Put 75g cocoa in a bowl and add 200ml boiling water. Mix until smooth, add ¾ tsp bicarbonate of soda and 2 tsp vanilla essence and mix well.
In another bowl whisk 175ml sunflower oil (or other veggie oil) with 4 large eggs until emulsified. In a third bowl, whisk 375g light muscovado sugar
with 225g self raising flour until all the lumps have gone. Add the chocolate mixture to the flour mix, stirring well, then add the egg mix,
until well combined. Drain a jar (or tin) of black cherries, keeping the syrup, remove the stones and stir these into the mixture. Pour the batter
into a lined rectangular baking tin, about 32cm x 22cm, and bake for about 35 minutes in a 180°C oven. Check it's cooked by poking with a sharp knife,
which should come out clean. Let the cake cool a little then remove to a cooling rack.
For the topping, put 200g dark chocolate, 30g butter, 2 Tbs golden syrup and 2 Tbs milk into a plastic or glass bowl and heat for a minute in a microwave oven.
Stir until well combined, smooth and glossy. Let this cool a little then spread evenly over the cake. Make up the cherry syrup to 250ml with water,
mix in 15g cornflour and heat, stirring all the while, until the mixture turns thick and glossy. Let this cool slightly then drizzle over the chocolate layer.
Finally, melt 50g white chocolate in a microwave oven and drizzle this over the cake.