Thin films of the Y-doped stoichiometric high temperature protonic conductor barium cerate, BaCeO3, were deposited on single-crystalline MgO (001) substrates by RF-magnetron sputtering techniques. The films were characterized by X-ray diffraction, Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy. It was found that the microstructure and the phase purity of the films depend strongly on the substrate temperature. The films deposited at the optimum substrate temperature of 550 degrees C are polycrystalline but strongly textured with the {110} planes of the pseudo-cubic perovskite unit cell parallel or close to the substrate surface.