We Should Cocoa: Kentish Cherry Fondant Cake

This month's We Should Cocoa, the brainchild of Choclette and Chele is guest hosted by Janice of Famersgirl Kitchen. She has challenged us to come up with a chocolatey concoction using cherries. Last month's blackcurrant round up can be found here.

Cherries flood back memories.

The faux cream marble work top. Eye high. Corners cut off the edge.

A dull, gun grey pairing knife blade. Dented with age. Scuffed by sharpening. Tip slightly curved. A green bakelite handle. Chipped.

A small wooden punnet of fat, glistening, darkly brooding cherries. Deft, wrinkled, bird like, papery fingers reach in. A weathered solid gold wedding band warms in colour in the sunlight. A double one plucked from the punnet.

Gently slipped over my ear. I could already hear my giggling. "Like an earring" she said. A gap toothed smile. 

Ingredients

100gr dark chocolate (72% or higher if you're braver than me)
100gr butter
130gr caster sugar
2 eggs

Small pinch of sea salt
2tbsp ground almonds
2tbsp plain flour

1tsp cocoa powder
125gr cherries, pitted and chopped (I left some in half and some quartered)

Method

1, Preheat your oven to 180 o/c and line and grease a 7inch round shallow cake tin.
2, Melt the butter and chocolate together in a small saucepan over a low heat and set to one side to cool slightly.
3, Beat the eggs, sugar and salt together until pale and fluffy.
4, Fold the cooled butter and chocolate through the eggs and sugar. Sift in the almonds, plain flour and cocoa powder and fold through gently as well.  The chocolate will sink right to the bottom so make sure you scoop deep into the bowl. When the batter is uniformly chocolatey and there are no lumps, pour into your prepared tin.
5, Scatter the cherries evenly over the surface of the cake and bake for 30-35minutes or until the edges are gently springy to the touch and the centre is just a tiny bit gooey.
6, Remove from the oven and lift the cake out of the tin. Place on a cooling rack and cool completely before serving.