Into the Black Forest
I can see how the Black Forest Cake got its namesake. Chocolate so dark it paints a valley densely packed with pine trees, impenetrable in shadow. A ground blanketed deep with soft snow, not unlike wisps of fluffy cream. And cherries that resemble a cape in the captivating hue of red, right out of a Brother’s Grimm fairy tale.
However, there is something else about the ubiquitous cake. It straddles between the lines of being a timeless classic and a boring, old-fashioned dessert. It could have been the glamourous Miranda Priestly, but really is just nice, lovely Aunt May. She smoulders you with long-winded speeches, ugly hand-knitted sweaters, and baskets of freshly baked muffins. Too much, most times.
For me, the black forest cake was just so much. Decked with rich chocolate sponge and sickly sweet cherry jam, the Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte just drips decadence in an inelegant way. The towering dessert is slapped with piles of ready-made cream, garnished with syrupy emoji-like cherries, and covered with a mountain of processed chocolate sprinkles. Each mouthful is an explosion of pure sugar. I have no fond memories of this kitschy cake (ate too many bad ones as a child) and banished it into the catalogue of awful no-bakes.
That was until J requested the traditional German cake for his birthday. I might have silently baulked (so black forest cake is German after all!?!) or gagged (I can’t deal with that amount of whipped cream). But unlike me, J had far more pleasant memories about this indulgent showstopper. Usually baked at home by his mother or sisters, it sat on the dining table centrestage during celebrations and special occasions. For him, a Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte was tied closely to presents, birthday cheer, and a sumptuous breakfast.
He had exacting specifications as to how an authentic German black forest cake should be. There must always be a chocolate crust at the bottom, the kirsch in the cherry jam must not be overpowering, and the exacting layers should follow a jam-first, cream-second order. Armed with a recipe from his youngest sister, I tried my hand to impress him on his special day. Let’s just say it was a good first attempt but I’ve decided to make a few changes to his beloved torte.
An authentic black forest cake uses corn starch to thicken the jam but I wasn’t too keen on the gummy texture. So, I’ve done it the good old, proper way – with lemon juice, tons of sugar, and some patience. Cherries are low in pectin, a substance that helps set juice into jam, and will need extra aid such as lemon and green apple jelly. Enveloped with warming fires, the swollen drupes burst into a sticky soup the bejewelled shade of Beaujolais.
I cannot call the crunchy layer a shortcrust pastry as it doesn’t include any form of liquid, whether water or milk to bind the dough. Getting the flour and butter to come together requires bravado, blind faith, and quick hands. The cocoa powder and flour miraculously seem to meld with the butter to form an easy-to-work dough. Tip: leftover crust makes for a great afternoon snack.
The most difficult part of any great showstopper is the assembly. With the precision of German engineering, build clear, straight layers of sponge, jam, and cream. I had leftover chocolate ganache from my bid to conquer the perfect chocolate loaf (another post for another day), so it glazed the top of the cake alongside cream rosettes and fresh black cherries. The sides (or any mistakes) can be covered with chocolate shavings or even more ganache.
When my black forest cake appeared on our dinner table, J’s face lit up like a child on Christmas Day. It might not have been the cake of my childhood, but I might have some new good memories now. So, maybe I was too harsh – lovely Aunt May wasn’t that bad after all. B
German Black Forest Cake (Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte)
This is not for the fainthearted. I tried making the entire cake in a day and I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone. There are certain shortcuts you can make to make life a little easier, like buying the preserves and chocolate sprinkles off the shelves or not making two different types of cream. I do, however, find the repetitive stirring of jam rather therapeutic for the soul.
Adapted from Das Beste Dr. Oetker Backbuch by Dr. August Oetker and Mes Confitures by Christine Ferber
Makes a 23cm cake
Takes about 2.5 hours
Notes
On cherries: The cherries are the highlight of this cake. The most delicious jams are always made with seasonal fresh fruit. Choose ripe drupes with green stalks attached; those without tend to oxidate and lose their flavour. If possible, look for sour varieties such as Morello or Montmorency mixed with sweet black cherries.
On Kirschwasser: Essential for this recipe, it is a clear fruit brandy distilled from cherries. J got me a bottle of Schladerer cherry brandy distilled from the heart of the Black Forest. If you don’t have Kirschwasser, you can omit it.
On bitter almond essence: It might be optional, but this adds a depth of aroma that complements the cherries and chocolate tremendously. You can get it here.
On Vanillezucker: A common baking ingredient in the German pantry. You don’t have to use it if unavailable.
On tools: A cherry pitter is your best friend. Trust me on this.
On sterilisation: Wash your glass jars with warm, soapy water and rinse thoroughly. Place them, open-side up on a baking tray in an oven preheated to 110. Leave them for about 30 minutes. For the lids, clips, or rubber seals, place them in a pan of water and bring to a boil. Boil for about 5 minutes and then turn off the heat and leave to rest. Do not allow the jars and accessories to go cold.
On setting jam: Getting jam to set can be tricky. To test if the jam is set, place a teaspoonful of jam on a frozen saucer and return it into the freezer for about a minute. Remove the small plate and run your finger through to see if it holds. If it has created a ‘skin’, the jam is ready. If not making your own jam, Christine ‘Queen of Confitures’ Ferber has a beautiful jar called Forêt Noire.
Ingredients
For the cherry-kirsch jam
500g morello cherries
500g black cherries
550g caster sugar
40g lemon juice
200g green apple jelly
30g Kirschwasser
For the chocolate crust
125g plain flour (T55 / Type 550)
10g cocoa powder
3g baking powder
30g caster sugar
1 packet Vanillezucker
75g unsalted butter, cold and cubed
For the chocolate sponge
60g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
25g cake flour (T45 / Type 405)
25g potato starch/corn starch
30g cocoa powder
1.5g baking powder
120g egg yolks (6 large eggs)
40g caster sugar (1)
3 drops of bitter almond essence (optional)
1 tbsp vanilla paste (or seeds from 1 vanilla pod)
125g egg whites (4 large eggs)
25g caster sugar (2)
For the kirsch syrup
30g still mineral water
30g caster sugar
30g Kirschwasser
For the chocolate cream
250g crème liquide (35% fat), cold
1 tbsp caster sugar
120g Valrhona Caraïbe 66% chocolate
For the vanilla cream
500g crème liquide (35% fat), cold
10g caster sugar
1 vanilla pod, seeds only
For the finishing touches
Valrhona Caraïbe 66% chocolate bar
Morello cherries
Equipment
23cm round springform cake moulds x 2
Cherry pitter
Candy thermometer
Glass jars with metal covers 250ml x 3
Revolving cake stand
French star piping nozzle #862
Directions
Day One
Prepare the Jam
Start by making the cherry jam two days before. This makes about three jars of jam (250ml).
Rinse the sour cherries and black cherries in cold water and dry them with a clean cloth. Hull and pit them. In a large bowl, mix the pitted cherries with sugar and lemon juice. Let it macerate for at least an hour. If you are using frozen fruits, there is no need to wash them or you’ll be adding too much moisture. You don’t have to macerate the frozen fruit as well.
In a large copper jam pot or saucepan, bring the macerated fruits to a simmer over medium heat. Remove any scum that comes up to the surface. Pour into a clean bowl and cover the surface of the jam with a sheet of baking paper. This immerses the fruit in the juice and prevents any browning. Let it cool down to room temperature.
Once cooled, clingfilm the bowl and refrigerate overnight.
Day Two
Make the Jam
The next day, place a ceramic saucer into the freezer. Make sure your jars are sterilised (see notes) and kept warm in the oven.
Pour the fruit mixture through a silk sieve or a strainer and collect the juice in a jam pot or a saucepan. Add the apple jelly and bring the mixture over medium heat to a boil, for about five minutes. Skim any foam on the surface carefully.
Then, add the cherries back into the pot and bring in back to a boil again. Keep cooking on high heat for about five minutes (at about 105°C), stirring gently constantly. Skim again, if necessary.
Add the kirschwasser and return to a boil for about a minute.
Pour the jam into sterilised jars, seal with their covers, and let them sit upside down, cooling to room temperature. Then, store them overnight in the refrigerator.
Day Three
Bake the Chocolate Crust
Preheat the oven to 200°C. Grease a 23cm springform pan with softened butter.
Sieve and whisk the flour, cocoa powder and baking powder together in a mixing bowl. Make a well in the middle.
Add the sugars and cubed butter. Using your hands, quickly cover the butter cubes and sugar with flour and knead all the ingredients into a dough. I would flatten the butter cubes with my thumbs and index fingers, and then try to push the mixed flour and sugar into the butter. Use your palm to press the ingredients against the sides of the bowl to form a dough. You should get quite a crumbly but cohesive ball at the end.
Roll out the dough with a rolling pin over the greased bottom of the pan to about 3mm thickness. Use a paring knife to cut off the excess dough. Close the pan with the springform edge.
Bake for 15 minutes. Release the springform and let the pastry cool on a wire rack. When cooled enough, use an angled spatula to remove the pastry from the bottom pan. Let it sit on the wire rack until use..
Bake the Chocolate Cake
Turn the oven down to 175°C. Line the bottoms of two 23cm springform moulds with baking paper. You don’t have to grease the sides of the moulds.
In a bowl, whisk the flour, potato starch, cocoa powder and baking powder until cohesive.
Using the stand mixer with a whisk attachment, beat the egg yolks with caster sugar (1), bitter almond essence (if using), and vanilla paste on medium-high speed until pale and frothy.
With another clean bowl and clean whisk attachment, whip the egg whites using the stand mixer. Start on low, and then gradually increase the speed to medium while adding the caster sugar (2) in thirds. You should get glossy, stiff peaks at the end.
Very quickly and carefully, fold the beaten egg whites into the yolk batter in portions. You don’t want to beat the air out. Sift the flour mixture over the batter in three portions and fold swiftly and gently. Lastly, stream the cooled melted butter in and fold until fully incorporated.
Pour the batter into the two cake moulds in equal portions. Place them in the middle tray and bake for 35 to 40 minutes.
When the cakes are ready, use a toothpick or cake tester to check for doneness. It should come out clean. Turn the hot moulds upside down on a wire rack and cool until no warmth remains. Slide an offset spatula around the sides to loosen the cakes and gently pull them out from the bottom. Proceed to assemble immediately to avoid the cakes from drying out.
Make the Kirsch Syrup
Prepare the kirsch syrup while the cakes are baking. In a small saucepan, bring the water and sugar to a boil. Remove from heat and add the Kirschwasser. Leave aside until ready for use.
Make the Vanilla and Chocolate Cream
For the vanilla cream, whip cream, sugar, and vanilla seeds together with a whisk hand mixer, until soft peaks appear. You should get a light, fluffy cloud. Do not overwhip, unless you want butter.
For the chocolate cream, place the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a bain-marie. Once completely melted, remove from heat and add 2 tablespoons of cream. Mix until fully incorporated, without adding any air. Using a whisk hand mixer, whip the remaining cream until firm but soft enough to spread. In three additions, fold the whipped cream into the chocolate gently until soft and fluffy.
Assemble the Cake
Place the chocolate crust at the bottom of a revolving cake stand.
If the top of the cakes are slightly domed, level it completely with a serrated knife or cake leveller.
Pipe a thin ring of chocolate cream around the edges of the crust. Then, spread a layer of cherry jam inside the ring and then, top with chocolate cream. Use an angled icing spatula to even out the chocolate cream.
Next, layer with one chocolate sponge and brush it with the kirsch syrup. Again, line the edge of the cake with vanilla cream. Fill the middle with cherry jam, followed by vanilla cream. End with the second sponge cake brushed with kirsch syrup. Cover the top and sides of the cake with more vanilla cream and use a bench scraper to smoothen the edges.
To decorate, pipe rosettes of cream around the edges of the top of the cake and place cherries on top of each rosette.
Warm the chocolate bar slightly, but not melted. Use a vegetable peeler to shave curls of chocolate. Garnish the centre and sides of the cake with the shavings.
Transfer the cake carefully to a serving plate and refrigerate for at least two to four hours before serving. Top the cake with golden candles and bask in compliments after.
NIGEL SLATER