Michelle Darmody: How to make a classic black forest gateau and the mistakes to avoid

Traditionally, the cake is covered with cream, into which grated chocolate is pressed

Good things come to those who wait might be an apt way of describing the process of making a Black Forest Gateau.

There are many elements, and each can take some time, but if you invest your energy, it can be rewarded with one of the most sublime cakes. Sublime in my eyes anyway, as I adore cherries in any form.

I remember picking bright red, sticky half cherries from the top of grapefruits at weddings in the 80s or eating the slightly metallic versions served in cocktail bars in the United States when I worked there.

My fondest memory, however, is of a trip to France a few years ago and staying near a field full of cherry trees. The dark, almost black spheres were warm from the sun and bursting with sweetness, the juice dripping down our chins as we bit in. We picked them throughout the day and ate them in many guises, chopped through natural yogurt, embedded in a buttery sponge or paired with chocolate.

Cherries always go well with chocolate, and the addition of cream and liqueur, as well as the combination of textures, elevate this cake.

There seems to be some misgivings about where the name originated from and whether it was invented in the Black Forest, but it can definitely be traced back to
Germany in the 1920s.

Traditionally, the cake is covered with cream, into which grated chocolate is pressed. You can, however, make a simpler version and serve it as a layer cake with cream between each layer and none on the outside.

Black Forest Gateau

recipe by:Michelle Darmody

Good things come to those who wait might be an apt way of describing the process of making a Black Forest Gateau.

Servings

10

Preparation Time

 40 mins

Cooking Time

 35 mins

Total Time

 1 hours 15 mins

Course

 Baking

Ingredients

• 300g self raising flour

• 25g cocoa powder

• a pinch of salt

• ½ tsp bread soda

• 275g caster sugar

• 175g butter

• 90g dark chocolate, broken into small even-size pieces

• 2 eggs, lightly beaten

• 200g natural yogurt

• 100mls hot water

• To decorate

• 90ml cherry liqueur

• 600ml cream, whipped to stiff peaks

• 100g cherry jam

• 400g maraschino cherries

• 200g dark chocolate, finely grated

• cherries to decorate

Method

1. Line two 7-inch round baking tins with parchment.

2. Preheat your oven to 180ºC/gas mark 4.

3. Sieve the flour, cocoa powder, salt and bread soda together.

4. Stir in the caster sugar and set aside.

5. Melt the butter and chocolate over a low heat until dissolved. Allow to cool slightly.

6. Whisk the eggs and yogurt until smooth.

7. Add the chocolate and water to the dry ingredients and stir them in.

8. Add the egg mixture and use a whisk or wooden spoon to ensure you mix the ingredients and do not have lumps.

9. Divide the mixture between your two tins.

10. Place them into your oven and bake for about 35 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.

11. Once baked, remove from the oven. Prick the top of each cake with a fork and pour the cherry liqueur onto the hot cakes.

12. Allow the cakes to cool, then after you remove them from the tin gently slice each one into two discs.

13. Spread the stiffly whipped cream onto three of the discs.

14. Gently spread the cherry jam on top of the cream and sprinkle the cherries on top of the jam.

15. Pile the three layers gently on top of each other on a large serving plate.

16. Place the fourth disc on top.

17. Spread cream all around the cake and on top with a spatula or flat butter knife. Press the grated chocolate into the cream and decorate the cake as you wish.

Baker's tips

I use springform or loose-bottom tins to make this cake as it is easier to remove the sponge. It is important to line them with parchment for the best result.

Cutting the cakes into two discs can be tricky. I use a long bread knife and use a gentle but firm sawing motion to slice through. To achieve two even halves, mark the halfway place in the cake along which to cut. You can do this by inserting toothpicks into the sponge around its circumference. The special baking term for this way of dividing a cake is ‘torting’. Gently slide the top half onto a flat plate before topping with cream and cherries.

The texture of the cream is important: it needs to be whipped to stiff peaks to hold its shape.

If you continue whipping for too long, the cream will stiffen and then separate. It is important to stop at the right moment. The whisk should leave firm clear peaks in the cream when lifted out; you can try the bowl over your head trick if you are brave enough. The cream should stay in position when turned upside down. I always use cold cream straight from the fridge and ensure that my bowl and whisk are spotlessly clean for the best result.

I add the cream to the cakes first, even though it might seem counterintuitive to attempt to spread jam on top of cream. However, I find this order works best because the jam can soak into the sponge too quickly, making the cake difficult to slice.

If you wish. you can make your own cherry liqueur by soaking fresh cherries in a mixture of brandy and vodka, sweetened with sugar, and left to sit in the dark for a few months. Otherwise, there are brands available in most off-licenses. If you would like to leave out the alcohol, you can substitute the cherry liqueur with juice from the jar of maraschino cherries.

With the amount of fresh cream, it is best to eat the cake on the day it is decorated.

Three delicious variations

Raspberry chocolate cake

Substitute the cherries for fresh raspberries. I use 400g of nice ripe raspberries and 100g of raspberry jam. If you wish, you can also use a liqueur like Chambord, or a nice
alternative, which may be more readily available, is an orange liqueur such as Grand Marnier or Cointreau.

Black forest cupcakes

The cake mixture can be spooned into large muffin bun cases to make individual buns instead of a cake. You will need to reduce the baking time to prevent them drying out. Depending on your oven, about 20 minutes should suffice.

A skewer will help you assess when they are baked. You can top them with cherry jam and fresh cream, or some chocolate ganache works well.

Pear chocolate layer cake

You can use the sponge and cream to make a cake with poached pears in place of cherries. The pears give a more subtle result. Dice about four large pears and poach them in 500ml of white wine and 120g of golden caster sugar. The syrup can be used in place of the cherry
liqueur. Simply layer the cake and do not cover the outside with cream. You could instead pour chocolate ganache over the top.