Chocolate & Cherry Pound Cake

Very soft, moist & delicious chocolate cake with cherries & drizzle of chocolate glaze is perfect to serve with tea.  Even strawberries can be used instead of cherries.  Best treat for chocolate lovers :)

Ingredients :

1. All purpose flour - 2 cups
2. 1 Jar morello cherries
3. Chocolate custard or pudding powder - 1 cup
4. Baking powder - 2 tsp
5. Sugar - 175 gms (to taste)
6. Vanilla sugar - 1 sachet
7. Eggs (medium) - 5 nos
8. Oil - 150 ml (I used sunflower oil)
9. Buttermilk - 125 ml
10. Grated chocolate - 100 gms

For the glaze :

1. Milk or dark chocolate - 100 gms
2. Cooking oil - 1 tsp

Method :

1.   Grease the baking pan with flour & butter.  Preheat the oven to 180 C.

2.   Drain the cherries.  Mix the flour, custard powder, baking powder & sieve.  

3.   Add & whisk together the sugar, vanilla sugar, buttermilk, eggs & cooking oil until you have obtained a smooth mixture.

4.   Carefully fold the chocolate flakes & cherries.  Now put the batter in the greased pan & bake it for 50 to 70 mins or until done.

5.   Leave the cake to rest in the mould for about 10 mins, then remove it & put on a cake rack to cool.

6.   To make the glaze, break the chocolate into pieces & melt with the cooking oil over the low flame.  Pour over the cake & leave the glaze to set.

Serve with tea & sprinkle some icing sugar before serving.