Black Forest Cake

RICH COCOA ESPRESSO SPONGE CAKE BRUSHED WITH CHERRY SYRUP. KIRSCHWASSER WHIPPED CREAM FROSTING AND SWEET DARK CHERRIES. GARNISHED WITH DARK CHOCOLATE SHAVINGS AND MARASCHINO CHERRIES.

When Pea and Boo first moved in together, Pea not-so-subtly hinted at making a Black Forest Cake. As cherry season came that year, Pea and Boo found piles upon piles of fresh, dark red cherries on display at the local farmer’s market, and they decided the time had come. It was one of the first cake projects they took on together, and it was time to revisit the old recipe to give it a few delectable tweaks in time for our friends’ birthday surprises!

One of the greatest things about sponge cakes is their ability to soak up delicious syrups and juices, intensifying the flavor of the cake. The Black Forest Cake, layered with a rich cocoa sponge soaked in cherry and liqueur syrup, is a brilliant example. Kirschwasser (cherry liqueur) is signature, and (fun fact) required by law in Germany, but you can put as much or as little as you want. This recipe uses about one shot for the entire cake, but no one’s stopping you! – Boo

Servings: 8-12 (dessert portions)

Difficulty: 

Oven: 350 F, 25-35 minutes

NOTES:

• May use fresh and/or canned cherries. If using canned cherries, reserve syrup as a soak for the sponge cake.

Preparation:

• Line a 8.5-inch springform pan with parchment paper. Butter the interior.

Cocoa genoise:

• 4 eggs, separated
• 0.66 c sugar
• 1 ts vanilla
• Dry ingredients, sifted
  0.5 c flour
  0.33 c cocoa powder
  2 tb instant espresso powder
  0.5 ts salt
• 3 tb butter, melted

1. Over a bain-marie, beat egg whites to soft peaks. Gradually add sugar while beating to a firm, glossy meringue, ~4-6 minutes.
2. Beat egg yolks and vanilla into meringue until just combined.
3. Fold dry ingredients into egg mixture by thirds.
4. Stir a large spoonful of batter into melted butter to lighten. Fold butter gently into remaining batter.
5. Bake in prepared springform pan until cooked through, 25-35 minutes.
6. Remove from oven, and invert springform pan over a cooling rack until cooled to room temperature.
7. Remove cake from pan. Set aside until assembly.

Macerated cherries:

• 1.5 lb cherries, pitted (including 1 can of cherries with syrup)
• 2 tb kirschwasser

1. In a bowl, toss cherries with kirschwasser. Cover and refrigerate until assembly.
2. Stir remaining ingredients together until sugar dissolves. Refrigerate to cool.

Whipped cream frosting:

• 3 c heavy cream
• 1.5 ts vanilla
• 1.5 ts kirschwasser
• 0.25 c sugar

1. Beat cream to soft peaks. Add remaining ingredients, and beat to stiff peaks.

Assembly:

• Garnish
  dark chocolate curls, shavings, or bark
  cherries
  whipped cream

1. Reserve several cherries for garnish.
2. Divide the cake into three disks.
   Small pea tip: Use the disk with the flattest surface as the top layer.
3. Place the bottom cake layer on assembly surface. Soak with one-third of the cherry syrup, and top with one-quarter of the whipped cream and half of the cherries.
4. Place the middle cake layer on the cherries, and repeat with cherry syrup soak, whipped cream frosting, and cherries.
5. Place the top cake layer. Spread frosting evenly over entire cake, and reserve ~0.5 c frosting for garnish.
6. Decorate cake with chocolate, whipped cream, and cherries.
7. Refrigerate until chilled, and serve.