Black Forest loaf cake

Make this black forest cake ahead if you’re expecting lots of guests this Christmas. It can be frozen, un-iced, then defrosted when you need it and decorated on the day

Prep:25 mins
Cook:1 hrs
Plus cooling

Serves 12
Easy

Nutrition per serving

kcal 589
fat 34g
saturates 21g
carbs 62g
sugars 43g
fibre 2g
protein 7g
salt 0.6g

Ingredients

175g butter, chopped
75g dark chocolate, chopped
300g self-raising flour
375g golden caster sugar
30g cocoa
2 large eggs
60ml milk
240g natural yogurt
1 jar or tin of pitted cherries(about 600g), syrup reserved
400ml double cream

Tip

Choosing the cherries

Look out for an Italian brand called Fabbri 1905 – its syrupy amarena cherries come in a very pretty blue and white jar that you’ll definitely want to reuse (although any brand of cherries will be delicious).

Method

Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Butter and line a 1.5kg loaf tin.
Melt the butter and chocolate together in the microwave until smooth. Sieve the flour into a bowl, then stir in the sugar and cocoa. Add the chocolate mixture, eggs, milk and 200g yogurt and blend until smooth.
Spoon the mixture into the loaf tin and make eight dips in the surface. Top each dip with 1 tsp yogurt and a cherry. Put the loaf in the oven and bake for 1 hr, or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Cool in the tin for 20 mins, then transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool completely.
Just before serving, use a balloon whisk or electric whisk to beat the cream until stiff. Spoon the cream onto the cake in dollops, top with the remaining cherries and drizzle over some of the cherry syrup. Serve straightaway. Leftovers will keep for up to three days in the fridge.