Little cherry and chocolate cakes
“Invite ron, van and bing cherries around for Christmas or cake.”
- 60g soft unsalted butter
- 75g caster sugar
- 2 eggs
- 110g self-raising flour
- 2 tbsp cocoa
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 tbsp milk
- 100g cherries, pitted and chopped
- 1 cup vanilla ice-cream
- Icing sugar, for dusting
The cherry season is very short but very sweet, so savour them now while they are at their peak. Serve a bowl of the shiny red baubles nestled in crushed ice with a few sprigs of mint - it makes a very pretty centrepiece and always looks festive.
Method
Preheat oven to 200C.
Beat butter and sugar in an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs singly, beating well after each. Sift together flour, cocoa and baking powder, then fold into butter mixture alternately with milk and mix until smooth.
Fold in half the cherries, then divide mixture into 6 paper case-lined muffin tins and bake for about 25 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Cool cakes in tin for 5 mins, then on a wire rack.
Cut tops from cakes and scoop out a little cake from the centre, then spoon 2 tbsp ice-cream and remaining cherries into cakes. Replace top, dust with icing sugar and serve. (Unfilled cakes will keep in an airtight container for up to four days.)
Serves 6.