Ingredients :
For the sponge :
- Egg whites ( medium ) - 4 nos
- Butter - 125 g
- Sugar - 125 g
- Vanilla essence - 1 tsp
- Egg yolks - 4 nos
- All purpose flour - 50 g
- Cocoa powder - 10 g
- Baking powder - 4 tsp
- Ground hazelnuts - 75 g
- Grated dark chocolate - 100 g
For the fillings :
- 1 jar cherries (drained weight 350 g)
- Medium bananas - 2 noa
- Lemon juice - 2 tbsp
- Chilled whipping cream - 600 g
- Icing Sugar - 25 g
- Vanilla essence - 1 tsp
Method :
1. Grease & line up the baking pan with the parchment paper. Preheat the oven about 180 C.
2. Beat the egg whites so stiff. Whisk the butter in a mixing bowl until soft. Sir in the sugar, vanilla essence & whisk in the egg yolks one by one.
3. Mix together the flour, cocoa powder & baking powder. Stir in the hazelnuts and grated chocolate and whisk in two installments. Then carefully fold in the beaten egg whites and whisk briefly.
4. Transfer the mixture to the baking pan & bake it for 30 mins. Allow it to cool completely.
5. Make a circular incision on the surface with knife to leave an edge 1-2 cm in wide all round. Then, using a tablespoon, hollow out the cooled cake within the circle to a depth of about 1 cm. Crumble the cake remains you have just hollowed out into a bowl.
6. To make the filling, drain the cherries thoroughly, then put them on a kitchen paper. Peel the bananas, cut in half lengthways, sprinkle with lemon juice and arrange in the hallowed-out cake. Distribute the cherries in between the bananas.
7. Whip the cream with the sugar and vanilla essence until stiff. Spoon over the fruit to form a dome and sprinkle the crumbled remains of the cake on top. Put the cake in the refrigerator for about 1 hour & then decorate it accordingly.
Happy baking :)