Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F). Grease and line a 20–23 cm round cake tin or a similarly sized springform tin.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, salt and cocoa powder in a bowl.

In a separate bowl, cream the softened butter and caster sugar until pale. Beat in the oil, then add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each.

Stir in the melted dark chocolate, warm milk, hot coffee and vanilla until smooth.

Fold the dry ingredients into the wet mix just until combined—don’t overmix.

Pour batter into the prepared tin and bake 20–25 minutes, or until a skewer comes out with a few moist crumbs. Cool completely on a rack. When cool, brush the top lightly with 60 ml cherry syrup; set aside.

In a saucepan, combine 480 ml double cream and 240 ml whole milk. Add the split vanilla pod and seeds (or alcohol-free vanilla extract) and warm gently until steaming; don’t boil. Remove from heat and let steep 10 minutes off heat if using a pod.

Whisk 3 egg yolks with 100 g sugar until pale. Temper the yolks by adding a ladle of warm cream mixture, whisking quickly, then pour the tempered yolks back into the pan.

Cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the custard thickens enough to coat the back of the spoon (about 76–82°C / 170–180°F). Remove from heat.

Strain the custard through a fine sieve, stir in 60 ml cherry syrup, and cool to room temperature. Chill thoroughly in the fridge.

Churn in an ice cream machine according to manufacturer instructions until soft-set. Fold in the chopped cherries. If you don’t have an ice cream machine, freeze the custard in a shallow container, stirring every 30 minutes until creamy and set, then fold in cherries.

Chill a mixing bowl and whisk. Beat 120 ml double cream with 1 tbsp cherry syrup to soft peaks. Sweeten lightly to taste if you prefer.

Line a 20–23 cm springform tin (or loaf tin) with cling film so there’s enough overhang to cover the top.

Place the cooled chocolate cake layer into the base of the tin. If the cake is thick, you can trim it to create an even surface.

Spoon or press the churned cherry ice cream over the cake in an even layer. Smooth the top, cover, and freeze for at least 4–6 hours, ideally overnight, until very firm.

When ready to serve, unmold the cake using cling film. Top with the cherry syrup whipped cream and spread or pipe as desired. Garnish with extra chopped cherries or chocolate shavings. Let sit 5–10 minutes at room temperature before slicing for cleaner layers.