Black Forest Cake with Summer Cherries

This beautifully luscious black forest cake accompanied us to a friends New Years Eve gathering. A dark rich sponge topped with beautiful summer fruits, it is a truly spectacular way to celebrate the end of a very packed year. While I'm not a fan of the rigidity of resolutions, I like to reflect on the year just been with a glass of bubbles, cake and dear friends. I like to think on the year just been and what I'd like to achieve in the year ahead.

So I made a wee list of what I'd like to do more of in 2020. What are your goals and challenges you'd like to overcome?

• Fruit and vegetables
• Shared meals with friends and family
• Local travel
• Moving the body more

But back to the cake. Deep and rich, it's a heavenly sponge made heady with dark chocolate. There are four parts to a black forest cake. The largest part is the double layers of chocolate sponge cake. Number two features bright and delicious fruit - cherries are traditional but freshly chopped summer plums that have been marinated in spices and a little sugar also work well. Then there's the layers of whipped cream and finally a chocolate ganache; I like to use 50% cocoa solids as anything richer overwhelms the flavours but it still gives a lovely depth. Whittakers have a beautiful chocolate but please use the best you can afford. And finally, the fruit.

Traditionally this German cake uses cherries. Sweet summer fresh cherries, pitted and drizzled with jam. I adore the

. High in fruit, low in sugar and very big on flavour. However, I've also made this cake with just picked plums off the tree in the backyard. Stoned and roughly chopped, they add a slightly different take on the tradition. Whichever fruit you use, be sure to keep the beautiful ones to layer on top of the cake for decoration.