White forest cake

To make cherry jam: Heat a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Add cherries, sugar, vanilla bean and seeds and stir until the cherries start to soften and release liquid. Bring to the boil, reduce heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 12-15 minutes or until thickened and sticky. Add kirsch (or lemon juice) and stir well to combine. Remove from heat, discarding vanilla bean, and allow to cool completely. Refrigerate until cold.

Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan-forced). Lightly grease and line the base of 3 x 20cm-round shallow cake pans with non-stick baking paper.

For the cake, sift flour and baking powder three times and set aside. Place eggs and sugar in an electric mixer and whisk on high speed for 10 minutes or until pale, thick and tripled in volume. Sift half the flour mixture over the egg mixture and, using a large metal spoon, gently fold to combine. Repeat with remaining flour. Add butter and gently fold to combine.

Divide mixture evenly among cake pans, bake for 14-18 minutes or until sponges are springy to the touch and come away from the sides of the pans. Remove cakes from pans and cool completely on a wire rack covered with a clean tea towel.

To make white chocolate ganache: Place chocolate and cream in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water (don’t let the bowl touch the water), stirring until smooth and melted. Remove bowl from heat and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until cold.

Combine mascarpone, cream and icing sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat for 2-3 minutes on high until thickened.

Place one cake layer on a cake stand. Spoon over half the mascarpone mixture, creating a border around the edge. Spoon half the Cherry Jam in the centre and sandwich with cake. Repeat layering with cake, cream and jam, finishing with a cake layer. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Place the White Chocolate Ganache in a clean bowl of an electric mixer and whisk for about 6-8 minutes, or until light, fluffy and easily spreadable.

Spread White Chocolate Ganache over the top and sides of the white forest cake. Refrigerate for 20 minutes, or until firm.

To make chocolate shards: Lay one large 40cm sheet of non-stick baking paper on a bench. Spread evenly with melted chocolate. Starting at the short end, roll the paper onto the chocolate, continuing to roll to enclose. Refrigerate for 10 minutes or until set. Carefully unroll to create shards.

Just before serving, top the white forest cake with maraschino cherries or fresh cherries, and Chocolate Shards.