Black Forest Gateau
The retro chocolate-and-cherry showstopper shown three ways. The basic uses a boxed sponge and tinned cherries, while the ultimate bakes a kirsch-soaked genoise layered with fresh macerated cherries and chocolate ganache.
Vegetarian
Nut-free
Budget version
Boxed chocolate cake mix, tinned cherries and squirty cream for an easy crowd-pleaser.
Per serving£0.69
Total cost£5.50
Time50 min
Ingredients for 8
- Sponge
- 1 boxed chocolate cake mix , plus required egg and oil
- Filling
- 400 g tinned black cherries , drained, syrup reserved
- 300 ml aerosol whipped cream
- 2 tbsp cherry jam
- Decoration
- 50 g milk chocolate , grated
Method
- Make up and bake the cake mix in two sandwich tins following the box, then cool.
- Spoon a little reserved cherry syrup over each sponge to moisten.
- Spread one sponge with cherry jam, top with whipped cream and most of the cherries, then sandwich together.
- Cover the top with more cream, the remaining cherries and a shower of grated chocolate.
Equipment
- 2 sandwich tins
- mixing bowl
The three ways, side by side
Budget
Boxed chocolate cake mix, tinned cherries and squirty cream for an easy crowd-pleaser.
Better
A made-from-scratch chocolate sponge with kirsch-spiked cream and frozen black cherries.
Ultimate
A kirsch-soaked chocolate genoise layered with fresh macerated cherries, ganache and Chantilly.