Who says Christmas can’t be naughty AND nice? Our Christmas Black Forest Showstopper Cake is a real centrepiece if you'd like to try your hand using some of our luxury share bags. After all, ’tis the season to indulge in all things chocolatey. If baking isn't for you, maybe just eat your share bag while watching the final of The Great British Bake-off this week?

Ingredients

For the Cake

• 50g Lily O’Brien’s 70% Dark Belgian Chocolate (roughly broken)
• 115g butter, plus extra for the tins
• 200g plain flour
• 250g caster sugar
• 20g cocoa powder
• 2 medium eggs
• 3/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 120g natural yogurt

For the Filling

• 400g morello cherries (frozen or tinned)
• 120g morello cherry jam
• 450ml double cream
• 100g icing sugar, sifted
• 4 tbsp kirsch

For the Decoration

• 50g Lily O’Brien’s 70% Dark Belgian Chocolate
• Fresh cherries

Method

• Heat your oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 then grease and line the base of 2 x 20cm cake tins. Boil a little water in the kettle.
• Place the butter and 50g chocolate in a small pan and gently heat, stirring, until everything has melted.
• Combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder and bicarbonate of soda in a mixing bowl with a pinch of salt .
• Whisk the eggs and yogurt together, then add the melted chocolate mixture and egg mixture into the dry ingredients, adding 60ml boiling water and briefly whisk until the cake batter is lump free.
• Divide the cake mixture between the two tins and bake for 25 mins. Test they're done by pushing in a metal skewer or toothpick and check that it comes out clean.
• Prick the cakes a couple of times with a skewer then mix together the 1 tbsp cherry juice and the kirsch (or more juice if you prefer a non-alcoholic version) and drizzle over the cakes. Set aside the cakes to cool.
• Combine the drained tinned or thawed morello cherries, and jam and set to one side.
• Once the cakes are cool whisk the cream and icing sugar together until softly whipped. Place one of the cakes onto your chosen serving plate or cake stand. Spread over half of the cream and level with the back of a spoon or spatula, then spoon over half of the cherries. Place the second chocolate cake on top of the first, then repeat spooning the cream and cherries onto the second tier. Top with fresh cherries.
• To make the chocolate trees for the decoration, simply melt the 50g of chocolate in a microwave until completely melted.
• Lay a piece of greaseproof paper on a work surface and anchor down at the sides so it lies completely flat.
• Spoon the melted chocolate into a disposable piping bag and snip off the end.
• Pipe tree shapes of different sizes over the greaseproof paper. Start piping from the base of the trunk, making sure to overlap all of the chocolate so once it has hardened it makes a sturdy shape. Leave to cool and harden.
• Once your trees are completely cooled carefully peel away the greaseproof paper from the back of each tree and push the trees carefully into the cream on top of your cake.