I think a long enough time has passed since the heyday of Sara Lee to concede the magnificence of the OG BFG: that towering torte of cherry brandy-soaked chocolate sponge, cherries and whipped cream whose name nods to the German Schwarzwälder’s many cherry trees and the black, white and red of its traditional dress. It’s also a very simple bake, because the show-stopping bit is all in the assembly.
Prep 1 hr
Cook 1 hr 5 min
Serves 8-10
For the pastry layer (optional)
60g plain flour
5g cocoa powder
25g caster sugar
40g softened butter
Salt
For the sponge
6 large eggs
140g soft light brown sugar
60g cocoa powder
Salt
For the filling
750g fresh or frozen cherries, or 700g morello cherries in syrup (see step 1)
60g caster sugar (only if using fresh or frozen cherries)
1½ tbsp kirsch, or unsweetened cherry brandy (cherry liqueur will work, but is much sweeter)
500ml double or whipping cream
½ tsp vanilla extract
50g icing sugar
300g cherry jam
1 square dark chocolate, shaved into curls
1 A note on the cherries
Traditionally, this cake is made with sour cherries, which aren’t readily available in the UK. You can sometimes find them frozen, or use morello cherries in syrup/juice, instead, but there are still summer cherries in the shops, so I’ve devised this recipe to use the fresh sweet variety (skip step 2 if you’re using jarred or tinned fruit).
2 Prepare the cherries
Stone all but 10 of your fresh or frozen cherries, if need be, and set aside the unstoned fruit for now. The only easy way to do this is with a cherry pitter; they’re not expensive and some can also be used for olives.
Put the stoned cherries in a saucepan with the caster sugar, set it over a medium heat and cook, stirring gently, until the cherries soften but are still holding their shape.
3 Pasty or no pastry?
Traditionally, the base of this cake is made from shortcrust pastry, rather than sponge, for the simple reason that it holds up better to being drenched in cherry juice and brandy than cake does. You can skip this and the next two steps for a simpler three-tier sponge cake that will require less cream and fewer cherries.
4 Make the pastry dough
Line the base of a 20cm, loose-bottomed tin with a circle of greaseproof paper that’s cut neatly to fit. Sift the flour and cocoa powder for the pastry layer, if making, into a large bowl, add the sugar and a pinch of salt, and whisk to combine. Squidge in the butter to make a soft dough.
5 Bake the pastry layer
Use your fingers to press the dough into the base of the lined tin, so it covers it in a thin, fairly even layer. Cover and chill for 20 minutes while you heat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6, then bake for 15 minutes, until crisp. Take the tin out of the oven, carefully lift out the pastry and leave to cool.
6 Start the cake batter
Line the same tin with more greaseproof paper and turn down the oven to 180C (160C fan)/350F/gas 4.
Separate the eggs into two large bowls and whisk the yolks with the sugar until the latter dissolves and the mixture begins to thicken.
Sieve in the cocoa powder and a pinch of salt, and stir gently to combine.
7 Finish the batter and bake
Beat the egg whites until stiff, then stir a spoonful of them into the egg yolk mixture, just to loosen. Gently fold in the rest of the egg whites, then carefully spoon the mixture into the lined tin. Smooth out the top and bake for 35-40 minutes, until the cake is puffed up and set on top. Leave to cool completely in the tin (and be warned that it will sink slightly).
8 Flavour the cake
Drain the cooked cherries and mix 50ml of their syrup with the kirsch. Use a bread knife to cut the cooled cake into three layers.
Spoon some cherry syrup over the top of each one, being careful not to overload them. Whip the cream until it starts to thicken, then add the vanilla, sift in the icing sugar and whisk again until voluminous, but not stiff.
9 Finishing touches
Spread a third of the jam on to the cooled pastry, then top that with a quarter of the cream and a third of the cooked cherries. Lay one of the three sponge cakes on top and repeat the jam, cream and cherry layers.
Repeat again with a second sponge cake and more jam, cream and cherries.
Top with the final sponge, spread with a voluptuous layer of cream and decorate with shaved chocolate and the reserved fresh cherries.
