A balanced diet is one of these in each hand: Black Forest gâteau
How to Make Black Forest gâteau
Preparation time:
less than 30 mins
Cooking time:
30 mins to 1 hour
Serves:
Serves 8
Dietary:
Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 6 free-range eggs
- 250g/9oz caster sugar
- 100g/3½oz plain flour
- 60g/2¼oz cocoa powder
- 150g/5½oz butter
- 100g/3½oz morello cherry jam
- 425g tin pitted black cherries
- 500ml/18fl oz double cream
- 2 tbsp icing sugar
- 100g/3½oz dark chocolate
Method
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Preheat oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4. Grease and line the base of three 20cm/8in sandwich tins with baking paper.
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In a bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar with an electric hand whisk until very light and fluffy. The mixture should leave a visible trail when you lift the whisk (ribbon stage). This will take around 10 minutes.
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In a separate bowl, sift the flour and cocoa powder together before folding it into the egg mixture, being very gentle so as not to knock the air out.
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Gently pour in the cooled melted butter down the inside of the bowl and carefully fold it in.
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Divide the mixture equally between the three tins and bake for 20–25 minutes, until springy to the touch. Set aside to cool for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack, peeling off the baking paper, and allow to cool completely.
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Heat the jam in a small saucepan to melt. Reserve eight of the tinned cherries for the top of the cake, then mix the remainder into the jam. Set aside to cool completely.
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Whisk the cream and icing sugar together until soft peaks form. Set aside in the fridge until you are ready to assemble.
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When the cake is completely cool, place the whipped cream in a piping bag with a star nozzle and pipe a small amount of cream onto the first layer of sponge and spread evenly. Then pipe a ring around the edge and fill the middle with half the cherry mixture. Place the second layer of sponge on top and repeat the process.
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Pipe eight swirls of cream on top of the cake, topping each with a reserved cherry.
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Use a vegetable peeler to shave the dark chocolate into curls over the top (alternatively, grate the chocolate and sprinkle over). This cake is best eaten on the day it’s made.
