This cake is dedicated to two Charlies: Charlie McCormick, whom I follow on Instagram for photos of the beautiful dahlias he grows, as well as for his extravagant Christmas tree-decorating, his pet corgis and his outrageously proportioned homemade cakes (a ratio of 1:1 cream to cake), which inspired this one. The other Charlie is my daughter’s sweet little friend who turned eight recently and, in need of a cake, asked if this could be his birthday cake. To the two Charlies!
Charlie’s chocolate, mascarpone and cherry cake
Prep 10 min
Cook 50 min plus cooling time
Makes 1 cake, to serve 12
125ml extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for greasing
250g plain flour
250g caster sugar
65g cocoa powder
1¼ tsp baking powder
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
¼ tsp fine sea salt
250g full-fat greek yoghurt
3 large eggs
60ml whole milk
For the cream and cherry jam
450g frozen cherries
3½ tbsp caster sugar
300ml double cream
250g mascarpone
¾ tsp ground cardamom
Icing sugar, to decorate
200g fresh cherries
Heat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6, and grease and line two 20cm cake tins.
In a large bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, bicarb and salt. In a medium bowl, whisk the yoghurt, oil, eggs and milk until smooth. Pour the wet mixture into the dry and whisk until just smooth.
Divide the cake batter between the tins (ie, put 600g in each), then bake for 25 minutes, or until the cakes bounce back like stress balls when gently prodded with a clean finger. Remove and leave to cool completely in the tins.
While the cakes are baking, put the frozen cherries in a medium saucepan with two tablespoons of the sugar and put over a medium heat for 15 minutes, stirring every now and then, until syrupy but still a bit juicy (ie, not jam).
Using an electric whisk, whip the double cream, mascarpone, cardamom and the remaining tablespoon and a half of the sugar to soft peaks, then cover and put in the fridge until needed.
When the cakes have cooled down, assemble by placing one cake upside down on a plate, so the domed bit is on the bottom. Top with the cardamom cream, then spoon over the cherry compote. Add the second layer of cake, dust with icing sugar and try to balance as many cherries on top as you can; if any roll off, eat them on the side.