Cherry-Chocolate Gateau

Our son loves Black Forest Gateau to bits and he has been pestering me to make a gateau similar to his favourite with some chocolate flavour.  So, I made both fillings i.e. cherry jam with bits of cherry in it and chocolate cream.

Batter Ingredients:

6 egg whites

a pinch of salt

150 g fine sugar

2 pkts (14 g) vanilla sugar

6 egg yolks

225 g plain flour, to be sifted

3 tsp (levelled) baking powder, to be sifted together with flour

75 g butter, to be melted over low heat

26 cm diameter cake tin with loose bottom

Filling Ingredients:

250 g dark chocolate, to be chopped

500 g fresh cream

1 glass (250 g) Amarena cherries or any sweet cherries), to be drained in a sieve and coarsely chopped

1 glass (340 g) cherry jam

Topping Ingredients:

400 g fresh cream

2 pkts (14 g) vanilla sugar

cocoa powder

125 g dark chocolate

12 fresh sweet cherries

Method:

In a pot, add fresh cream and bring to a slight boil.  Remove pot from heat and add in chopped chocolate.  Stir well and leave aside in a cool place (NOT in fridge) for at least 3 hours or overnight.

Line cake tin bottom with baking paper.  Do NOT grease the cake tin.  Preheat oven to 175° C (fan), 200° C (conventional).

Whisk egg whites and salt until stiff.  Gradually, add fine sugar and vanilla sugar.  Then, add egg yolk one at a time and whisk well.  Fold in melted butter and flour alternately.  Pour batter into cake tin and level surface.  Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes.  Leave to cool completely before taking out from cake tin.  Cut cake horizontally into 3 equal slices.

In a bowl, mix chopped cherries and cherry jam together.  Leave aside.  Whisk the chocolate/cream mixture until slightly thick and leave aside.

Place the bottom slice of sponge cake onto a cake plate.  Place a ring around the cake tin. Spread half of cherry jam mixture onto cake as shown:

Then, spread half of chocolate/cream mixture on top as shown:

Place the middle slice of sponge cake on top and repeat procedure.  Lastly, place the top slice of sponge cake as shown:

Cover top with aluminium foil or transparent foil and store in the fridge for at least one hour. Melt dark chocolate in a small bowl over a water bath.  Brush the melted chocolate onto the back of a metal tray as shown below.  Leave to set in the fridge.

In a mixing bowl, whisk fresh cream and vanilla sugar until stiff.  Remove cake from fridge.

Remove some fresh cream into a piping bag with a large star nozzle.  Cover top and sides of cake with remaining cream.  Sprinkle cocoa powder on the outer circumference of cake and pipe out 12 tuffs on top of cake.  Place a cherry on each tuff.

Remove metal tray from fridge and scrape the chocolate to form rolls.  Decorate centre of cake with chocolate rolls.

Store cake in fridge before serving.

Happy Baking!