Cookbook:Black Forest Cake

| German Cuisine

Black Forest Cake, sometimes called by the French gateau, gateaux or gâteau (meaning "cake"), is a chocolate cake with a strong cherry element. The recipe originates from Germany, where it is called Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte.

Cake

 * 4 oz (100 g) butter
 * 8 oz (225 g) brown sugar
 * 4 oz (100 g) plain chocolate
 * 7 oz (200 g) self-raising flour
 * ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
 * ¼ pint sour cream
 * 3 tablespoons strong cold black coffee
 * 2 eggs
 * 1 pinch of salt

Pastry base

 * 4 oz (100 g) cream flour
 * 1 pinch of salt
 * 2 oz (50 g) icing sugar
 * 2 oz (50 g) Irish butter
 * 1 egg yolk
 * a few drops of vanilla essence

Misc.

 * 1 pint cream
 * 1 tin (1 lb) black cherries
 * 4 tablespoons black cherry jam
 * brandy or cherry juice
 * 4 oz (100 g) grated chocolate

Cake

 * 1) Cream the butter and sugar together well.
 * 2) Melt the chocolate and beat into the creamed mixture, then beat in the eggs.
 * 3) Sift flour, salt and cinnamon together.
 * 4) Fold the dry mix lightly into the liquids, then fold in the sour cream and cold coffee.
 * 5) Pour the mixture into a lined and greased 9-inch round, deep cake tin, and bake for 1 hour and 25 minutes.
 * 6) Set to cool on a wire rack.

Pastry base

 * 1) Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl and bind until the mixture stiffens.
 * 2) Roll the pastry onto a floured board worktable until pastry is about the same size as the base of the cake tin.
 * 3) Lay out on baking sheet and bake for 20–25 minutes at 350°F, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Assembly

 * 1) Whip cream until it holds its shape.
 * 2) Put some whipped cream into pastry piping bag with a star tip attached, and reserve this for the decoration.
 * 3) Slice the cake horizontally into 3 equal-sized layers.
 * 4) Drain the cherries, reserve 8 for decoration and remove the stones from the remainder.
 * 5) Put pastry on serving plate and spread the pastry with black cherry jam.
 * 6) Soak the cakes with brandy or cherry juice.
 * 7) Put one layer of cake on top of coated pastry.
 * 8) Spread a layer of cream on the cake, and top with half the stoned cherries.
 * 9) Add the second layer of cake, then another layer of cream and cherries.
 * 10) Top with the final layer of the cake.
 * 11) Cover the entire cake with the remaining cream, and press on the grated chocolate.
 * 12) Decorate the top with piped rosettes of cream and the reserved whole black cherries.

Notes, tips and variations

 * Using 3 identical cake pans instead of 1 large one is acceptable.


 * Margarine, vegetable oil or regular butter will substitute for Irish butter.


 * In some countries (e.g. Austria and Australia) the brandy is often replaced by rum, in Germany itself it is almost always replaced by Kirschwasser.


 * Cakes usually work at between 325°F and 400°F (160°C and 205°C). Pastries usually work at between 350°F and 425°F (175°C and 220°C).