Gateau Africaine Recipes

Steps:

• Combine the yeast and warm water in a small bowl and let sit until the yeast starts to dissolve, about 5 minutes.
• Place the flour in a large bowl. Mix the yeast and water mixture into the flour with a wooden spoon until smooth. Stir in the sugar, vanilla extract and 1 teaspoon salt, and then cover with plastic wrap, placing the wrap directly on the dough. Set aside in a warm place and let rise for 1 hour.
• Bring 6 cups water to a boil in a large pot over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and add the fish. Poach the fish in the simmering liquid until cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove the fish from the water and set aside in a medium bowl. When the fish has cooled, use a fork to break apart the fish.
• Add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil to a medium skillet over medium heat and saute the onions until translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt and a pinch of freshly ground pepper and cook for 5 minutes. Add the fish to the skillet and stir to fully incorporate, adding 1 to 2 tablespoons more olive oil if needed to keep the mixture from becoming dry. Cook for another 3 minutes and then turn off the heat.
• Heat 2 inches of vegetable oil (about 8 cups) to 375 degrees F in a wide heavy pot over medium-high heat. Working in batches, carefully add the gateau batter to the oil with a 2-ounce ice cream scoop, turning over frequently until browned, about 2 1/2 minutes per batch. Transfer the gateau to paper towels to drain.
• Spoon the mackerel into a serving dish and serve with the gateau.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Grease and line the base of 3 x 20cm cake tins. Boil the kettle. Put the butter and 75g chocolate broken into chunks in a small pan and gently heat, stirring, until completely melted.
• Mix together the flour, sugar, cocoa and bicarbonate of soda with a pinch of salt in a mixing bowl. Whisk the eggs and buttermilk or yogurt together. Scrape the melted chocolate mixture and egg mixture into the dry ingredients, add 100ml boiling water and whizz briefly with an electric whisk until the cake batter is lump free.
• Divide the mixture between the tins and bake for 25 mins, swapping the tins round after 20 mins if they're on different shelves. To test they're done, push in a skewer and check that it comes out clean.
• Prick the cakes a few times with a skewer. Mix together the 2 tbsp reserved cherry juice and the kirsch (or more juice) and drizzle over the cakes. Cool the cakes.
• Mix together the remaining drained cherries and jam. Tip 200ml of the cream into a small pan and heat until just below simmering point. Chop the remaining chocolate and put in a heatproof bowl, pour over the hot cream and stir until melted. Set aside until spreadable.
• When the cakes are cool whisk the remaining cream and the icing sugar together until softly whipped. Spread over two of the cakes, then spoon over the jammy cherries. Stack the cakes together. Spread the chocolate cream over the third cake and sit on top of the other cakes. Pile the fresh cherries in and around the cake and serve