Once the milk is ready, add half of it to the mug and stir well (5), then add the rest of the milk and stir again (6). If you have a milk frother or a small whisk, that’ll help you get even more bubbles into your drink. I used a cheap milk frother to get to the consistency pictured above – right. Almost Ready When you’re ready to assemble the cake, set aside 12 of the cherries, then put the pastry layer on a cake stand or board. Spread this with a third of the jam, a quarter of the cream and a third of the remaining cherries, then top with a layer of sponge (be gentle as you lift it) and repeat the jam, cream and cherry layers. Repeat again, finishing with the final layer of sponge.

Cherry syrup to soak the cake layers, and cherries to add between the layers. The syrups makes the cake ultra moist – my favorite part of this recipe. Chocolate Hazelnut Cake: Layer of rich chocolate cake, creamy hazelnut frosting, and crunchy hazelnuts. Don’t overmix the cake batter. Overmixing will make the cake less light and fluffy. Gently mix the batter just until the ingredients are incorporated.Use a palette knife to spread the remaining cream on top in big, puffy waves. Grate chocolate curls generously over them, and arrange the remaining cherries around the edge. Chill for an hour before serving. If you’re making the pastry layer, sift the flour and cocoa powder into a mixing bowl and add a pinch of salt. Whisk together, then mix in the remaining ingredients to make a dough. Wrap in clingfilm and chill for 20 minutes. When the microwave pings, add a splash of the milk to the mug and return the jug to the microwave to finish heating. (Another 90 seconds is perfect for skimmed milk. However, it’ll need less time if you’re using coconut, semi skimmed or whole milk, so keep an eye on it). Chocolate cake –I bake the batter in two 8-inch pans, then cut each cake layer in half to get a total of 4 layers.