Chocolate and Blackberry Cake

Ingredients:

Chocolate Sponge:

225g plain flour
325g caster sugar
80g cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 large eggs
225ml milk
100ml vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla essence
125ml boiling water

Blackberry Jam:

300g blackberries
Juice of half a lemon
200g caster sugar

Mascarpone Cream Filling:

125g mascarpone
30g icing sugar
180ml double cream
1 tsp vanilla essence

Chocolate Ganache:

150ml double cream
150ml butter
180g dark chocolate
Pinch of salt
1 tbsp golden syrup

To Decorate:

Blackberries
Figs
Pecans
Star Anise
Rosemary Sprigs

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celcius.
Add all the ingredients into a large bowl (apart from the boiling water) and mix together with a hand or electric whisk.
Slowly add the boiling water, mixing as you go until fully combined.
Divide evenly between two greased and lined 8 inch cake tins.
Bake for 20-25 minutes until a knife comes out clean.
Leave to cool in the tins for 10 minutes before turning out and letting cool fully (if you're making a day ahead, wrap the sponges in cling film while still slightly warm, it will keep them nice and moist!).
For the jam, add the blackberries, lemon and sugar to a saucepan and let simmer so that the sugar dissolves, breaking down the berries to help them release all their juices.
Then bring up to the boil for around 7-8 minutes. Transfer to a bowl or jar, and leave to cool fully.
For the ganache, heat the chocolate, butter, salt and golden syrup in a bowl over a pan of simmering water until metled, then remove from the heat and stir in the cream. Leave to cool (stir occasionally) until it thickens up to a spreading consistency.
Meanwhile make the mascarpone cream. Whisk the mascarpone and icing sugar together until smooth, then whisk in the cream and vanilla. Add a few large dollops of the cooled blackberry jam to the cream and swirl through.
Level off the cakes with a serrated knife, and sandwich with the blackberry and mascarpone cream.
Coat the cake in the ganache, using a palette knife or cake scraper to smooth.
Top with blackberries, and other autumnal fruit and nuts to decorate.
Enjoy!