Black forest gateau

I have a very soft spot for classic gateaux. Apple pie, baked Alaska, sticky toffee pudding you name it! You would think I am a 70 year old woman with a couple of cats baking in my night gown (totally going to be me in the future!). Black forest gateau is totally one of them and it is one my all time favourite cakes. My twist on it is a little bit more modern and technical but do not fear I am here to guide you through and make everyone say ‘did you make this?!’. Boozy genoise chocolate sponge, confit cherries, dark chocolate mousse it is all finished with a decadent dark chocolate ganache glaze. The best thing about this mousse cake? No gelatine is required! Are you drooling yet?! Well I am!

Ingredients for the dark chocolate mousse

• Double cream: Double cream will go into both the anglaise and the whipped that we will use to finish the mousse. Make sure the cream is as cold as possible.
• Whole milk: Whole milk will be the base of the anglaise. Always use whole milk for all your bakes as it gives more stability and richness to the finished product.
• Egg yolks: Egg yolks will be used for the base of the mousse. Don’t throw away those poor egg whites! Why not try the tiramisu macarons that you can find on the blog?!
• Caster sugar: Caster sugar has a finer texture in comparison to coarser sugars resulting in a smoother mousse.
• Dark chocolate: You can use a dark chocolate with anything from 54%-66% cocoa solids. Anything higher than that will have a very bitter taste and will make the mousse set very quickly.

Ingredients for the confit cherries

• Fresh cherries: Firm cherries are best for confiting as they do not lose their shape while cooking. You will end up with 300g of cherries after you have stoned them.
• Jam sugar: The pectin in the jam sugar coats the cherries and makes them more stable in between the layered mousse.
• Kirsch: Kirsch is a classic addition to a black forest gateau but I used black raspberry liqueur for a sweeter and smoother finish. You can also use a simple syrup flavoured with vanilla for a non alcoholic option.

Ingredients for the chocolate genoise

• Whole eggs: 2 whole eggs at room temperature will be used for the recipe.
• Caster sugar: Its fine texture makes it easier to dissolve and aerate the eggs.
• Plain flour: Plain flour or 00 flour is perfect for this light and airy sponge.
• Cocoa powder: Use a high quality cocoa powder for an intense flavour of chocolate in the sponge.
• Unsalted butter: Always use unsalted butter for baking. That way you can control the salt in your recipe.
• Kirsch: Kirsch or raspberry liqueur will be used for soaking the genoise sponge. Genoise sponge is generally a pretty dry sponge but for a reason! It is perfect for soaking up liquid so it is up to you how boozy you want your sponge to be. I used about 90g for mine but you can use more or less! You can also use simple syrup flavoured with vanilla for a non alcoholic option.

Ingredients for the dark chocolate ganache glaze

• Double cream: Double cream will give richness and stability to the glaze. Do not substitute with single cream as the glaze will be too thin and runny.
• Whole milk: Whole milk will loosen the glaze and make it more pliable instead of exclusively using double cream.
• Caster sugar: Only a small amount of sugar will be added to the glaze as the glucose and the dark chocolate will add more sweetness.
• Glucose: Glucose is very essential in the glaze as it will make it shiny and glossy.
• Dark chocolate: Same as the mousse you can use a dark chocolate with anything from 54%-66% cocoa solids. Anything higher and the glaze will be too thick and crack after a few hours.

For the dark chocolate ganache glaze

• 120g double cream
• 75g whole milk
• 38g caster sugar
• 30g glucose
• 185g dark chocolate

For the chocolate genoise

• 100g whole eggs (about 2 eggs)
• 100g caster sugar
• 80g plain flour
• 20g cocoa powder
• 25g butter
• 80g-100g kirsch or raspberry liquer for soaking (simple syrup for non alcoholic)

For the confit cherries

• 300g fresh cherries stoned
• 35g jam sugar
• 30g water
• 10g raspberry liqueur

For the dark chocolate mousse (makes one 8 inch cake ring/serves 10)

• 550g double cream
• 150g whole milk
• 60g egg yolks (about 3 eggs)
• 30g caster sugar
• 320g dark chocolate (66% cocoa solids)

How to make the dark chocolate ganache glaze

1. Place the chopped chocolate in a medium bowl and set aside.
2. Put cream, whole milk, sugar and liquid glucose in a saucepan and bring to the boil.
3. Gradually add the hot cream to the chopped chocolate, mixing continuously to form an emulsion. Pour into an airtight container and leave to cool before transferring to the fridge.

How to make the chocolate genoise (makes one 8 inch cake ring)

1. Preheat the oven to 190°C and line one 8 inch cake ring with parchment paper.
2. Put the eggs and sugar in a clean, sterilised bowl. Whisk over a double boiler until the temperature reaches 40°C on a digital thermometer.
3. Transfer the sabayon to a standing mixer and with the whisk attached, continue to whisk to ribbon stage.
4. Sieve the flour and cocoa powder.
5. Carefully begin to fold the flour through the whisked sabayon mixture using a spatula.
6. When the flour is three-quarters folded through, take two large scoops of the mixture and add it to the melted butter*.
7. Add the butter mixture to the sabayon mixture and continue to fold through. Mix until the mixture is incorporated and smooth.
8. Pour into the prepared ring and spread out evenly with a small cranked palette knife.
9. Bake in the preheated oven for about 12 minutes until golden brown and the sponge springs back when pressed gently.

How to make the confit cherries

1. Place stoned cherries, jam sugar and water in a saucepan and bring to a simmer.
2. Simmer for 5 minutes or until the cherries have softened.
3. Add the raspberry liqueur or kirsch*. Turn up the heat, bring to the boil and then cook for 2 minutes, until the juices have thickened.
4. Spread out on a shallow tray to cool.

How to make the chocolate mousse 

1. Place the chopped dark chocolate in a big bowl.
2. Place 150g of the cream in a saucepan and add the milk and half of the sugar. Bring to the boil.
3. Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks and the remaining sugar together in a mixing bowl until the mix becomes light in colour about 2 minutes.
4. When the milk has boiled, pour half of it onto the egg and sugar mixture and whisk thoroughly*.
5. Pour the mix back into the pan and cook over a low heat, stirring continuously, until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon, about 78°C-80°C.
6. Take the pan off the heat and pass through a fine sieve onto the chopped chocolate in a mixing bowl.
7. Using a spatula, mix until smooth and emulsified, then leave to cool.
8. Put the remaining cream in an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment until soft peaks form.
9. Carefully fold the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture.

Assemble the black forest gateaux

1. Prepare the 8 inch cake ring by covering the bottom of it with cling film to get a smooth finish.
2. When you prepare the mousse pipe a generous amount of chocolate until half way up the ring and use a cranked palette knife to push the mousse up the side of the mould.
3. Place the cooled confit cherries in the centre, being careful to not touch the sides.
4. Pipe more mousse on the top of the cherries, making sure that you leave some mousse to finish the entremet*.
5. Trim the sponge to flatten and place into the ring. Soak the sponge with 80g-100g raspberry liquer or kirsch* (or plain syrup if you are not using alcohol).
6. Top up with the remaining mousse and level off with a palette knife.
7. Place in the freezer to set for at least 4 hours.
8. Warm the glaze over a double boiler or microwave and bring to about 30°C.
9. Remove the entremet from the freezer and warm the ring with your hands to demould*.
10. Place a cooling rack onto a tray with sides to catch any excess glaze.
11. Place the entremet on the rack and gently pour the glaze over the product, paying close attention to corners and sides to make sure it is evenly coated.
12. Gently run the palette knife across the top of the entremet ensuring a thin coating.
13. Place the entremet on a serving dish and leave in the fridge to set.
14. After the gateau is set decorate with Chantilly cream, more cherries and decorations of your choice.
15. Slice into 10 portions and store in the fridge for up twp 3 days.
16. Enjoy 🙂

Notes 

• Sometimes the butter can be a bit too warm which will result in losing too much air from our cake mix. By adding some of the batter into the melted butter we bring the temperature down, making sure our mix remains aerated.
• If you are not using any alcohol for the confit cherries, raspberry vinegar is a great alternative as it gives a very similar result.
• Pouring some of the hot milk in the whipped eggs and sugar is called tempering and it prevents the eggs from curdling. No one wants scrambled eggs in their mousse!
• You might be wondering what on earth does entremet means?! Well in the modern world of patisserie entremet is layered cakes with different textures and flavours normally build in moulds and finished with various glazes.
• I don’t specify how much alcohol to use to soak your sponge. You can use as little or as much as you want depending on how boozy you like the end result. Do not overdo it though as your sponge will end up being too mushy!
• The best way to demould anything frozen from a ring is (hands down) a blowtorch. If you have one, simply heat up the sides of your ring and the mousse will come out nice and smooth! If you don’t (let’s be honest most people don’t!) you can warm your hands with some hot water and vigorously massage the sides of the ring.

Meringue kisses,
Athina xx