Black forest gateau (serves 12)

Ingredients

Cake Mixture:

  • 225g butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
  • 225g caster sugar
  • 160g self-raising flour
  • 65g cocoa powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 4 medium Field Farm eggs 


For the filling:

  • 340g morello cherry jam
  • 2x80g pack of sweetened dried sour cherries
  • 2-3 tbsp kirsch
  • 100ml cherry brandy
  • 500ml double cream
  • 50g dark chocolate, coarsely grated
  • fresh cherries, for decoration 

You will need a 2x20cm sandwich tins.
Plus a baking sheet.
 

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 190c (gas mark 5) and grease 2 x 20cm sandwich tins and line base with baking parchment. 

  2. Mix together the butter, sugar, flour, cocoa powder and eggs until smooth. Divide the batter between the cake tins and spread evenly. 

  3. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the cakes begin to shrink away from the edge. Allow to cool before transferring to wire rack.

  4. After cooling cut the cakes evenly and horizontally in half - keep the knife parallel to the work surface to ensure an even cut. 

  5. Place the cakes, cut side up back on the wire rack ready to fill. 

 

For the Filling

  1. Place the jam, cherries and Kirsch in a saucepan over a low heat. Gently simmer for 6-8 minutes; stirring until the jam and cherries begin to swell. Leave to cool for 15 minutes.
     
  2. Sprinkle the cherry brandy over the sponges; spreading three with the sour cherry mixture and leave to cool. (The sponge without the cherry topping is for the top of the cake!) 
     
  3. Whip 300ml of the cream until soft peaks form. 
     
  4. Transfer one of the sponges (with cherry topping) onto a cake stand. Then, dollop a third of the whipped cream on top of the cherry mixture; keep the spoonfuls evenly spaced over the cake, sprinkle a small amount of grated chocolate. 
     
  5. Repeat the above step for the other sponges with cherry topping. 
     
  6. After you have your three layers of sponge, cherries, cream and chocolate; place the final sponge on top. 
     
  7. Whip together the remaining cream until soft peaks form. Spread about three tablespoons of the cream over the top of the cake, taking it to the edge. Feel free to use the remaining cream as decoration by piping rosettes around the edge. Finally sprinkle the remaining grated chocolate over the top of the cake. 
     
  8. Decorate with fresh cherries and then your cake is ready to eat!