My favourite cake to bake is a sour cherry chocolate cake. It’s my go to cake for all occasions. Dinner parties, birthdays, bereavements. It’s a one (ish) bowl wonder. Chuck it all in, mix it up and Bob’s your uncle. It never disappoints, and is always a winner. Quick, delicious, and fairly idiot proof.

I once made one, and after spending an hour waiting for it to cook, realised the oven was off. It still worked out. Another time I unintentinally pulled it out half raw, then threw it back in. That one worked too. Once I served it half raw by accident. It was still brilliant. A delicious gooey pudding. See?

Idiot proof.

This is the recipe I use. It’s definitely seen better days (my sister once described my handwriting as ‘like elderly spiders dancing across a page’. I like that visual). I don’t remember the origin of the recipe. For this one I called my mum and wrote it out as she read it to me over the phone. Mum’s recipe (that she read out) is also written out by hand in her loopy handwriting. Old school.

I made my friend a cake with raspberries. I’ve also used pomegranate and ripped mint. Icing sugar – it’s a classic. It’s great served with cream.

A few weeks later I went to a party and decided that one layer wasn’t big enough… So I made two and double deckered it with stawberries and chocolate ganache.

Sometimes I throw random things in there for a bit of variety. I’ve used orange Lindt chocolate before, and orange zest. Once I tried Baileys instead of brandy, and there was another time I used whisky just to see… That one was boozy.

The other day I made a cake for my housemates. Not for any particular reason. Just to be nice. I didn’t bother with any decorations for this one. No pretty styling. I just put it in a tin with an ‘eat me’ sign on it. I figured it would be hoovered up. and I wasn’t wrong.

I’d thought it might last the weekend. That I’d have time to have a few slices. It lasted twelve hours and I only had a sliver. I wanted more.

I still want more… I’ll have to make another one.

You should make one too.

Ingredients

125g dark chocolate

185g butter

1 1/2 cups of caster sugar

3 eggs

1/2 cup of water

1 dash brandy

1 cup self raising flour

3 tbsp sifted cocoa

Jar pitted cherries.

Method

Gently melt chocolate and butter.

Mix in  with rest of ingredients and blend well.

Pour into lined 28cm springform tin.

Spread well drianed cherries on top.

Bake on 170 for 45min/1 hour

Allow to cool

Make pretty or just shovel in to cake hole.