Ingredients
Sponge cake:
- Butter, for greasing pan
- 6 egg yolks
- 4 whole eggs
- 1 cup sugar
- Scant 3/4 cup sifted all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup wheat flour
- Scant 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- Semisweet chocolate curls, for garnish
- Bottled cherries, for garnish
Filling:
- 2 tablespoons plus 4 tablespoons Kirsch
- 1 1/2 tablespoons plus 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon corn flour
- Pinch grated lemon zest
- Pinch cinnamon
- 1 (14-ounce) jar cherries, drained
- 1/4 cup melted semisweet chocolate, for first layer
- 1 pint heavy whipping cream
- 1 tablespoon vanilla sugar, or 1 tablespoon sugar plus 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 1/2 ounces Syrup, recipe follows
Syrup:
- 1 1/2 cups cold water
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 5 tablespoons Kirsch
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Butter and line a 9-inch round cake pan with parchment paper. Butter the parchment paper and set aside.
Whisk the eggs yolks, eggs, and sugar in a large metal bowl over a pot of simmering water for a few minutes until the mixture is about 120 degrees F. Remove the bowl from the heat, and keep whisking to aerate the mixture until it is thick and fluffy, about 10 minutes. The mixture should increase in size 4 to 5 times and become very pale in color.
Gently fold in both the sifted flour and wheat flour, and the cocoa powder. Pour the mixture into the prepared cake pan, and flatten it out carefully with a rubber spatula. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out cleanly. Invert the cake onto a wire rack, and cut a few vents in the parchment paper so that the steam can evaporate. Let inverted cake rest for 24 hours.
In a small bowl, combine 2 tablespoons Kirsch, 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar, and the corn flour. Add a pinch lemon zest and a pinch of cinnamon to the bowl, and stir to combine. In a small saucepan, bring to a boil the remaining 4 tablespoons Kirsch. Reduce the heat to medium, add the sugar mixture, and stir. Then add the cherries, stir again, and heat through. Remove from the heat, pour into a bowl, and let cool.
Cut the cake into 3 layers. Spread the melted chocolate evenly over the bottom layer, and place it in the refrigerator to cool and harden slightly. Meanwhile, make the whipped cream and the syrup.
For the whipped cream, whip together the cream, remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, and vanilla sugar. If you don't have vanilla sugar, you may substitute 1 tablespoon sugar plus 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Begin whipping slowly, making the mixture lighter, and continue until you have achieved light and airy whipped cream.
For the syrup, combine 1 1/2 cups water and 3/4 cup sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. When mixture is boiling and sugar has totally dissolved, remove the pan from the heat and add the Kirsch, and stir to combine.
Remove the chocolate-covered base layer from the refrigerator and brush syrup over the top. Add about 1/2 of the filling mixture, and 1/4 of the whipped cream. Repeat the layer, brushing with syrup, then filling, and then whipped cream. Place the third cake layer on top, brush it with syrup, and then cover it with whipped cream. Spread the remaining whipped cream around the side of the cake. Decorate the top of the cake with chocolate shavings and additional cherries.
* Professional Recipe
This recipe was provided by a chef, restaurant or culinary professional and makes a large quantity. The Food Network Kitchens chefs have not tested this recipe in the proportions indicated and therefore cannot make any representation as to the results.
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By Freedom 40
on November 15, 2011
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I'm glad I read the reviews first - corn starch is much different from corn flour! I used 3 - 8" tins to pour the batter into and baked with parchment on the bottom and sides. The first test run cake I made was a little dry, so the second time I made sure to brush the cake liberally with the syrup. I also brushed the syrup on the bottom layer, inverted it and spread the melted chocolate on the dry side. Big difference. I also left 8 of the cherries from the jar to soak a couple of days in the kirsch to put on as a garnish. On the first cake, I ran out of whipped cream, on the second, I had too much left over! Suggest putting whipped cream in a small piping bag first to ensure you have enough to decorate, then layer the cake and frost the sides. This is a do-over and I was never a fan of Black Forest cake until now.
By cjjackson_13157215
Canby, 77
on September 24, 2010
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Some of the language was confusing: wheat flour, corn flour.
I looked up other recipes and found Robert Irvine's recipe called for bread flour. That made better sense. Corn flour was of course corn starch.
On my first practice run the egg started to cook before I got it beaten together with the sugar using a wisk so I switched to a hand mixer. The cake was light and fluffy about 2+ inches tall.
The next day I baked the real birthday cake.This time I beat the egg and sugar together until just blended before putting the bowl over the simmering water. My arm does not hold out on hand wisking for ten minutes so I used my hand mixer on lowest speed. I set the timer for 10 minutes: the temper- ature was only up to 110 degrees F. but I didn't want to over work the eggs so stopped at that point. It's in the oven now and at 20 minutes at 375 F it is not done yet but risen to the top of the pan. I used a 9 " springform with a 3" side.
I enjoyed Schwarzwalder Kirch Torte in a restaurant in Baiersbronn, Germany over 35 years ago. It was a delightful experience which I have never forgotten. It was a chocolate-cherry cake with just enough kirch to enhance the first flavors - not boozy.
Checking the cake every five minutes after 20, it is now 35 minutes and coming out clean. The edges are a little dark but fine. The oven was preheated over 15 minutes and bakes very true. My conclusion is baking time: 30 to 35 minutes.
The practice cake went to a meeting of 50+ women and was enjoyed immensely.
By hockeychick7137...
Northbrook, IL
on December 01, 2006
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all other parts went fine, but the cake didn't turn out right. It was very flat and there was no way I could cut three layers out of that.
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