Chocolate Truffle Gateau with Black Cherries and White Chocolate Sauce

This fabulous dessert is by Jeff Bland, executive head chef of the Balmoral Hotel, Princes Street, Edinburgh

• Ready In: 1 hr 5 mins
• Yields: 1 melt-in-your-mouth cake

Ingredients

• 9  ounces dark chocolate
• 13  ounces  whipped  double cream
• 1  half inch  sponge cake base, plain or 1  chocolate
• 1  dash  favourite  liqueur
• 24  black cherries
• 2 1⁄2 ounces white chocolate
• 2  ounces water

Directions

1. ----For the gateau----.
2. Place sponge cake in flan ring (7 inch x 1. 5 inch) and flavour with spirit or liqueur.
3. Place cherries on sponge.
4. Melt dark chocolate in a bowl over boiling water and fold melted chocolate into whipped cream and pour over cherries.
5. Transfer gateau to fridge (two hours) or freezer (30 minutes) to set.
6. ----For the sauce----.
7. Melt together the white chocolate and the water then pour over gateau to serve.