250g chopped butter

1 shot of espresso coffee (approx 30mls)

1 1/2 cups hot water

200g dark cooking chocolate

2 cups castor sugar

3/4 cup self-raising sugar

1 cup plain flour

1/4 cup cocoa

2 eggs

2 teaspoons of vanilla essence

100g Cherry ripe bars, chopped

1/4 cup dessicated coconut

Preheat oven to 150 degrees celsius.   Grease a 22cm round cake tin, line base and sides with baking paper.

Melt butter in a saucepan, add coffee, hot water, sugar and chocolate.   Stir over a gentle heat without boiling until smooth.    Transfer to a large bowl and allow to cool slightly.

Beat chocolate mixture on low speed with an electic mixer and gradually add the sifted dry ingredients.    Beat in eggs one at a time, then the essense and coconut.

Pour into the prepared tin, sprinkle with cherry ripe pieces and mix through very gently so as to not lose the air from the mixture.

Bake in the preheated oven for 1hr 45 minutes.   The cake will be cooked when a skewer inserted in the centre comes out dry. 

Stand the cake in the tin for 5 minutes to cool before inverting onto a cake rack to cool.  

Dark Chocolate Ganache Icing

400g dark cooking chocolate

1/2 cup of cream

Place the broken up chocolate into a small mixing bowl.    Pour the cream into a saucepan, bring to the boil, then pour over the chocolate.   Stir well until all of the chocolate has melted.  

Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for approximately 30minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is spreadable.      Spread over the cooled cake.

This cake is really rich and delicious served with a dollop of cream - it can be suitably decorated for a child's birthday.  

Enjoy!
edit: the espresso coffee ( a small cup) can be replaced with prepared drinking chocolate or cocoa