Black Forest Cake (sans Kirsch)

-
Here's my take on the classic Black Forest cake. Instead of the typical chocolate sponge though, I used my dark chocolate cake recipe as a base, because it always comes out so moist and flavorful. I didn't have any cherry liquor (Kirsch) in my pantry, but I did have a jar of my mom's delicious dark cherries in syrup. And I made the chantilly cream a bit denser, as I usually do, by adding cream cheese to the mix. So, like I said, not the purest form of Black Forest out there, but my own version, and it seems to please others as well!

DARK CHOCOLATE CAKE

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup strong black coffee
1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

FILLING AND TOPPING

1 jar of dark cherries (preferably stoned) in syrup
1 1/3 cups liquid heavy cream (at least 30% fat), chilled
5 oz. cream cheese (or 150 grams), chilled
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or 1 vanilla pod)
1 dark chocolate tablet (at least 46% cocoa)


Preheat oven to 350 F. Prepare 2 x 9″ cake pans with butter and flour or parchment paper. Sift the dry ingredients into a large bowl. Add the remaning ingredients to the bowl, mixing well after each addition, using a whisk or electric beaters. The batter will be liquidy. Pour into prepared pans.

Bake for 20 minutes, then rotate the pans in the oven. Bake 15 minutes longer or until a toothpick comes out clean – approximately 35 minutes total. Cool on wire racks for 20 minutes then gently invert onto racks until completely cool.
Pour the cream into a mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer, whip the chilled heavy cream until it thickens and forms stiff peaks (about 5 minutes). Add cream cheese, vanilla and confectioner's sugar and beat for another minute, until well incorporated. Place bowl in the fridge.

Cut each cake horizontally in order to obtain 4 layers. Place first layer down on serving plate, use a couple of tablespoons of cherry syrup to moisten the cake and spread 1/3 of stoned cherries. Get the bowl with whipped cream out of the fridge (Reserve one half to cover top layer and sides). Spread one third of the other half on top of of the first layer.



Repeat with other layers. Cover top layer with the reserved half of whipped cream and spread it all over the cake (top and sides). With a sharp knife, shave dark chocolate tablet to make woodchip looking bits. Sprinkle over the cake.


Now slice and enjoy!



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Mandarin Chicken

-
Image
So much was lost when Katrina hit New Orleans in 2005. Lives, homes, jobs,... but also the little things that we hold dear to our hearts: photo albums, treasured heirlooms or beloved recipes. The Times-Picayune collected and published some of the latter that people went looking for in the years that followed Katrina. Mandarin Chicken was one of these recipes.  This clipping was sent to us by my partner's stepmother a few years ago. Since then, we have received nearly a hundred requests to share this recipe. Note: Every Chinese restaurant in New Orleans has its own version of Mandarin sauce. It seems to us that this one needs a few pinches of Chinese five spice in the sauce. Also, it is usually served with crushed peanuts and chopped scallions sprinkled on top. This recipe comes from Fong's Chinese restaurant in Kenner. MANDARIN CHICKEN Egg Batter 2 cups flour 2 tablespoons cooking oil 2 eggs 1 cup cornstarch 2 teaspoons salt 1 teaspoon Accent 1/2 teas
Read more

Hazelnut dacquoise with praliné feuilleté and chestnut buttercream

-
Image
This is a creation of mine, combining two recipes that I thought would work well together. Pretty happy with the result. DACQUOISE 90 grams ground hazelnuts 100 grams whole hazelnuts (I used walnuts instead) 100 grams confectioner's (icing) sugar 3 large egg whites 35 grams white sugar PRALINÉ FEUILLETÉ 200 grams of pralinoise (55% hazelnut content) 100 grams of crêpes dentelles (I used "Gavottes") CHESTNUT BUTTERCREAM 370 grams (whole jar) of chestnut cream 150 grams PHILADELPHIA cream cheese 125 grams unsalted butter, softened Preheat oven at 180°C (about 350°F). For the dacquoise, coarsely chop the whole hazelnuts and toast them in a pan, stirring from time to time to avoid burning. When toasted, set aside. In a bowl, beat egg whites with handheld mixer adding white sugar in small amounts, until fully incorporated and mixture thickens and forms glossy peaks. In a separate bowl, mix ground hazelnut and confectioner's sugar together. Fold del
Read more

The Garden Route: from George to Tsitsikamma National Park

-
Image
 We figured the mild temperatures of late Fall / early Winter in South Africa would provide the perfect weather to explore the Garden Route. Luck was with us too, because we arrived in George after a straight week of rainfall.The flight from Johannesburg was short (a little under two hours) and cost us about ZAR 6000 (approximately EUR 300), including one checked luggage each (with FlySafair). We rented a SUV with First Rental Car, a company we had previously used when we went to Cape Town. In spite of several sections of road work along the way, the drive from George to our first accommodation north of Plettenberg Bay (approx. 125 km or 80 miles) was extremely pleasant, with scenic views over the ocean, coastal towns and beaches to the right, and the striking mountain range to the left. For our first stop, we chose to spend a couple of nights at the Trogon Treetop House and Forest Spa, (https://www.trogonhouse.co.za) located in The Crags, about 25 km past Plettenberg Bay. Nestled in t
Read more