Black Forest gâteau
Chocolate sponge layered with kirsch-soaked cherries and clouds of whipped cream, topped with chocolate curls. The retro German showstopper, and still a crowd-pleaser.
Ingredients
- 175 g Self-raising flour
- 50 g Cocoa powder
- 200 g Caster sugar
- 200 g Butter, softened
- 4 Eggs
- 60 ml Milk
- 500 g Cherries, fresh or frozen, stoned
- 60 g Caster sugar
- 10 g Cornflour
- 60 ml Kirsch
- 600 ml Double cream
- 30 g Icing sugar
- 5 ml Vanilla extract
- 50 g Dark chocolate, for curls
Method
- Heat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan) and line two 20cm sandwich tins. Beat the butter and sugar until pale, beat in the eggs, then fold in the flour and cocoa and loosen with the milk. Bake until springy.
- Cool on a rack, then split each sponge in half horizontally to make four thin layers (or keep two thick layers if you prefer).
- Simmer the cherries and sugar for 5 minutes until juicy. Mix the cornflour with a splash of water, stir in and bubble until thickened. Off the heat, stir in half the kirsch. Cool.
- Whip the cream with the icing sugar and vanilla to soft peaks. Make chocolate curls by running a vegetable peeler down the side of the chocolate.
- Drizzle each sponge layer with a little of the remaining kirsch. Layer sponge, cherries and cream, finishing with cream. Spread cream round the sides, then scatter the top with chocolate curls and a few cherries.
- Chill for an hour so it firms up before slicing.