At the risk of sounding like a completely pretentious foodie, I’m a little addicted to the Tiptree range of conserves (that’s jam to you and me). My little local deli stocks a vast array of them and I find myself drooling over them every time I go in. Its just that there is something so deeply comforting, and so very English, about jam on toast accompanied by a nice cup of tea!

So this bake combines two great loves of mine, cake and jam. The recipe was inspired by a couple of Nigella Lawson recipes and the hot chocolate sauce is from a book by Tana Ramsey (yes, that’s Gordon’s wife) entitled ‘Homemade’ (which I borrowed from the library… it’s good, but I shan’t bother renewing it). I opted to use the Morello Cherry Conserve simply because I adore cherries (especially with chocolate) but you can substitute any jam of your choice (indeed the original inspiration called for thin-cut marmalade to produce an orange infused chocolate cake).

This really did make for a delicious pudding, next time I serve it I think I’ll slip the cake in to bake just as we sit down for our main course so that we can eat it straight from the oven while it’s still warm…. Mmmmmm, yes, that would be scrummy!

For the cake you will need:
125g unsalted butter
100g dark chocolate, broken into pieces
300g Morello Cherry Conserve
150g caster sugar
pinch of salt
2 large eggs, beaten
150g self-raising flour

23cm springform tin, buttered and floured

For the hot chocolate sauce:
200g dark chocolate broken into pieces
150ml whipping cream (or double cream)
1 tbsp golden syrup
25g unsalted butter

• Preheat the oven to 180 degrees/gas mark 4.
• Put the butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan and put over a low heat to melt. When it’s almost totally melted , stir in the chocolate.
• Leave briefly to begin softening, then take the pan off the heat and stir with a wooden spoon until the butter and chocolate are smooth and melted. Now add the jam, sugar, salt and eggs. Stir with your wooden spoon until it’s pretty well combined and the beat in the flour bit by bit.

• Pour into your prepared tin and bake for 35-40 minutes or until a cake-tester or skewer comes out clean (I warn you, this is one of those cakes where the batter looks and smells so delicious you really have to stop yourself from devouring it uncooked! It was just so chocolaty and glossy and the plump little cherries were peeping through too!).
• For the sauce, place all the ingredients in a bowl atop a saucepan of just boiled water that you have since reduced the heat on so that it is barely simmering. Allow the butter and chocolate to melt and then whisk until the sauce is smooth and shiny. Serve piping hot!

I managed to snap a quick picture before Mr. LA entirely demolished his slice. Doesn’t it look delicious? I love a nice dollop of creme fraiche with pudding, don’t you?!

Loveaudrey xxx