Black Forest Gateau with Cherries

As featured in Rick Stein’s Food Stories on BBC Two, this is Rick Stein’s Black Forest Gateau recipe. He says:

I can remember saying when we filmed making this Black Forest gateau that this treat rather lost its charm after it became a staple of the freezer cabinet in the seventies and eighties. You can imagine it on the dessert trolley at Fawlty Towers. Actually, the real thing is a riot of excess and a true celebration of great juicy cherries.

Ingredients for Rick’s Black Forest Gateau recipe

SERVES 8-10

For the chocolate sponge
200g dark chocolate, chopped
200g unsalted butter, cubed, plus extra for greasing
100ml very hot water (not boiling)
175g plain flour
30g cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda
175g caster sugar
175g soft brown sugar
3 large eggs, beaten
75ml/2½fl oz buttermilk
3 tbsp kirsch or cherry brandy

For the cherry compote
750g cherries, pitted (fresh or frozen)50g caster sugar

To decorate
400ml double or whipping cream
8–10 whole cherries, preferably with stalks attached
50g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids)

How to make Rick’s Black Forest Gateau recipe

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4. Grease and line three 20cm/8in round sandwich tins.
   
2. In a heatproof bowl combine the chocolate, butter and hot water. Place over a pan of simmering water and stir gently until melted and combined.
   
3. Meanwhile, for the compôte, put the pitted cherries and sugar in a saucepan and set over a medium–high heat. Cook until you have a jammy consistency while retaining the shape of the cherries. Set aside to cool.
   
4. In a separate bowl, mix all the dry cake ingredients together and make a well in the centre. Add the eggs, buttermilk and the melted chocolate mixture. Whisk with an electric whisk until smooth and lump free.
   
5. Divide the cake batter between the prepared cake tins, they will be about half full.
   
6. Bake for 20–25 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.
   
7. Cool the cakes in their tins on a wire rack, then turn out and peel off the baking paper. Drizzle each one with a tablespoon of kirsch.
   
8. In a clean bowl, whip the cream to soft peaks. Put a quarter of the whipped cream into a piping bag fitted with a large star nozzle and put in the fridge for later.
   
9. Put one sponge on a serving plate, spread with half the cream, then top with half the cherry compôte. Place another sponge on top, then the remaining cream and cherries and top with the third sponge.
   
10. Using a microplane or vegetable peeler, shave the chocolate to form curls and set aside. Alternatively grate the chocolate.
    
11. Using the piping bag, pipe 8–10 cream rosettes on the top of the cake. Top each with a whole cherry and scatter over the shaved chocolate. Cut into slices to serve.

Happy cooking and thanks to James Murphy Photography for the recipe image above.