We have a few very special friends over, so yesterday Mark decided to treat us to a special “cake”. We had a fabulous Black Forest Gateau 🙂

This recipe is an interpretation of Black Forest Gateau recipe from Cakes & Cookies Quick and Easy, Proven Recipes by Gina Steer

Ingredients List:

- 250g of butter

- 1 tbsp of instant coffee

- 350ml of hot water

- 200g of plain dark chocolate

- 400g of caster sugar

- 225g of self raising flour

- 150g of plain flour

- 50g of cocoa powder

- 2 eggs (medium size)

- 2tsp of vanilla essence

- 800g of stoned cherries in juice

- 2tsp of arrowroot

- 600ml of double cream

- 50ml of kirsch

Preheat the oven to 150C/300F about 5 minutes before baking. Lightly oil and line a deep 23cm / 9inch cake tin. Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Blend the coffee with the hot water, add to the butter with the chocolate and sugar and heat gently, stirring until smooth. Pour into a large bowl and leave until just warm.

Sift together the flours and cocoa powder. Using an electric mixer, whisk the warm chocolate mixture on a low speed, and then gradually wish in the dry ingredients. Whisk in the eggs one at the time, then the vanilla essence. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake in the preheat oven for 1 hour 45 minutes or until firm and skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave in the tin for 5 minutes to cool slightly before turning out onto a wire rack. Place the cherries and their juice in a small saucepan and heat gently. Blend the arrowroot with 2 teaspoons of water until smooth, then stir into the cherries. Cook, stirring until the liquid thickens. Simmer very gently for 2 minutes, and then leave until cold.

Whisk the double cream until thick, Trim the top of the cake if necessary, then split the cake into three layers (this part did not work for us so well… we manage only 2 layers, but maybe next time…). Brush the base of the cake with half the kirsch. Top with a layer of cream and one third of the cherries. Repeat the layering, and then place the third layer on top. Reserve a little cream for decoration and use the remainder to cover the top and sides of the cake. Pipe a decorative edge around the cake (if you can of course), then arrange the remaining cherries in the centre and serve.

Good Luck and Enjoy! (we certainly did!)