BLACK FOREST GATEAU

Impress your family with this chocolate cherry layered cream cake – a revamped version of a retro classic

Weekends are my favourite time to get in the kitchen and bake something sweet. Recently I’ve been hankering after recipes from the past, so this weekend I’m planning a bit of retro baking.

These recipes take me back to my childhood – a simple vanilla sponge topped with sprinkles and covered in custard was a staple on the school dinner menu, and black forest gateau was a special treat for the weekend (although it usually came out of a box!).

Manchester tart is something I discovered a little later in life, but with its thick layer of custard, raspberry jam and maraschino cherries, I’d say it falls firmly into the retro treats category!

PREP: 15

MINS

COOK: 45 MINS PLUS COOLING AND 1 HR SETTING SERVES 12-15

COOK: 40 MINS PREP 1 HR PLUS COOLING SERVES

8 - 10

175g salted butter, plus extra for greasing

200g bar dark chocolate 300g plain flour

375g golden caster sugar 25g cocoa

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda 2 medium eggs

200g buttermilk or natural yoghurt ingredients, add 100ml boiling water and whizz briefly with an electric whisk until the cake batter is lump-free.

3

Divide the mixture between the tins and bake for 25 mins, swapping the tins around after 20 mins if they’re on different shelves. To test they’re done, push in a skewer and check that it comes out clean.

4

425g can pitted cherry, 2 Prick the cakes a few tbsp juice reserved, rest times with a skewer. Mix drained together the 2 tbsp reserved 100g morello cherry jam cherry juice and the kirsch (or

more juice) and drizzle over

4 tbsp kirsch (or more juice

the cakes. Cool the cakes. from a can if you want it to

5 be non-alcoholic) Mix together the

remaining drained

500ml tub double cream

cherries and jam. Tip 200ml

3 tbsp icing sugar

of the cream into a small pan

1 small punnet fresh and heat until just below cherries (optional) simmering point. Chop the

remaining chocolate and put

1

Heat oven to 180C/160C in a heatproof bowl, pour over fan/gas 4. Grease and line the hot cream and stir until the base of 3 x 20cm cake tins. melted. Set aside until

Boil the kettle. Put the butter spreadable.

6 and 75g chocolate broken into When the cakes are cool, chunks in a small pan and whisk the remaining gently heat, stirring, until cream and the icing sugar completely melted. together until softly whipped. 3

Mix together the flour, Spread over two of the cakes, sugar, cocoa and then spoon over the jammy bicarbonate of soda with a cherries. Stack the cakes pinch of salt in a mixing bowl. together. Spread the chocolate Whisk the eggs and buttermilk cream over the third cake and or yoghurt together. Scrape sit on top of the other cakes. the melted chocolate mixture Pile the fresh cherries in and and egg mixture into the dry around the cake and serve.

TO ASSEMBLE