Black Forest Gateau Cake (Dairy & Gluten Free)

This is the final recipe I developed during my gluten-free baking phase, and it features cherries. When I think of cherries, two things come to mind: Bakewell tart and Black Forest Gateau. Since my dairy-free and gluten-free sponges use almonds, I initially leaned toward a Bakewell-inspired cake, but my love for chocolate won out. I also adore making avocado icing; it always surprises people with how good it tastes. This cake works beautifully with tinned cherries, as they’re already peeled and pitted, saving you a lot of prep time. Plus, you don’t have to wait for cherry season to make it. Just make sure your avocado is ripe when making the icing; overripe is fine, but underripe will leave you with a lumpy mess!

Black Forest Gateau Cake (Dairy & Gluten Free)
Black Forest Gateau Cake (Dairy & Gluten Free)

Serves 10-12

Hands-on Time 30 minutes (plus cooling)

Baking Time 35 minutes

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Ingredients

  • Oil for greasing (e.g., sunflower or vegetable)

  • 2 tins pitted black cherries in light syrup (approx. 425g undrained each)

  • 115g caster sugar (plus 1 tbsp and 1 tsp)

  • 3 medium eggs

  • 1 tsp almond extract

  • 100g ground almonds

  • 40g cocoa powder (plus 4 tbsp)

  • Pinch of fine salt

  • 1 tsp lemon juice (concentrate is fine)

  • 1 tsp cornflour

  • 1 ripe avocado

  • Up to 100g icing sugar

Equipment

  • Scissors

  • Baking parchment

  • 20cm fixed or push-bottom cake tin

  • 2 bowls

  • Saucepan

  • Kitchen paper

  • Mini chopper or blender

  • 2 mixing bowls

  • Electric whisk

  • Spatula

  • Spoon

  • Wire rack

  • Knife

Method

1. Preheat the oven

  • Preheat the oven to 170°C/150°C (fan)/325°F/Gas Mark 3.

  • Line the cake tin with parchment and grease with oil.

2. Prepare the cherries

  • Drain the cherries, reserving the syrup. Pat the cherries dry with kitchen paper.

  • Divide the cherries: 100g in a saucepan, 100g in a mini chopper/blender, and the rest in a bowl.

  • Pulse the cherries in the mini chopper/blender until smooth.

3. Make the cake batter

  • Separate the eggs into two mixing bowls.

  • Beat the egg yolks with the blended cherries and 65g caster sugar until thick and pale.

  • Whisk the egg whites until foamy, then gradually add 50g caster sugar until stiff peaks form.

  • Fold the almond extract, ground almonds, 40g cocoa, and a pinch of salt into the egg yolk mixture.

  • Gently fold in the egg whites in two batches until no streaks remain.

4. Assemble the cake

  • Toss the remaining cherries with 2 tbsp cocoa and 1 tbsp caster sugar. Spread them in the cake tin.

  • Pour the cake batter over the cherries and smooth the top.

  • Bake on the middle shelf for 35 minutes.

5. Make the cherry jam

  • Combine 4 tbsp cherry syrup, lemon juice, and cornflour in the saucepan with the reserved cherries.

  • Cook over medium-high heat, stirring and breaking up the cherries, until thickened. Set aside.

6. Cool the cake

  • Let the cake cool in the tin for 15 minutes, then turn it out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

7. Make the avocado icing

  • Blend the avocado flesh until creamy.

  • Add 2 tbsp cocoa, a pinch of salt, and half the avocado’s weight in icing sugar. Beat until smooth.

8. Decorate and serve

  • Spread the avocado icing over the cooled cake.

  • Top with the cherry jam and serve.

Enjoy!

Black Forest Gateau Cake (Dairy & Gluten Free)
Black Forest Gateau Cake (Dairy & Gluten Free)