Black Forest Cake, is a chocolate cake with a strong cherry element to it which is popular throughout North America.
Called Schwarzwälderkirschtorte in German, which means Black Forest Cherry Torte (torte is the German word for cake).
The origin of this cake in unknown, but it is believed to have originated in the late 16th century in the Black Forest Region (Der Schwarzwald in German) located in the state of Baden-Wurttemberg. The area is known for its sour cherries and Kirsch or Kirschwasser (a double distilled, clear cherry brandy made from the sour Morello cherry).
It is a chocolate layer cake with Kirsch, whipped cream, sour cherries and chocolate curls.
Ingredients:
Cake
4oz Irish butter 8oz brown sugar 4oz plain chocolate 7oz self-raising flour 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4 pint sour cream 3 tablespoons strong cold black coffee 2 eggs pinch of salt
Pastry Base
4oz cream flour pinch of salt 2oz icing sugar 2oz/ Irish butter 1 egg yolk a few drops of vanilla essence
Other:
1 pint cream 1lb tin black cherries 4 table spoons black cherry jam brandy or cherry juice 4oz grated chocolate
Directions:
Cake:
Cream butter and sugar together well.
Melt the chocolate and beat into the creamed mixture, then mix in the eggs.
Sift flour, salt and cinnamon together.
Fold the dry mix lightly into the liquids, then fold in the sour cream and cold coffee.
Into a lined and greased 9-inch round, deep tin pour the cake mixture and bake for 1 hour, 25 minutes.
Set to cool on a wire rack.
Pastry Base:
Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl and bind until the mixture stiffens.
Roll the pastry onto a floured board worktable until pastry is about the same size as the base of the tin.
Lay out on baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes.
Assembly:
Whip cream until it holds its shape.
Put some cream into pastry piping bag with a star pipe attached, and reserve this for the decoration.
Slice the cake into 3 equal-sized layers.
Drain the cherries, reserve 8 for decoration and remove the stones from the remainder.
Put pastry on serving plate and spread the pastry with black cherry jam.
Soak the cakes with sprit used.
Put one layer of cake on top of coated pastry.
Spread a layer of cream with half the stoned cherries.
Put the second layer of cake and add another layer of cream and cherries.
Add the final layer of the cake.
mask the entire cake with the remaining cream and press on the grated chocolate. Decorate the top with piped rosettes
of cream and the reserved whole black cherries.
Tips:
Using 3 identical cake pans instead of 1 large is OK.
Margarine, vegetable oil or regular butter will substitute for Irish butter.
In some countries the brandy is often replaced by rum, in Germany itself it is almost always replaced by
Kirschwasser.
This recipe did not come with a temperature to bake at for either the pastry or cake. 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).
For more recipes you can use at home or publish on your own website, ezine, newsletter or blog visit <a href="http://www.goodcookrecipes.com/Category/Desserts/60">Good Cook dessert recipes</a>. Food and drink are two of the great pleasures in life. <a href="http://www.mwnch.co.uk">eat and drink @ mwnch</a> provides recipes and discussion to help you to get the greatest pleasure from them. To us that means sourcing the finest seasonal, local and where appropriate organic produce and ingredients.
Disclaimer: The information presented and opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of ArticlePros.com and/or its partners.
