Black Forest gâteau

Black Forest gâteau

Impress your guests with this chocolate cherry layered cream cake - a revamped version of a retro classic

Recipe uploaded by

member_thumb Sarah Cook

4 stars 19 ratings 4

Recipe by Sarah Cook

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Difficulty and servings

Easy

Serves 8 - 10

Preparation and cooking times

Cook time

Cook 40 mins

PREP 1 hr plus cooling

Sponges can be frozen before decorating

Method

  1. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Grease and line the base of 3 x 20cm cake tins. Boil the kettle. Put the butter and 75g chocolate broken into chunks in a small pan and gently heat, stirring, until completely melted.
  2. Mix together the flour, sugar, cocoa and bicarbonate of soda with a pinch of salt in a mixing bowl. Whisk the eggs and buttermilk or yogurt together. Scrape the melted chocolate mixture and egg mixture into the dry ingredients, add 100ml boiling water and whizz briefly with an electric whisk until the cake batter is lump free.
  3. Divide the mixture between the tins and bake for 25 mins, swapping the tins round after 20 mins if they're on different shelves. To test they're done, push in a skewer and check that it comes out clean.
  4. Prick the cakes a few times with a skewer. Mix together the 2 tbsp reserved cherry juice and the kirsch (or more juice) and drizzle over the cakes. Cool the cakes.
  5. Mix together the remaining drained cherries and jam. Tip 200ml of the cream into a small pan and heat until just below simmering point. Chop the remaining chocolate and put in a heatproof bowl, pour over the hot cream and stir until melted. Set aside until spreadable.
  6. When the cakes are cool whisk the remaining cream and the icing sugar together until softly whipped. Spread over two of the cakes, then spoon over the jammy cherries. Stack the cakes together. Spread the chocolate cream over the third cake and sit on top of the other cakes. Pile the fresh cherries in and around the cake and serve

PER SERVING (10)

859 kcalories, protein 7.2g, carbohydrate 93.7g, fat 48.9 g, saturated fat 29.9g, fibre 2.6g, sugar 73.6g, salt 0.7 g

Recipe from bbcgoodfood.com, June 2012.

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Latest comments and suggestions

Results 1-20

  • Binder photo pshopper

    23 June 2012

    pshopper commented on this recipe

    Wow - this looks pretty amazing, but I can imagine cutting a slice and all the cream squelching out. I will have a go.

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  • Binder photo Lel

    23 June 2012

    Lel commented on this recipe

    OOOOOOOOOOH I have to make this one day soon

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  • Binder photo elizabeth swan

    24 June 2012

    elizabeth swan commented on this recipe

    this is a recipie for a disaster . this is a recipie for the wise to avoid and the less wise to atempt.

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  • Binder photo Claire

    26 June 2012

    Claire rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    This recipe is easy, impressive and delicious... with no unsightly oozing! The only change I made was adding vanilla essence to the cream and sugar. Oh, and I used amaretti soaked cherries. Super! Thank you!

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  • Binder photo Aninditra

    28 June 2012

    Aninditra commented on this recipe

    looks sooo delicious..

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  • Binder photo MarielleB

    28 July 2012

    MarielleB rated this recipe

    5 stars

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  • Binder photo Kellymc1983

    30 July 2012

    Kellymc1983 commented on this recipe

    I made 2 of these gateaux, one for my work colleagues and one for family. And they all commented on how nice it was. It was my first attempt at making a black forest gateaux and i was impressed with the end result. Think i went a little OTT with the Kirsch though! Hic! This is definitely a recipe i'll use again and share with family and friends. Infact i shall be making it this week for my engaement party on Friday!

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  • Binder photo Kellymc1983

    30 July 2012

    Kellymc1983 rated this recipe

    5 stars

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  • Binder photo Samantha

    16 August 2012

    Samantha rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Great recipe!

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  • Binder photo Fluffy

    17 August 2012

    Fluffy rated this recipe

    5 stars

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  • Binder photo Ciaran Moss

    25 August 2012

    Ciaran Moss commented on this recipe

    It looks fab, I've3 got my own recipe for it it needs three eggs and no chocolate just cocoa

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  • Binder photo Penny

    02 September 2012

    Penny rated and commented on this recipe

    4 stars

    Really really good! I thought it needed more cream, but then I always do.

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  • Binder photo littlemegz

    08 October 2012

    littlemegz rated and commented on this recipe

    4 stars

    This is a good recipe it also tastes very tasty .its very good.

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  • Binder photo Jacky

    20 October 2012

    Jacky commented on this recipe

    Looks yummy shall have to make it when I have guests as otherwise I shall put another stone on.............

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  • Binder photo Jody

    16 November 2012

    Jody commented on this recipe

    It looks gorgeous and can't wait to make it .....

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  • Binder photo Jody

    16 November 2012

    Jody rated this recipe

    5 stars

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  • Binder photo ShameAboutTheChef

    25 November 2012

    ShameAboutTheChef commented on this recipe

    This BFG is a a major winner for an inexperienced baker like myself as the the fruit & cream filling disguise most textures/ dryness/ cracks etc- hurrah! The triple layers look impressive and it's as rich & decadent tasting as it looks. Next time I will make a coulis (or just melt some sugar into some cherry juice) and then stir in the whole cherries to the sauce. Water seeped from the the tinned fruit over the layer of cream below even after the cherries had been well drained and some cherry jams lack sweetness. I notice this is what Mary Berry does too so must be a worth a try!

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  • Binder photo bexybeck

    05 December 2012

    bexybeck rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Excellent - turned out perfectly even though my mixer broke half way through and I had to do most of it by hand! The resulting cake was huge and very impressive for a colleagues birthday. Lots of lovely comments about this one.

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  • Binder photo Sarah Jacobs

    14 December 2012

    Sarah Jacobs rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Really lovely! never made a BFG before, but it turned out well and has been much appreciated by my housemates. The only thing to remember for next time is that the chocolate for the topping takes a LONG time to cool down enough to be of a spread-able consistency (rather than being runny and falling off the sides), so I will probably make it as soon as the cakes come out of the oven next time to give it more time to thicken.

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  • Binder photo Sandra

    26 December 2012

    Sandra commented on this recipe

    Very nice but needs more kirsch and leave the cream and chocolate topping in the fridges for15 mins before spreading works well

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Difficulty and servings

Easy

Serves 8 - 10

Preparation and cooking times

Cook time

Cook 40 mins

PREP 1 hr plus cooling

Sponges can be frozen before decorating

Ingredients

  • 175g salted butter , plus extra for greasing
  • 200g bar dark chocolate
  • 300g plain flour
  • 375g golden caster sugar
  • 25g cocoa
  • 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 2 medium eggs
  • 200g buttermilk or natural yoghurt

TO ASSEMBLE

  • 425g can pitted cherries , 2 tbsp juice reserved, rest drained
  • 100g morello cherry jam
  • 4 tbsp kirsch (or more juice from a can if you want it to be non-alcoholic)
  • 500ml tub double cream
  • 3 tbsp icing sugar
  • 1 small punnet fresh cherries (optional)
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PER SERVING (10)

859 kcalories, protein 7.2g, carbohydrate 93.7g, fat 48.9 g, saturated fat 29.9g, fibre 2.6g, sugar 73.6g, salt 0.7 g

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