Revival from The Black Forest

When I was a girl Sundays meant a full roast dinner at 2pm and then tea at about 7pm. Tea would always be pink fish sandwiches (tinned salmon) and a frozen gateaux. Funny thing is I cannot abide either now but it was the highlight of the weekend when I was a child.

Later on my dear Mum-in-law loved a frozen gateaux and every Sunday she'd make a full roast followed by the old favourite 'Sara Lee' cake (but Kath called it 'Sarah Lunn'. A cross between 'Sara Lee' & 'Sally Lunn'). Anyway in homage to all of these memories I give you my take on the Black Forest. Makes 1 Roulade or 4 Jam Jars. 

175g Caster Sugar
150g Dark melted and cooled chocolate
50g Good cocoa
6 Eggs
500ml double cream
140ml milk chocolate chopped into little pieces
2 tbsp kirsch liqueur
1 tin of Cherry pie filling
4 fresh cherries.
Preheat the oven 180
Grease & Line a swiss roll tin. 

Separate your eggs into 2 bowls. Then whisk the egg whites until firm, add the caster sugar to the egg yolks and whisk until doubled in volume and pale in colour. With a large metal spoon fold the melted dark chocolate and cocoa into the yolk and sugar mixture. Spoon a third of the egg white into the yolk mix to lighten. Then using the metal spoon fold in the rest. Spoon into the lined baking tin and bake for 20-25 mins.

Turn out on to a wire rack covered with a clean damp tea towel and leave to cool completely. In the meantime heat 100ml of the cream until just boiling, leave to cool slightly before stirring in the milk chocolate. Stir in the kirsch liqueur, cover and leave to cool and thicken. Whisk the rest of the cream to firm. 

Now to decide if you'd like to go with the Jam jar desserts or the Roulade. 

For the Jam Jars 
Using a circle cutter, cut out 12 circles of the sponge, then place one into the bottom of the jar followed by a layer of ganache. Then put another circle of sponge, followed by the cherry filling.Another circle of sponge. Spoon the whipped cream into a piping bag fitted with an open star nozzle and pipe a pretty swirl. You can now top with a fresh cherry and some chocolate shavings or cocoa.

For the Roulade

Spread the cooled cake with a layer of the milk chocolate ganache, then a layer of the cherry filling and then 3/4 of the whipped cream. Using the tea towel to push roll into a swiss roll and dust with cocoa powder to serve. Spoon the remainder of the cream into a piping bag fitted with an open star nozzle and pipe detail along the top, finish with fresh cherries.