This decadent Black Forest Gateau is the perfect cake to make for a special occasion, a real crowd pleaser.
Some cakes are so good, they become part of your family history. This recipe for Black Forest Gateau has become a firm favourite in our house with both my mum and husband requesting it for their birthdays recently. It would also be an amazing addition to your Christmas Day spread. For another amazing gateau, you must try the Nutella Gateau on the website. Or for another great jam and cream combo, check out my Victoria Sponge Cake recipe.
There are a few steps in the process, but you can easily break these up over a few days. I recommend making the cakes the day before and storing them in an airtight container. Then, on the day you assemble the gateau, you can make the remaining berry sauce, ganache and whipped cream and layer them up on the cooled cakes.
How to make Black Forest Gateau:
Preheat the oven to 170°C fanbake. Grease and line two 23cm round baking tins. Warm milk and butter together in a glass bowl until butter has melted. Add to a larger bowl and pour in the oil, vanilla and eggs. Sift flour, cocoa and baking powder into the bowl then add the sugar and salt and mix everything together.
Dissolve the instant coffee in boiling water then add to the bowl and combine. Whisk out any lumps before pouring evenly into the two prepared tins. Bake for approximately 35 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean. Leave to cool.
To make the berry sauce, add the halved frozen cherries and frozen berries to a small saucepan with sugar and water. Bring to the boil while stirring then simmer until it thickens. Let it cool to room temperature before using. In a glass bowl, melt the dark chocolate and cream together in the microwave and whisk until smooth. Leave to cool slightly before using.
Once you have made all the components and whipped the cream, cut the cooled cakes in half horizontally.
Place one of the four cake layers on a serving plate then drizzle over ⅓ of the berry sauce and ⅓ of the whipped cream. Repeat with the remaining layers until all of the sauce and cream has been used.
Spread the chocolate ganache over the top of the cake and grate over the extra dark chocolate. Chill for 3 hours or longer before serving. This will help the flavours to sink into the cake.
If you love a decadent cake for a special occasion (or you just want to impress your friends and family!), be sure to check out my recipes for Banana Caramel Cake and Lumberjack Cake. These are both epic cakes to feed a crowd.
Recipe FAQs:
Yes! I recommend making the cakes the day before you assemble the gateau and storing them in an airtight container overnight. You could even make the berry sauce in advance too. Then, on the day you assemble it, you only have to make the cream and ganache. I think this cake is actually tastier to eat the day after you have assembled it, it gives the sauce time to sink in to the cake layers.
I promise you can not taste the coffee it just gives it a great rich flavour. But you can leave it out if you really don't want to or you can use decaf.
Storage:
This cake will keep well for up to three days in an airtight container in the fridge.
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Black Forest Gateau
This chocolate and cherry layer cake combines rich cake layers with berry sauce, whipped cream and dark chocolate.
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake
- 200ml milk
- 50g butter, diced
- ½ cup vegetable oil (110ml)
- 2 tsp vanilla essence
- 2 eggs, whisked
- 2 cups plain flour (300g)
- ¾ cup cocoa powder (75g)
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 cups sugar (440g)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp instant coffee
- 1 cup boiling water
Berry sauce
- 1 cup frozen cherries (130g)
- 1 cup frozen mixed berries (130g)
- ¼ cup sugar (60g)
- ½ cup water
Ganache
- 120ml cream
- 120g dark chocolate
To Serve
- 380ml cream, whipped
- 30g dark chocolate, grated
Instructions
- Chocolate cakes: Preheat oven to 170°C fanbake. Grease and line two 23cm round baking tins.
- Warm milk and butter together in a glass bowl in the microwave until butter is melted. (30-40 seconds)
- Add to a large bowl and pour in the oil, vanilla and eggs.
- Sift flour, cocoa, baking soda and powder into the bowl. Add sugar and salt then mix together.
- Dissolve instant coffee in boiling water. Pour into the bowl with the rest of the ingredients and mix everything together. Whisk out any lumps.
- Pour evenly into prepared tins. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Let cakes cool to room temperature before assembling.
- Berry sauce: Cut frozen cherries in half and add to a small saucepan with the berries.
- Add sugar and water then bring to a boil while stirring.
- Simmer until sauce reduces and thickens (approx 10 minutes). Let it cool until to room temperature then chill until ready to use.
- Ganache: Melt together cream and dark chocolate in a glass bowl in the microwave (approx 1 minute). Whisk until smooth, let it cool to room temperature and it will thicken.
- To serve: Cut each cake in half horizontally then whip the cream.
- Place one layer of cake on a serving plate. Drizzle over ⅓ of the berry syrup. Top with ⅓ of whipped cream and spread evenly.
- Repeat with remaining layers until all of the sauce and whipped cream is used up.
- Spread chocolate ganache over the top of the cake and grate over extra dark chocolate.
- Chill for 3+ hours before serving.
Notes
- Store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- This gateau is best made a day in advance.
- To make things faster you can bake the cakes the day before and store in an airtight container until ready to use.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 16 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 380Total Fat: 25gSaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 67mgSodium: 381mgCarbohydrates: 52gFiber: 2gSugar: 35gProtein: 5g
Nutritional values are approximate. Please use your own calculations if you require a special diet.
Thank you for checking out this recipe. I hope you enjoy making and eating it! If you have any questions, queries or feedback, please feel free to leave a comment below.
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Vanya
Veronica says
Hi Vj I noticed in the cover pic you had Glace cherries but recipes frozen which do you prefer
VJ cooks says
Hi Veronica, the glace cherries in the bottom picture are for decorating purposes only 🙂 I always use frozen in the cake.
Kayla says
Hi VJ, I'm not a fan of coffee. Can you taste the coffee in this cake?
VJ cooks says
No the coffee flavour is not strong. But you can leave it out and just use the boiling water if you prefer.
Aimee says
This cake looks amazing! Is this a possibility you can swap the cherrys out for frozen berries? Would any measurements need to change or this or just a compete swap. Thank you!
VJ cooks says
Hi Aimee, yes you could just use two cups of frozen berries if you don't like cherries 🙂
Laura says
Could you tell me how I could incorporate cherry liquor / kirsch into this recipe? Thanks!
VJ cooks says
You can either brush it directly onto the sponges before adding the cherry mixture, or add some to the cherry mixture while coooking.
Gemma says
Can you use canned berries instead? I'm travelling and want to make this but don't want to end up with left over berries
VJ cooks says
Hi Gemma, yes you could use canned berries. Or, you could make the berry sauce in advance and take that with you.
Rebecca says
I find cutting the cakes the most difficult bit, could I make 4 cakes instead using a quarter of the mix each time or would that not work as well in terms of risk of drying out etc.
VJ cooks says
That would be fine. Just reduce the cook time and remove from the oven when cooked through.
Sarah says
Will this still hold together ok as two layers instead of 4?
VJ cooks says
Yes it will, you'll just have a smaller ratio of cake to cream.
Amanda says
To make the cakes dairy free do you think you could you sub the milk for soy or oat and the butter for nuttlex or olivani?
VJ cooks says
Oh I haven't tried that sorry. If you have a tried and true dairy free chocolate cake you could use that instead. But the filling contains cream which is also dairy.
Niki says
Hey VJ!
Can you make this Gluten-free? I am looking forward to making this (normal version) for my family but was wondering for future, if you could use gluten-free flour instead of normal, to cater for those in my extended family with gluten intolerances?
Thanks!
VJ cooks says
Yes I think that would work, just be sure to check your baking powder is gluten free as well. Alternatively, if you have a favourite gluten free chocolate cake recipe you could use that instead for the cakes, then complete the remaining steps as per the recipe.
Carolyn says
Hi VJ what a clever young lady you are and with your team to assist you. This cake looks so quick and easy compared to other Gateaus I've read about and that's why I haven't attempted them but i'm going to do yours for it's ease
Bernie says
Hi,
This gateau looks delicious and easy so I’m going to make it for a special occasion next weekend.
I noted when I printed the recipe that I under the Notes section it says “The gateau is best made the day before”. Is this just referring to the sponge and sauce or will the whole gateau be fine if made the day before?
Thanks - love your work.
VJ cooks says
Best to make the whole thing the day before. Then the sponge can soak up the cherry flavour.
Alana Ford says
Can you pre make and freeze cakes ? Thanks
VJ cooks says
Yes that would be fine. For best results, freeze as soon as cakes have cooled completely. Wrap tightly in cling film to prevent freezer burn.