Gateaux Recipes - Black Forest Gateau

Ingredients

• 5 eggs

• 175g caster sugar

• 50g plain flour

• 50g cocoa powder

• 75g butter, melted

• for the filling

• 75-90ml kirsch

• 600ml double cream

• 425g can black cherries, drained, stoned and chopped

• To decorate

• chocolate curls

• 15-20 fresh cherries, preferably with stems

• icing sugar.

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Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 350'F/Gas 4. Base-line and grease two deep 20cm round cake tins.

2. Beat together the eggs and sugar for 10 minutes, or until thick and pale. Sift over the flour and cocoa, and fold in gently. Trickle in the melted butter and fold in gently.

3. Transfer the mixture to the cake tins. Bake for 30 minutes, or until springy to the touch. Leave in the tins for 5 minutes, then turn out on to a wire rack, peel off the lining paper and leave to cool. Cut each cake in half horizontally and sprinkle with the kirsch.

4. Whip the cream until softly peaking. Combine two-thirds of the cream with the chopped cherries. Place a layer of cake on a serving plate and spread with one-third of the filling. Repeat twice, and top with a layer of cake. Use the reserved cream to cover the top and sides of the gateau.

5. Decorate the gateau with chocolate curls, fresh cherries and dredge with icing sugar.