144 Cherry Ripe layer cake Oven setting: CircoTherm® Serves: 16 Preparation time: 1 hour Cooking time: 40 minutes METHOD Level of difficulty: Hard For the cake, place the water, sugar, butter, cocoa and bicarb of soda in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Cook, stirring until the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved but do not boil. Transfer mixture to a large mixing bowl and INGREDIENTS allow to cool. Beat in the eggs and vanilla, then stir in the flour and mix well. Pour 2 cups water the mixture into 3 greased and lined 20cm cake pans. 2½ cups caster sugar 250g butter Bake on CircoTherm® at 160°C for 35–40 minutes, or until cake is cooked when ½ cup Dutch cocoa powder tested with a skewer. 1 tsp bicarb of soda To make the filling, use an electric beater to beat the butter on high speed until 4 eggs, lightly beaten it has lightened in colour, then slowly add the icing sugar and the drop of red 2 tsp vanilla extract food colouring until mixed. Slowly add 1 teaspoon of milk at a time to soften the 3 cups self raising flour mixture. In a separate bowl, combine condensed milk, cherries, desiccated coconut, FILLING and 1 drop of red food colouring. Combine both mixtures and set aside. 30g unsalted butter, at room temperature 80g icing sugar To make the ganache icing, place the cream in a small saucepan over a medium 2 drops of red food colouring heat and bring to a gentle boil. Remove from heat and add the chocolate. Allow 1–2 tsps milk to stand for 5–10 minutes then mix well to combine. Cool slightly. 395g condensed milk When the cakes are cool place one cake onto a cake plate and spread with 200g red glace cherries, chopped half the filling (if you find your cakes are not completely flat, shave the top as 3 cups desiccated coconut required). Place the second cake on top then spread with the remainder of the filling. Place the third cakeon top and spread with the ganache icing as desired . GANACHE ICING Top with chopped cherry ripe and shaved coconut. 1 cup pouring cream Please note, feel free to decorate the top of this cake as you wish. Shaved 300g dark chocolate, chopped coconut is available from specialty food stores. DECORATION 2 x cherry ripes NOTES Shaved coconut We recommend using 40–45% dark cooking chocolate for the ganache icing. THE NEFF AUSTRALIA COOKBOOK DESSERTS