White forest

Name: White forest
Cuisine: New Zealand
Ingredients: shortcake sponge; 200 g cherry juice or purée; 200 g cherry juice or purée; ½ tsp citric acid; 2 tsp pectin; 1½ sheets gelatine; 30 g sugar; ¼ tsp vanilla bean paste; 120 g mascarpone; 75 g crème fraîche; 75 g cream; 15 g icing sugar; 1 tsp Kirsch; 16 fresh cherries

Preparation info

Makes
16

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Pâtisserie Made Simple

By Maxine Scheckter

Published 2026

About

Inspired by the same flavours you’ll find in a Black Forest gâteau, this white forest gâteau is a little lighter, and makes the perfect mini bûche de Noël. While the white piping on top is reminiscent of a proper white snowy Christmas, the cherries are a homage to the summer Christmas that we have in New Zealand.

Ingredients

Shortcake sponge

shortcake sponge

Oceania
New Zealand
Summer
Cake
Christmas

Method

Once baked, trimmed and in the freezer, begin to make the cherry gel.

Soak the gelatine sheets in cold water until soft. Drain and set aside. In a small pot, bring the cherry juice to a boil. Whisk the sugar, citric acid and pectin together then whisk into the boiling cherry juice. Boil for 1 minute, whisking constantly. Remove from the heat and whisk in the gelatine. Leave to cool to r