Matty smiling behind the finished cake that is coated in flakes of chocolate and topped with swirled cream and cherries

Black Forest Cake

A deeply rich chocolate fudge cake layered between sweet vanilla Chantilly cream and cherry jam, coated in a layer of chocolate ganache, surrounded in flaked chocolate – this one is incredible!

Ingredients

Sponge
2tsp espresso powder
350ml hot water
Golden caster sugar 500g
Veg oil 200ml
3 eggs
1tbsp vanilla extract
Sour cream 300ml
Coco powder 140 g
Self-raising flour 320 g
½ tsp bicarb
1tsp salt

Ganache
300g dark chocolate (70%)
300g double cream
15g light brown sugar
10g butter

Cherry Compote
350g cherries
175g jam sugar
1 lemon juice
1tbsp water

Whipped Cream
350g double cream
250g mascarpone cheese
4tbsp icing sugar

Décor
Cherries
12 flakes

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Method

1.Grease and line 3 8” baking tins and preheat the oven to 170C. Dissolve the coffee in
the hot water and set aside.

2.Place the sugar, vanilla and oil in a large bowl and whisk to combine. Add the eggs and
whisk until light and pale before adding the sour cream.

3.Add the coffee and stir. Sift in the flour, coco powder and salt and mix until fully incorporated. Divide the batter between the tins and bake for 30-35mins or until a skewer comes out clean.

4.Ganache: place the cream and sugar in a bowl and heat until it reaches a simmer. Once ready, pour the cream over the chocolate and butter and then stir until smooth

5.Jam: place the ingredients into a saucepan and heat until the sugar dissolves. Once dissolved, heat until it reaches 105C.

6.Whipped cream: whisk the mascarpone and icing sugar together. Add the cream and whip to soft-�medium peaks.

7.To assemble, level the sponges. Add a thin layer of ganache to the first sponge. Top with a large dollop of the cream and level. Add ½ of the jam. Repeat this process until all three sponges are stacked. Use the remaining ganache to cover the entire cake.

8.Crush the flakes and cover the outside of the cake. Pipe the remaining cream around the top of the cake. Top with some cherries and shaved chocolate.