• This luscious gateau filled with black cherries, Kirsch and cream is a lot easier to make than you think

    • INGREDIENTS


    5 eggs
    9oz/250g. caster sugar
    9oz/250g. plain flour
    1½/oz./37½g. cocoa powder
    2tsp/10ml baking powder
    I pint/600ml double cream
    4tbsp/60ml Kirsch
    1 lb/450g.canned black cherries, pitted and well drained
    4oz/125g plain chocolate, caraque or grated


  • METHOD

    • Preheat the oven to Mark 5/375 F/190C:
    Grease and line base of tin. Place eggs and sugar in a bowl over (but not touching) a pan of simmering water
    Whisk with electric beater until mixture is pale and thick and just holds the trail of the whisk (7-10 mins)
    Remove the bowl from the heat and whisk for a further 2 minutes while it cools
    To help give the sponge a light texture, sift the flour, cocoa powder and baking powder onto a plate or bowl
    Carefully and gradually fold flour into egg mixture, cutting through with a metal spoon or large spatula until evenly mixed, use a folding and cutting movement and make sure you get to the bottom of the bowl to mix in all the flour
    gently stir in 7-8 tbsp/105-120 ml hot water to soften the mixture slightly and give a lighter result
    spoon the mixture gently into the prepared cake tin and flatten the top, bake for 35-40mins or until just firm to the touch
    stand for 5-10 mins. then turn onto a plate carefully remove the paper
    turn out onto a wire rack and leave until completely cold, when the cake is cold (don't try brfore or the sponge will crumble)
    split carefully into 3 layers, whip cream until slightly stiff and set some aside for piping
    sprinkle sponge layers with Kirsch, reserve 8-10 cherries for decoration
    place bottom sponge on a serving plate spread with one quarter of the cream and half of the cherries
    place the middle layer of sponge on top and spread with the second quarter of cream and the remaining cherries
    place the third layer of sponge on top of the cream cover the sponge with more cream and smooth out with a palette knife
    spread remaining cream neatly round sides with a palette knife
    pipe reserved cream around top edge of cake
    press small crumbled pieces of caraque (see bottom)round sides
    Decorate top with cherries and larger pieces of caraque. Chill until required


  • Melt 4oz/125g of dark coating chocolate and spread thinly and evenly on a cold surface or foil


  • Leave until cold but don't chill, using a large knife and with a sawing action hold the knife flat against the chocolate and scrape or push long curls of chocolate away from you

    • Keep going until you have a good thick curl, a stubbier thicker version can be made very easily with an open neatly cut can
    Holding italmost upright pullthe far side rim of the can across the chocolate

  • Store as before in a cool place but do not chill the caraque


    		•

    To Freeze leave cake unwrapped(without chocolate and cherries)in the freezer until firm, then place in an airtight container, or freeze the plain sponge wrapped in freshcling, ready to assemble


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