How to bake my Messy Black Forest Gateau

If you haven't guessed already from my instagram pictures, I love cake. I love to buy it, eat it, bake it, take pictures of it and pretty much live off it. Last week someone put the thought of making a black forest gateau into my head and before I knew it I was in Tesco picking up all the ingredients needed. I'm usually a pretty savvy shopper and love getting good quality products for as little as possible but on this day I was in a rush and didn't have my bargain hunting head on. It cost me €17 to buy all the ingredients for this cake. Usually I would have most of them already in the press at home which can save me a few pennies but on this occasion I had to buy each ingredient. And on the plus there is plenty left over to make other treats. 

For the cake you will need:

340g Golden caster sugar

340g Unsalted butter

240g Self-raising flour

100g Cocoa

6 Eggs

For the filling:

2 cans of black cherries in syrup

2 tbsp of Kirsch 

For the icing:

600ml of double cream - The more the better because this cake is pretty rich!!

200g dark chocolate - I bought Tesco own brand and it worked out just as nice as pricey chocolate. Also leave a few squares to decorate your cake afterwards if you like.

1. Preheat your oven to 170C

2. Prepare your cake tin before you start making a mess! Butter, dust with flour and line with greaseproof paper.

3. Now it's time for the good stuff. Whisk the butter and sugar in a bowl until it becomes light and fluffy. 

4. Then begin to beat in the eggs, one at a time. Sift flour and fold into your mixture along with cocoa powder.

5. Place mixture into baking tray and place in oven. Leave in until your entire kitchen smells like chocolate or for you crazy time accurate people 1 hour! Leave on a wire rack to cool.

6. Drain cherries and keep 200ml of the cherry syrup to be added to the kirsch.

7. Slice your cake into three sections.

8. Spoon your cheery syrup evenly over each section and leave to soak.

9. Heat up your double cream and add the chocolate pieces until melted. Place in the fridge to cool and thicken.

10.Now it's time to decorate. You can do this any way you wish. It pretty much involves your whipped cream, cherries and chocolate icing. For my cake I places a layer of cream and cherries between each section and topped the cake with the chocolate icing, chocolate shavings.

11. If you can wait, leave to set in a cool place. If you can't pop the kettle on and grab a fork!!

Enjoy girls,

Sarah