Anyone who know me or has followed this blog for a while know that I don’t need much for excuse to bake something. So when Fabian come to Cork recently for a belated 30th birthday celebration I know I had to bake some spectacular and over the top. Fabian loves cherry however it so hard to find good one in Ireland, so when I came across some morello cherries. I know I had to do something with them for this birthday.
The first thing that come to mind is a black forest gateau. I know what you are thing…yuk!I hate these overly sweet British/American version for the 1980’s. This version is inspired by the traditional German Black Forest Cake Schwarzwald Kirsch Kuchen, however I must point out that it in not a authentic Schwarzwald Kirsch Kuchen.
My version rich, dense, indulgent chocolatey cake, filled boozy sour cherry and fresh cream. This cake also has a pastry base, which I found really helps when serving this cake! I taken the pastry base and filling recipes from Felicity Cloake, how to make the perfect blog and cake itself is from Gordon Ramsay’s. I have double Gordon recipes as I wanted three layer, however this will leave you with a extra layer. I will have post coming so to used this up!
The Kirsch is the one other ingredient that cannot be substituted with another alcohol, if you do not want to buy the kirsch than cherry juice will do fine. For the Garnish I have left it pretty simple. I find that the Black Forest Gateau cake that are covered all over in cream just have the wrong ratio of cake and cream. I also find it reminds me too much of the 80’s tacky.
Ingredients-Serves 16-20
Pastry Layer
- 60g/2.1 oz plain flour
- 5g/ 1 teaspoon cocoa powder
- 25g/0.9 oz caster sugar
- 40g/1.4 oz butter, softened
- 2 teaspoon kirsch
- Pinch of salt
Cakes
250g/8.8 oz self-raising flour
4 teaspoon baking powder
6 tablespoon cocoa powder
10 large eggs, separated
400g/14.1 oz unsalted butter, softened
300g/10.6 oz caster sugar
4 tablespoon cooled espresso or strong coffee
200g/7.1 oz dark chocolate (minimum 65% cocoa solids)
Fillings and Garnish
- 700g/24.7 oz morello cherries in syrup
- 100ml kirsch
- 500ml double cream
- 50g/1.8g icing sugar
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 300g/10.6 oz morello cherry jam
- 25g/0.9 oz dark chocolate
I’m entering this Black Forest Gateau into Baking with Spirits hosted by Cake Of The Week as I’ve used Kirsch. February theme is Fun and I cannot thing more fun this this boozy Black Forest Gateau.

As this was a labour of love for Fabian. I’m entering this into Love Cake hosted by Ness at Jibber Jabber. This month’s theme is ‘For the love of Cake’.

- If you’re making the pastry layer, sift the flour and cocoa powder into a mixing bowl and add a pinch of salt. Whisk together.

- Then mix in the remaining ingredients to make a dough. Wrap in clingfilm and chill for 20 minutes.

- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4 and grease the base of a 20cm loose-bottomed or springform cake tin. Roll out the pastry to 5mm thick and use to line the base of the tin. I have rolled mine out between two large pieces of clingfilm, as if you used flour you my end up lighter coloured pastry layer.

- Prick all over with a fork, then bake for 15 minutes, until crisp. Remove from the tin and set aside on a wire rack to cool. Grease and line the tin.

- Preheat the oven to 150ºC/Gas 2. Butter, line and butter again the base and sides of a 20cm cake tin. I have made my layer in two batches so remember to half your ingredient for the below steps. Sieve the flour, baking powder and cocoa powder together and set aside.

- In a large grease-free bowl, whisk the egg whites to firm peaks using an electric beater.

- Beat the butter and sugar in another mixing bowl until pale and light. Beat in the yolks one at a time.

- Then fold the espresso through.

- Melt he chocolate in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Add the melted chocolate.


- In several batches, fold the sifted flour mixture and the beaten egg whites alternately into the butter mixture. Spread the combined batter over the base of the prepared tin and level with a spatula.


- Bake for 40-50 minutes until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake emerges clean. Cool for 5 minutes and then turn out on to a wire rack. Peel off the baking parchment.

- Repeat step 5-12. This will give you 4 layer but there no real way to half an egg.


- Drain the cherries, retaining the syrup. Mix 50ml of it with 50ml of kirsch. Brush some of the syrup over the slices and leave to sink in; you can add more if it is all absorbed, but don’t overload it.

- Set aside 12 cherries and de-stone the fresh cherries, and put together with the drained cherry and jam. Add 50 ml Kirsch. Cook on medium heat for about 10 min until the mixture has thickened. Remember also that it will set a bit as it cool. If is it too thick once it has cooled than just add a little Kirsch. I would leave this to cool overnight if possible.




- Whip the cream until thick, then sift in the icing sugar and add the vanilla extract.

- When you’re ready to assemble the cake, put the pastry layer on a cake stand or board. Spread with a quarter of the cheery jam mixture, a fifth of the cream.

- Spread with a quarter of the cheery jam mixture, a fifth of the cream on the sponge and gently layer on top of the pastry layer (be gentle as you lift it).

- Repeat again with the other two layers, and press down gently.

- Use a palette knife to spread the remaining cream on top. Grate chocolate curls generously over them, and arrange the remaining cherries in the middle.


- Chill for an hour before serving. This cake does keep well for several day in the fridge.

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