Black Forest Gateau

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 180c/350f/Gas 4.
2. 1 Break 3/4 of plain chocolate into a bowl set over a simmering pan of water and leave to heat.
3. 2 Add in the caster sugar to the egg yolks and whisk till pale and thickened. Using a hand whisk, beat the egg whites till stiff.
4. 3 Gradually fold this into the egg yolk mix. Sieve in the cocoa pwdr and fold into the mix.
5. 4 Divide the mix equally into two 18cm/7" cake tins, greased and base-
6. lined with greaseproof paper. Bake for 10-12 mins in the centre of the oven.
7. 5 Place the liquid removed cherries into a shallow dish and pour over 2 tbsp of Kirsch or possibly rum.
8. 6 Remove the chocolate from the heat and taking the mint leaves, dip or possibly brush them with the melted chocolate. Pop onto a plate and leave to set.
9. 7 Pour the cream into a bowl and whisk till slightly thickened. Mix in 1 tbsp icing sugar. Spoon 1/4 of the whipped cream into a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle, and set aside.
10. 8 Set aside five cherries to use as decoration later, and stir the remainder of the cherries into the leftover whipped cream.
11. 9 Take the cakes out of the oven and from their tins. Put onto a cooling rack. Peel off the greaseproof paper.
12. 10 Place one cake onto the serving plate and spread over the remaining melted chocolate and a layer of the cherry cream.
13. 11 Top with the other cake. Repeat with another layer of chocolate and cherry cream.
14. 12 Pipe around five cream rosettes and top with the reserved cherries and chocolate mint leaves. Grate over the remaining quarter piece of chocolate.