Black Forest Cherry Torte , gateaux or Schwartzwälder Kirschtorte

This is the desert that has had a bit of a retro come back, and why not. It is after all the perfect mix of cherry dark chocolate and cream, what’s not to like. I must admit that even when it was not fashionable to like this dessert  I secretly had the odd slice. Now to make this you need a good amount of Kirsch to soak in to the sponge, and good dark chocolate as well.

You will need

340g/12oz golden caster sugar

340g/12oz unsalted butter

6 eggs

240g/8½oz self-raising flour, sifted

100g/3½oz cocoa

2 cans black cherries in syrup

6tbsp kirsch, or more

600ml/21floz double cream

200g/7oz good quality dark chocolate

50g/2oz dark chocolate

Now the first thing you have to do is line your cake tin now if you have one you will need about a 20cm or 8in loose-bottomed cake tin . Grease and line it with greaseproof paper and then get ready to make the sponge. 

Now for this cake the basic cake mix method will do, start by creaming butter and sugar in a bowl and whisk until light and fluffy. Then crack in your eggs and whisk them in, and finally sift in the flour and the cocoa powder. Work it all together until you have a smooth batter.

Now spoon it into the cake tin making sure that it is nice and level then bake in a preheat  oven set at 170c/325f. It will take about 35 to 40 minutes to cook and when it is done it will be firm, springy feel.  To be sure test if the cake by inserting a clean skewer into the middle of the cake, if it comes out clean the cake is ready.  Take it out of the oven and let it cool in the tin a while then turn it out onto a wire rack.

Now take your tins of cherries and drain them keeping about 200ml/7floz of the syrup, add the kirsch to the syrup.Now you need to make the chocolate ganache filling. Take 200ml/7floz of the double cream and heat in a pan so it just about to boil. Then pour this over the 200g/7oz dark chocolate. use a whisk and work this together , at first it will just look as noting has worked but trust me in a little while you will have a rich chocolate ganache. Now you will need it to cool down before you can use it but do not let it to cold or it will be hard to work with. Now finally whip the rest of the cream and you are ready to assemble the gateaux.

Now you have to cut your sponge horizontally into three equally sized rounds. Now I use a chopping board rest a long bread knife on it and use the board as a guide. This stops you from going out of line. Then do this again so you have three sponge disks.  Now lay the sponge disks next to each other on a flat surface. Now spoon the cherry syrup over the discs letting it soak in. Now spoon some of the chocolate ganache on to each disk and spread over two disk, but not on the top one yet, keep some back for that. Then place some cherry on the tow chocolate coated disks. Now spoon some of the whipped cream over the chocolate.

Then pile your disks on top of each other and with a pallet knife spread the last of the chocolate ganache on the top. Now round the edges spread a thin layer of cream and put the rest on top. You can pie the cream on top if you like and make pattern.  Now with the chocolate you have left use a fixed veg peeling knife and make some shavings. Throw the shaving, or pat them in to the cream on the side making it stick. Now to finish use the last of the cherry’s to make a pattern on the top of the gateaux then place in a fridge and chill for about an hour.

Then all you have to do is slice and enjoy what must be one of the world best cakes ever.