Chocolate ginger cake with pomegranate and raspberries

Today I was invited to make the cakes for an 80th birthday party for one of my fellow board members at Butetown History and Arts Centre, held at the gallery. It was a fantastic turnout of  so many of Paddy and Gaynor's family and friends, politicians, academics, artists, and a privilege to contribute some cakes to a day full of amazing stories and reminiscences. This cake was an enormous chocolate and ginger cake, layered with whipped dark chocolate cream and fresh raspberries and topped with shiny chocolate ganache, pomegranate berries and edible gold dragees. It was nerve racking to transport but arrived in one piece, and went down a storm. Happy birthday, Paddy, who looked as dapper today as the Great Gatsby!

Ingredients

For each cake (I made two, but once sliced in half would be a good sized cake)

10 oz butter

10 oz caster sugar

5 eggs

10 oz self-raising flour

1 ½ tsp baking powder

5 tbsp cocoa powder

½ tsp salt

1 ½ tsp ground ginger

For the chocolate ganache and whipped chocolate cream filling

300g good quality dark chocolate, chopped

300ml double cream

To decorate

3 oz raspberries

3 oz pomegranate seeds

Edible gold balls

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 170°C and grease and line two 9 inch springform cake tins.  
2. In a large mixing bowl cream the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy.
3. Measure out the flour and set aside.
4. Add the eggs to the butter and sugar mixture one at a time, followed by a large spoonful of flour between each egg.  Beat well after each addition.
5. Sift in the remaining flour, baking powder, cocoa, salt and ginger and beat until well combined.
6. Pour the batter into the prepared cake tins and bake for about 40 mins until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in the tins for 5 mins before removing from the tin and leaving to cool completely on a wire rack.
7. To make the chocolate ganache, place the chocolate into a medium bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring just to the boil, then pour over the chopped chocolate, leave to sit for 2 minutes, then gently beat with a wooden spoon until smooth.
8. Pour half the ganache into another bowl, and beat with an electric whisk until the consistency of whipping cream.
9. One the cakes have cooled completely, place one upside down on your cake stand (this hides any bumpy surfaces), and spread with the whipped ganache. 
10. Arrange raspberries neatly around the edge of the cream (this is the visible bit), and sprinkle the centre with raspberries.
11. Top with the other cake, turning it upside down so that the bottom, flattest part of the cake is on top (this will provide a smooth surface for the ganache).
12. Use a palette knife to spread the top of the cake with the chocolate ganache, starting at the centre and working outwards.  It is best to do several thin layers and allow them to cool slightly before adding more ganache.
13. Sprinkle with pomegranate and edible gold balls.