lower
heat and simmer for three minutes. Remove from heat and
allow to cool.
Beat cream with the sugar until thick. Cut each cake in
half and place one half on a serving plate. Brush liberally
with the cherry syrup, then spread over about ½ cup of the
whipped cream. Scatter with a third of the cherries then top
with another round of cake. Brush with syrup, spread with
cream and scatter another third of the cherries. Assemble
the next layer the same as the first two, finishing with the last
round of cake. Brush with the cherry syrup then spread the
remaining cream over the top and sides of the cake.
To decorate: Press the grated chocolate on the top and
sides of the cake. Pipe swirls of whipped cream on top and
place a maraschino or glace cherry on each swirl. Chill for
several hours.