7oz plain flour
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoon cocoa power
5oz soft brown sugar
1.5 tablespoons golden syrup
2 eggs
140ml sunflower oil
280ml milk
For the ganache:
200g plain chocolate (less than 70% cocoa solids)
250ml double cream
1/2 tablespoon soft brown sugar
A dash of Kirsch
Ground espresso coffee
Preheat oven to 160˚C.
Sieve all dry ingredients into a mixing bowl. Add other cake ingredients and mix together.
Pour into a lined baking tin (~9” diameter).
Cook for 30 minutes.
Break chocolate into small pieces. Place slightly less than half in one bowl, the remainder in another. Heat the cream to near boiling point. Pour half the cream into the bowl containing most chocolate. Return the remaining cream to the heat, add the sugar, stir until dissolved, then add to the other bowl of chocolate. Stir both mixtures until the chocolate has completely dissolved. Add a generous dash of Kirsch to the mixture without the sugar. Allow both to cool.
Cool the cake on a wire rack and then cut in half. Spread the sweetened ganache onto one half of the cake then generously dust the ganache with espresso coffee (use a tea strainer). Place the top layer on the cake and spread the Kirsch ganache on top. Dust the top of the cake generously with espresso coffee.