Black Forest gateau

A recipe from cooking-ez.com

For 1 Black Forest gateau, you will need:

• 1 1 Génoise (Genoa sponge)
• 2 2 tablespoons powdered cocoa
• 3 200 g Griottine cherries
• 4 1 sheet gelatin
• 5 3 tablespoons Kirsch
• 6 200 ml liquid cream
• 7 10 g Vanilla sugar
• 8 1 teaspoon powdered cocoa
• Total weight: 995 grams

Times:

Preparation
2 hours 35 min.

Step by step recipe

• 1: Prepare a chocolate-flavoured 1 Génoise (Genoa sponge): make the genoa sponge as usual, but add 2 tablespoons powdered cocoa to the flour before adding the beaten eggs.
  You can scatter a few flaked almonds in the bottom of the mould or tin before pouring in the mixture, but this is not essential.
• 2: Slice the sponge in two horizontally.
  For real attention to detail, you can trim off the the top crust, which will help the cake to absorb the syrup later.
• 3: Place a layer of sponge on the serving plate.
• 4: Drain 200 g Griottine cherries but save all the syrup.
• 5: Use a brush to soak the sponge on the plate with the syrup from the cherries.
• 6: Surround the sponge with a band of paper or plastic to make the assembly which follows easier.
  Of course, if you have a dessert ring of the right size, use this.
• 7: Soak 1 sheet gelatin in cold water.
  Warm 3 tablespoons Kirsch in a small pan, then incorporate the gelatine and leave to cool.
  Make a chantilly (whipped cream) with 200 ml liquid cream, 10 g Vanilla sugar and the kirsch.
  We add the gelatine to make the cake firmer and easier to asemble. It also keeps better.
• 8: Spread a layer of cream on top of the sponge. If your cream is not in a cream whipper, use a forcing bag to make this easier.
• 9: Spread an even layer of cherries on the cream.
• 10: Then a second layer of cream.
• 11: Soak the second half of the sponge with cherry syrup and sit it on the cream layer.
• 12: Add a third layer of cream on the top.
• 13: Sprinkle with cocoa powder or scatter with chocolate chips.
• 14: Remove the band of paper and refrigerate until serving.

Remarks

If you can't get griottines, you can use amarena cherries in syrup or fresh cherries (when in season, of course). In which case, you will need to stone them first, then simmer them in a pan with a little sugar and kirsch.
For a richer and more sophisticated gateau, you can slice the genoa sponge into 3 layers (rather than two) and add an extra layer of cherries and cream.
Heston Blumenthal, the famous English chef, is a fan of Black Forest gateau, which he calls BFG. He includes surprising variations on his menu, including a little individual kirsch spray.

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