IT was the Seventies dinner party dessert of choice – and now the retro Black Forest gateau is back.
Sales of the classic chocolate sponge, Morello cherry and whipped cream pudding are booming, with Waitrose reporting a 134 per cent increase compared to last year.
But which slices are stuck in the past, and which are the cherry on the top? Here, Laura Stott rates a selection.
M&S: Black Forest Iced Gateau
- 990g, £15
- 4/5
OK, at this price it is unlikely you will be picking it up as a midweek dessert or as a standby for the freezer.
But if you want something that looks spectacular for a special occasion, then this giant offering will serve at least nine people and is really extremely tasty.
It takes all the 1970s flavours and poshes them up into a properly luxurious pud.
Cocoa-rich, intense chocolate is blended with silky mascarpone cheese custard cream and squished with springy chocolate sponge and scrummy sour and sweet cherry sauce.
On top there is a thick layer of chocolate ganache and a crunchy tempered chocolate plaque. Delicious.
Morrisons: Black Forest Gateau
- 375g, £2.50
- 1/5
PRICEY for the size, but the flavours are in place and pleasant, although I couldn’t really fathom why the cost was so much higher.
All the Black Forest tastes are there with agreeable Morello cherries, a creamy mousse and dark chocolate flakes, but there is nothing that makes a slice of this gateau stand out.
The cherries are definitely on the sweet side and there aren’t as many as I would have liked to see. The cream around the edge is extremely firm.
On the plus side, this makes it easy to slice. But however nice it is to eat, it looks a little mean on the table and I don’t think it offers good value for money.
Iceland: Black Forest Gateau
- 375g, £2, Iceland
- 3/5
PERFECT to keep in the freezer for when you want something that feels a bit special.
It is small enough to fit neatly in a cold draw, but once defrosted, there is plenty to go round as a family pud or something to serve when friends come over.
It looks very pretty, with eight per cent shiny Morello cherries heaped up in the middle.
There is a generous amount of cream around the outside and tasty dark choc flakes sprinkled on top.
Underneath there’s chocolate sponge, a layer of creamy vanilla mousse, choc mousse swirls and sweet cherry sauce.
A bit dense maybe but at the very retro price of just £2 I’m not complaining too much.
Tesco: Black Forest Gateau
- 630g, £3
- 4/5
THIS whopper, which you will find in the freezer aisle, provides enough dessert for eight people – or more if you don’t want a huge slice.
I really enjoyed the Morello cherries in the centre, which are a gorgeous, glossy, blood red hue and taste as good as they look, smothered in delicious – and just tart enough – cherry sauce.
The chocolate sponge is layered with cream mousse and cherry sauce.
Below is rather sweet but still yummy, and there is a good amount of dark chocolate flakes on top, although they are scattered rather patchily.
Very creamy and moreish, it is a guilty pleasure. Takes three hours to defrost.
Sainsbury’s: Black Forest Gateau
- 375g, £1.75
- 5/5
NOT keen on cherries and chocolate? This could be the cake to change your mind.
From the outside, I wasn’t especially excited about tucking into this frozen dessert which comes in a boring purple box with a photo of a rather bland bit of gateau on the front. But what was inside more than exceeded my expectations.
Absolutely delicious Morello cherries, which are plump, juicy and really taste fruity, tart and sweet all together in perfect balance.
A light but rich chocolate sponge cake is layered with tasty vanilla cream mousse and cherry sauce. The flakes are excellent quality. It’s low cost, too.
Asda: Black Forest Gateau
- 620g, £3
- 3/5
A FROZEN pud that is perfect for feeding hungry mouths after your main course, without spending a fortune.
This offering will satisfy at least eight people. It came out of the box looking a bit squashed though, which somewhat ruined its showstopper appearance.
And although there was lots of whipped cream around the edge, it was rather flat. It did taste nice but all the whole Morello cherries in the middle had sunk inwards.
I also found the sponge rather firm, and there wasn’t much dark choc on top either. Tastes good, but not the prettiest out there.
Aldi: Black Forest Gateau
- 375g, £1.75
- 4/5
A SMALL but perfectly formed gateau that is ideal for keeping in the freezer for when you want an emergency pudding everyone is guaranteed to enjoy.
It is packed with all the nostalgic tastes you’d want, with tart Morello cherries, dark cocoa-flavoured sponge and a layer of vanilla cream through the middle. I did find the amount of cherry sauce on top a bit stingy and the fruits themselves were also on the small side.
But there are plenty of dark chocolate nibs sprinkled over the top, which taste yummy and give good textural crunch.
The vanilla cream does make it feel a bit more like eating an ice cream than a gateau, but the flavours are still enjoyable.
Ocado: Gu Cheesecake
- 2 x 88g, £2.50
- 3/5
IF you want all the flavours but don’t have lots of mouths to feed or space in your freezer, these mini individual pots are the perfect solution.
Unlike most of the bigger offerings, they also give you a boozy hit as, like the classic retro recipe, they contain the black cherry liqueur kirsch, which is derived from brandy.
The cherry compote is dense with sour and tart fruity flavours. There is a rich and decadent dark chocolate mouse and biscuit crumb.
A grown-up deconstructed gateaux that is ideal as part of a romantic meal for two – or just for whenever you fancy a spoonful to yourself and don’t want to share!
