It is originated from the Black Forest region of Germany. This cake is a favorite of The White House Pastry Chefs and one of most famous cakes of German. Two key ingredients are morello cherries (sour cherries) and Kirschwasser. The Germany Statutory states the mandatory ingredient is Kirschwasser in order for a cake to be marketed as Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte. Adapted from the Black Forest Cake of Bill Yosses.
Ingredients for a large cake :4.5-5 in.x 9 in.
Decoration
12-16 red glace cherries
3 oz semisweet or dark chocolate bar or squares to make chocolate shaving
Filling
24.7 oz (700ml) jar Morello Cherry in light syrup (I found it at Trade Joe)
2-4 Tbs Kirschwasser or cherry flavor brandy (optional)
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tbs corn starch
1.5 tsp lemon juice
Chocolate Genoise
7 large eggs at room temperature
3 large egg yolks at room temperature (make the cake extra moist do not skip)
1 cup and 2 Tbs sifted cake flour, (sifted and scooped into the cup then leveled)
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (Dutch process or a blend of natural-dutch cocoa powder,lightly spoon into the cup )
1 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
6 Tbs unsalted butter
1.5 tsp pure vanilla
Simple syrup
1/2 cup water or remaining light cherry syrup
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tbs Kirschwasser (optional)
Stabilized whipped cream
3 cup heavy cream,cold
2 1/4 tsp (7 oz package) gelatin powder
4.5 Tbs cold water
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1.5 tsp vanilla extract
Cherry filling
24.7 oz (700ml) jar Morello Cherry in light syrup
2-4 Tbs Kirschwasser or cherry flavor brandy (optional)
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tbs corn starch
1.5 tsp lemon juice
Drain the cherries well, keep them whole or cut into small pieces. Reserving 3/4 cup of juice.
In a medium saucepan, stir corn starch in a small amount of reserved cherry juice. Then add the remaining cherry juice, sugar, and lemon juice. Bring it to a boil over medium high heat, then simmering on medium low heat, stir constantly until thickened about 5 minutes. Take it off the heat, blend in the kirschwasser if use and cherries. Chill until use or keep it in the fridge overnight.
Chocolate Genoise: 12-14 servings
7 large eggs at room temperature
3 large egg yolks at room temperature (make the cake extra moist do not skip)
1 cup and 2 Tbs sifted cake flour, (sifted and scooped into the cup then leveled)
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (Dutch process or a blend of natural and dutch cocoa powder )
1 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
6 Tbs unsalted butter
1.5 tsp pure vanilla
1. Preheat oven to 325 oF with a oven rack at the center of the oven. Butter and dust with cocoa powder two 8 or 9 in. round pans or one 11x17 in rectangle pan. or spray with non stick spray and line the bottom with parchment/wax paper and spray again on the parchment paper.
2. Melt butter over medium heat until the solid start to get brown. Watch closely, when they get deep brown, pour immediately through a fine sieve. Set aside.
3. Sift flour and cocoa powder together 4 times. Set aside.
4. In a large heatproof mixing bowl set over a pan of simmering water, whisk eggs, egg yolks, salt, and sugar until warm to touch (110-120 oF). Do not beat, just mix briefly to blend. Then stir slowly and continuously need about 3-5 minutes.
5. Remove bowl from the heat, dry the bottom. Transfer the bowl to a standing mixer and beat with the whisk attachment at medium high speed until cool, thick, light in color and triple in volume about 5-7 minutes (may need to beat longer with handheld mixer about 10 minutes). Testing by running your finger through the egg foam, it should leave a canal and hold it shape. Add vanilla and whisk at medium speed for 2-3 more minutes.
6. Gently and quickly sift (or sprinkle with a strainer) the cocoa and flour mixture over the egg and fold it in with a large rubber spatula about 2-3 turns each time. Do not worry about to incorporating all flour until the last addition. The flour should be added quickly in about 5-6 additions and make sure reach to the bottom until all the flour disappeared. Need to be done in 15-20 seconds.
7. Gently fold 1/4 of the batter to the clarified butter. Then fold the butter mixture into the remaining batter. Spread even in the pan/pans, tape the pan on the counter to remove air bubble. Bake about 20-30 minutes. The larger pan will need lesser baking time. When the sides shrink and springy to the touch, the cake is done, no need to test. Do not open the oven door before the minimum baking time. Open the oven door slightly at and look if it is not appeared done (side is not shrink), close the door and recheck in 5 minutes.
8. Remove the cake from the oven, let stand in the pan 10 minutes. Loosen the sides with a small spatula or knife and invert the cake into a lightly greased or non-stick wire rack. Then reinvert the cakes again (top side up) to cool completely. Top side stays up during cooking help to prevent cracking and falling.
Simple syrup
1/2 cup water or remaining light cherry syrup
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tbs Kirschwasser (optional)
In a small sauce pan, bring water, sugar to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, add Kirschwasser, cover with tight fitting lid and let it cool completely. Chill until ready to use.
Chocolate shavings
Use a piece of paper towel to hold the chocolate. Use a sharp knife to scrape the chocolate or a vegetable peeler. If the chocolate seems too hard and the shavings too fine. Plate chocolate on a paper and microwave 5-10 seconds and try again or let it sits near the heat source for a few minutes. Let the shavings fall into a cool baking sheet or pan. Store in the fridge or at a cool place. Avoid to touching them because they melt very easily.
Stabilized Whipped Cream
3 cup heavy cream,cold
2 1/4 tsp (7 oz package) gelatin powder
4.5 Tbs cold water
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1.5 tsp vanilla extract
1. Chill the mixing bowl and whisk in the fridge until very cold. At least 15 minutes in the fridge.
2. In a small saucepan, evenly sprinkle gelatin over cold water, let stand at least 1 minute. Cook over medium low heat until gelatin completely dissolves or in microwave. Remove from heat, set aside. Gelatin must be liquid but not warm when adding to the cream.
3. Whip the cream until it forms a soft peak, add sugar and gelatin in a steady stream. Then add kirschwasser. Beat until stiff peaks just formed. Transfer to a pastry bag with a large tip (1/2 in. 6 star tube # 1M) or to a Ziploc bag with a corner cut off.
Assemble the cake
Cut each cake into two layers. You may trim the dome top (optional) to make even layer. Sprinkle each layer with 1/4 of the kirsch flavored syrup with a spoon or brush/bottle evenly. Put the first layer with the cut side up on the serving platter. Pipe a circle of whipped cream around, put 1/3 of the filling in the center, cover with a thin layer of whipped cream. Repeat with the other two layers. Put the top one with the bottom up. Then cover the top and the side with a thin layer whipped cream. You may put them into the freeze 30 minutes until the whipped cream hardened (optional). Then apply the remaining whipped cream to the top and the side. Try to smooth it out with a long spatula.
Cover the side with chocolate shaving : I use a spatula/spoon lift up the chocolate onto the side of the cake. Use the remaining whipped cream makes rosettes/round circles around the top and place a glace cherry on top of each rosette. Fill in the middle with generous amount of chocolate shaving. Refrigerate at least 4-6 hours or overnight for the flavor developed.
*Note:
May beat the cream to soft peak then use hand beaters to easy check for stiff peak because over beating will make the cream lost it velvet smooth but it is still good and usable. Therefore you should have fun do not worry too much.
Sift chocolate and flour together several times help folding easy and more evenly.
Loosen the chocolate powder in the box, then spoon into the measuring cup and level.
A chocolate cake mix or any of your favorite chocolate cake can be used.
If you can not find Morello cherries, sweet dark cherries in heavy syrup can be use but do not add extra sugar in filling and increase the lemon juice to suit your taste. It is supposed to have sweet sour taste.
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