Gateau recipe?

[wem]

I've been asked to make a gateau for a special occasion. I've never made one before and don't have a recipe in any of my reliable books. Any suggestions?

I've found a few by googling,(e.g. here), but would rather not have to do trial runs, so tried and tested recipes would be great :)

I also posted the same question a few months ago and no answers. There are a few on you-tube but like you said you want a tried and tested one.

The sponge has to be ultra light - less flour, soaked in some liquor, a thick layer of some flavoured cream/mouse.

www.channel4.com/4food/recipes/tv-show-recipes/baking-mad-with-eric-lanlard/gateau-opera-recipe

www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/chocolate_and_raspberry_84016 sadly no pic.

Black forest - yummy!

www.channel4.com/4food/recipes/tv-show-recipes/secret-supper-club-recipes/black-forest-gateaux-recipe

www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/features/man-versus-gateau-cooking-the-heston-blumenthal-way-424268.html See Mark Hix version at bottom of page.

Let me know if you have success!

Thanks, I've clarified a bit with the person who's asked for it, and got some good advice over on the sugarcraft chat thread here.

They're definitely after a fresh cream and summer fruit thing, so just have to work out what type of sponge to go for.

Chocolate with cointreau-soaked raspberries is nice, and you can always add a chocolate truffle layer (200g of plain choc, a slosh of cream, melt choc, add cream and whisk until thickened and lighter in colour) Add the fruit to the truffle layer, and have a layer of whipped cream.

I make the choc cake with the same weight of everything (plain flour, eggs, butter, chocolate and sugar, and 1 tsp of baking powder for each egg)

Ice with a chocolate ganache.

It freezes well - has to, or dd finishes it off by surreptitious fridge-raiding.