This Hairy Bikers black forest gateau from the Big Book of Baking was baked in the actual Black Forest at sunset during their trip across Germany. It serves 12 at around 640 calories per slice, with a food processor sponge and four layers of morello cherry jam, Kirsch, and whipped cream.
The headnote says it is “a million miles away from the tired old dessert trolley version” and the difference starts with the cherries. Morello cherry jam and dried sour cherries give a sharp tangy filling that proper black forest needs, while tinned cherries from the supermarket taste flat and sweet with no bite.
The whole sponge goes into a food processor and comes out smooth in under five minutes, which means no creaming butter or whisking eggs by hand. Each cake gets cut in half with a serrated knife to make four layers, and getting that horizontal cut level is the only tricky part of the entire recipe.
Hairy Bikers Black Forest Gateau Recipe
Description
Four layers of chocolate sponge soaked in cherry brandy, sandwiched with morello cherry jam and dried sour cherries steeped in Kirsch, then filled with softly whipped cream and finished with grated dark chocolate. Invented by baker Josef Keller in 1887 and still made at Café Schaefer in Triberg today.
Ingredients
For the Sponge:
For the Filling:
For the Cream and Decoration:
Instructions
- Make the sponge: Preheat the oven to 190°C/Fan 170°C/Gas 5 and grease 2 × 20cm loose-based sandwich tins, lining the bases with baking parchment. Put the butter, sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and eggs into a food processor and blend until smooth and thick. Divide the batter between the tins and spread evenly with a rubber spatula. Bake for 22 to 25 minutes or until the cakes are risen and starting to shrink away from the sides.
- Cook the cherry filling: While the sponges cool, put the cherry jam in a saucepan with the dried sour cherries and the Kirsch. Place over a low heat and bring to a gentle simmer, stirring for 6 to 8 minutes until the jam has melted and the cherries are beginning to swell. Leave to cool for at least 15 minutes.
- Cut and soak the sponges: When the cakes are completely cold, carefully turn each one on its side and cut in half horizontally with a long serrated knife, keeping the blade parallel to the surface. Place the four layers cut side up and sprinkle the cherry brandy evenly over each one, then spread three of the four with the sour cherry mixture. Keep the top half of one cake cherry-free for the lid.
- Fill and stack: Whip 300ml of the cream until it forms soft peaks. Place the first cherry-topped sponge on a cake stand and dollop a third of the whipped cream over the cherries in roughly even spoonfuls. Sprinkle with a little grated chocolate. Repeat with the next two cherry-topped layers, then place the plain sponge on top with its top surface facing up.
- Decorate: Whip the remaining 200ml of cream to soft peaks and spread about 3 tablespoons over the top of the cake with a palette knife, taking it to the edge. Pipe the rest as rosettes around the rim if you like, tip the remaining grated chocolate into the centre, and finish with fresh cherries. Chill until ready to serve.
FAQs
Is there alcohol in black forest gateau?
Yes, and this recipe uses two types. Kirsch goes into the cherry filling where it simmers with the jam and dried sour cherries, and most of the alcohol cooks off during those 6 to 8 minutes on the hob. The cherry brandy is poured directly onto the sponge layers after baking though, so that alcohol stays in the cake and you can taste it.
For a non-alcoholic version, replace the Kirsch with the syrup from a jar of morello cherries and swap the cherry brandy for strong black cherry juice. The cake will be slightly less complex but the morello cherry jam still carries most of the flavour, so you will not miss the booze as much as you might expect.
Can you freeze black forest cake?
The sponge layers freeze well on their own for up to three months if you wrap them individually in cling film, and the cherry filling also freezes separately in a sealed container. Making both ahead and freezing them is a smart move because the assembly and cream are the quick part.
Do not freeze the assembled cake with cream on it, because whipped cream splits and goes grainy when thawed. Build the sponges and cherry filling in advance, defrost them overnight in the fridge, then whip the cream and assemble on the day you plan to serve.
Why use dried sour cherries instead of tinned?
Dried sour cherries rehydrate in the jam and Kirsch as they simmer, which concentrates their flavour and gives the filling a chewy texture that tinned cherries cannot match. The headnote specifically warns against tinned cherries because they “have very little flavour” and turn the filling watery.
Morello cherries in a jar (in syrup rather than tinned in juice) are the best alternative if you cannot find dried, and the recipe suggests draining them well before adding them to the jam. The tartness of morello or sour cherries is what makes a proper black forest gateau taste different from a plain chocolate and cream cake.
Do I need a food processor for the sponge?
No, but it is the fastest route to a smooth batter because everything goes in at once and blends in under a minute. The recipe also works with an electric stand mixer or hand-held beaters, but you need to cream the butter and sugar first, then add the eggs one at a time, then fold in the flour and cocoa.
The food processor method is what makes this recipe quicker than most black forest gateau recipes, because a traditional German version would have you whisking eggs and sugar over a bain-marie until tripled in volume. That method gives a lighter sponge, but the all-in-one processor sponge is rich, dense, and sturdy enough to hold four layers of cream and cherries without collapsing.
How far in advance can I make this?
The sponges and cherry filling can both be made the day before and stored separately, which leaves just the cream, assembly, and decoration for the day you serve. The finished cake keeps in the fridge for up to 24 hours and should sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before cutting so the cream softens.
The recipe says “it’s best to eat it the same day” but adds that it will hold for a full day in the fridge if needed. The sponge actually absorbs the cherry brandy better overnight, so the flavour is arguably deeper the next day even if the cream looks slightly less fresh on the surface. If you want a make-ahead black forest dessert that improves overnight by design, the black forest trifle from British Classics is built for exactly that.
