1. CREAM the butter, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy, add the eggs one at a time and beat well then fold through the sifted ingredients alternately with the milk to form a smooth batter.
2. DIVIDE the mixture into 2 greased and lined 30cm x 24cm lamington pans. Bake in a moderate oven 180°C for 25-30 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer. Cool 10 minutes in the pan then turn out to cool completely on a wire rack.
3. MEANWHILE heat the cream in a saucepan just to boiling point (but do not boil) then pour over the chocolate in a bowl and stir until melted and smooth. Allow to stand at room temperature until cool then refrigerate only until firm enough to spread.
4. SANDWICH together the cakes with half of the ganache and place onto a serving platter; use the remaining ganache to cover the sides and top of the cake evenly.
5. DECORATE the edge of the cake with the chocolate collar pieces and secure with a ribbon (you may need a pin to secure but remove prior to slicing). Scatter the berries over the top and chill for 20-30 minutes before serving.
NB: You may prefer to make the cake ahead. Remember the cake and ganache will become very firm on chilling, so allow it to sit at room temp for up to an hour prior to serving.
Dark Chocolate Collar
Ingredients
500g CADBURY Dark Chocolate Melts
Method
1. PLACE the chocolate into a plastic microwave proof bowl. Microwave on 50% power in 20 second increments, stirring the chocolate between each burst of power. For 250-500g chocolate use 3 or 4 x 20 second bursts, then 1 or 2 x10 second bursts. Only microwave the chocolate until about 75% of it has melted. The rest will melt as you stir it, due to residual heat. (Using a digital thermometer to gauge the temperature takes the guess work out of the process. For dark chocolate heat only to approx. 30-32°C)
2. SPREAD the chocolate onto baking paper to make five strips approximately 40 cm x 10-12 cm. Allow the chocolate to set at room temperature.
3. USE a hot knife to neaten the edges then cut each strip into 8 even pieces (the tops of the pieces may be trimmed at an angle to give a random appearance). Use as required.