Jamie Oliver Black Forest Gateau Recipe

Oh boy. Where do I start with this one? This Jamie Oliver Black Forest Gateau Recipe—it’s dense. It’s dark. It’s the kind of cake that demands silence after the first bite. Like, proper silence. Layers of moist chocolate sponge, whipped cream, cherries bleeding into ganache… It’s almost too much. Almost. I made it for a dinner thing, nothing fancy, just friends. But it turned into a bit of a ritual by the end. People licking forks like they were ten again. (inspired by Jamie Oliver)

Ingredients You’ll Need

For the sponge:

• 185g unsalted butter (and a bit more for greasing)
• 140g dark chocolate (get the good stuff, trust me)
• 120ml milk A little pinch of salt
• 140g self-raising flour
• 240g caster sugar
• 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
• 3 eggs, large, room temp (makes a difference)
• 80g Greek yogurt

Filling & Topping:

• 480ml double cream split in two lots 2–3 teaspoons Kirsch or cherry juice (whatever vibe you’re going for)
• 40g dark chocolate chopped (plus extra to shave or hack at later)
• 2 tablespoons icing sugar
• 5–6 heaped tablespoons of black cherry jam
• A small punnet of fresh cherries (stems on = prettier)

How To Make Jamie Oliver Black Forest Gateau

1. First thing—oven on. 150°C. Slow and low works wonders here. Grab two round tins (23cm if you’ve got them), line the bottoms, butter the edges like you’re tucking in a child.
2. Chocolate bit: melt chocolate, milk, butter, and that tiny whisper of salt over low heat. Let it pool into something silky. Then cool it down a little—just so it doesn’t scramble your eggs later.
3. Dry stuff goes in a big bowl: flour, cocoa, sugar. Crack in the eggs one by one, mixing like you’re stirring a memory. When it starts to look like cake batter, fold in the chocolate-yogurt mix. It gets glossy. Sticky. Smells faintly like mischief.
4. Split it between your tins. Bang them gently on the counter. Air bubbles, be gone. Bake for an hour—or a little more. Skewer test it. If it comes out clean, you’re golden. Let them cool. Don’t rush. They need to settle.
5. Ganache time: heat 240ml of the cream with your Kirsch or juice until it sighs into a simmer. Off the heat, in goes the chopped chocolate. Stir like you mean it. It should look like something from a Paris café. Keep it warm, not hot.
6. Now the whipped cream: beat the rest of the cream with icing sugar until it holds soft peaks. Not stiff. Think of it as cloud texture.
7. Assembly: Bottom sponge first. Spread cherry jam over it—let it soak into the cracks. Then the ganache, then half the cream. Second sponge on top. The rest of the cream goes over like a soft blanket. Finish with chocolate shavings (big curls or fine dust, doesn’t matter) and those gorgeous cherries. A few stems poking up. Makes it feel alive.
8. Stick it in the fridge. Let it all come together.

Why I Love This Recipe

This cake—it’s a mood. I made it once after a rough week. Something about the process, the slow melting, the layering… it grounded me. Then you slice into it and the layers are just ridiculous. And everyone sort of goes, “Wait. You made this?” It’s not humble. But sometimes, neither am I.

Recipe Tips

• Use cherry juice if booze isn’t your thing. Or skip it. Just don’t skip the jam.
• Room temperature eggs and yogurt. Non-negotiable.
• Let your ganache cool slightly before assembling. Melted cream is a heartbreak.
• More jam = more joy. Chill it before serving. It slices cleaner. Also, it just tastes better cold.

How To Store This Jamie Oliver Black Forest Gateau Recipe

• At room temp: Nope. This one’s a fridge dweller.
• Fridge: Covered, in a container, preferably something with a bit of space. Keeps for three days if you don’t inhale it before then.
• Freezer: Yes, slices only. Wrapped tight—clingfilm and foil. Two months tops. Thaw slowly. Let it dream in the fridge overnight.
• Reheating: Don’t. Please. This isn’t a microwave moment.

Let’s Answer a Few Questions! (FAQs)

Can I swap plain flour for self-raising?
Sure. Add 1.5 teaspoons baking powder and a pinch of salt per cup. It works.

No Kirsch—what now?
Cherry juice, maybe a splash of vanilla. Or nothing. It’s still wild.

How do I know it’s baked enough?
Skewer. Center. Comes out clean? You’re good. Slight crumbs? Still fine. Wet? Back in.

Make-ahead?
Absolutely. Day before is ideal. Just chill it well. Add cherries just before showtime.

Shaving chocolate?
Vegetable peeler. Or bash a bar with a knife. Neatness is overrated.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

• Calories: 539
• Carbs: 54g
• Protein: 8g
• Fat: 33g
• Sugar: 29g
• Fibre: 2.7g
• Sodium: 339mg

Try More Recipes:

• Jamie Oliver Gingerbread Cake
• Jamie Oliver Roasted Stone Fruit
• Jamie Oliver Key Lime Pie