Egg-Free Cherry-Mocha-Chocolate Cake

**Author - Alee Venkatesh **














Preparation time:45mins
Baking time - Approximately 1 hour & 20 minutes


Ingredients (Serves approximately 8-10)
  • 1 cup each of self-raising flour & plain flour (Maida)
  • 1 cup butter milk
  • 450gms dark cooking chocolate
  • 500gms unsalted butter
  • 2 tsp. cooking oil
  • 2-3 tsps. (approximately 20gms) Nescafe instant Mocha coffee powder
  • 1/2 cup dark coco powder
  • 1/2 tsp. baking powder
  • 2 1/2 cup caster sugar (more or less to your taste)
  • 1 tsp. cinnamon powder
  • 1/2 tsp. nutmeg powder
  • Glace cherries to decorate
 Method

Chop 250gms chocolate into small pieces, place in a sauce pan with 250gms butter & 3/4cup water, stir on very low heat until melted & smooth.  Keep it aside to cool.




In a large mixing bowl, add other ingredients, mix well, pour in melted chocolate mixture and stir well to combine


Preheat oven to 150 deg C. (for fan-forced oven), grease a square cake pan, pour the prepared cake mixture and bake for 1 hour & 20 mins (or until done ie., if you insert a skewer into the centre it should come out clean)



Remove from oven, transfer to a wire rack to cool cake completely



Prepare icing by placing the remaining chocolate & butter in a sauce pan, stir on very low heat until smooth.  Remove from heat, chill the icing mixture for a spreadable consistency



When cake is cool spread with icing, decorate with Glace Cherries and cut into your desired shapes.  Enjoy this irresistible cake with a hot cup of tea or coffee!