Black Forest Gateau (Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte)

Layers of chocolate sponge, cherries soaked in Kirsch and whipped cream, finished with chocolate shavings.

TIME BREAKDOWN
Prep: 1h
Cook: 35 min
Total: 1 hour 35 minutes
Vegetarian
✅
Nuts
❌
Serves
12 people
Difficulty
Medium

Ingredients

  • For the sponge: 6 eggs
  • For the sponge: 150g caster sugar
  • For the sponge: 100g plain flour
  • For the sponge: 50g cocoa powder
  • For the sponge: 1 tsp baking powder
  • For the sponge: 60g butter, melted and cooled
  • 2 x 680g jars morello cherries, drained, 150ml of the juice reserved
  • 3 tbsp Kirsch (cherry brandy)
  • 2 tbsp caster sugar
  • 1 tbsp cornflour
  • 600ml double cream
  • 3 tbsp icing sugar
  • 150g dark chocolate, for shavings
  • Fresh or glacé cherries, to decorate

Method

  1. Heat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan). Grease and line a 23cm round cake tin.

  2. Whisk the eggs and sugar for 8 minutes until pale, thick and tripled in volume. Sift in the flour, cocoa and baking powder and fold in gently, then fold in the butter.

  3. Pour into the tin and bake for 30 to 35 minutes until risen and springy. Cool in the tin, then turn out and slice horizontally into three layers.

  4. Heat the reserved cherry juice with the 2 tbsp sugar and cornflour for 3 to 4 minutes until thickened. Stir in about two thirds of the cherries and cool. Mix the Kirsch with 3 tbsp of cherry juice.

  5. Whip the cream with the icing sugar until it holds soft peaks.

  6. Place the first sponge layer on a plate, brush with the Kirsch syrup, spread with a third of the cream and half the cherry filling. Repeat with the second layer, then top with the third sponge, brushed with syrup.

  7. Cover the top and sides with the remaining cream. Press chocolate shavings onto the sides and top, and decorate with the remaining cherries. Chill for 2 hours before serving.