I spent many years living in the Netherlands, along the border of Germany and we would do our shopping across the German border, groceries, dining, in various nearby towns and cities. Often, we would call in at a cafe and enjoy a slice of German Black Forest Cake, or as it was described on the menu, Schwarzwalder Kirschtorte with a lovely cup of freshly brewed coffee. This cake is so very popular in Germany, it’s found in most bakeries, restaurants and coffee shops. The supermarkets often sell them whole in the fresh cake counter, and they’re huge! I suspect the locals would often buy such a cake for a celebration, like a birthday or an anniversary. It’s certainly a cake that would be fit for any celebration!
Whilst living in Holland, I made friends with a lady who was originally from Germany, but settled in Holland. Inga was a fine baker and would often make cakes and various desserts (usually all with apples!) so I asked her if she would make a real, as in AUTHENTIC German Black Forest Cake for me and if I could watch her making it in her kitchen. So now we have a wonderful authentic Schwarzwalder Kirschtorte recipe to share with you, and oh my goodness! It really does taste exactly like the slices I had eaten so many times in the coffee shops in Germany. The texture of the cake is extremely light and packed with the famous cherry liqueur, Kirsch. The filling is loaded with juicy kirsch infused cherries and freshly whipped cream, so in every bite, you get a lovely burst of deliciousness!
Whilst Inga was showing me her recipe, she stressed you must use the jar or canned cherries which are in their own juice. Fresh cherries just don’t work well, unless you soak them for the longest time to soften them and get them juicy enough. I stuck to Inga’s rule and simply bought a few fresh cherries for the decoration on top.
INGREDIENTS
Cake
- 1 cup or 125 g All Purpose Flour
- 3⁄4 cup or 95 g Cornstarch
- 1⁄4 cup or 30 g Dutch Cocoa Powder
- 1 tsp. Salt
- 5 tbsp. unsalted Butter, melted
- 1 cup or 200 g Sugar
- 6 eggs
Cherry Syrup
- 14 oz. (2 cups, 400 g ) jarred or canned Sour Cherries
- 1⁄2 cup or 120 ml Cherry juice from 14oz Jar
- 1⁄2 cup or 120 ml Kirsch (cherry brandy)
- 1⁄2 cup or 100 g Sugar
Frosting
- 2 tbsp. unflavored powdered gelatin
- 2 cups, or 470 ml plus 6 tbsp. milk
- 1⁄2 cup or 65 g Cornstarch
- 6 tbsp. sugar
- 4 cups or 950 ml Heavy Cream, or Double Cream
- 4 tbsp. kirsch (cherry brandy)
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 4 oz. or 110 g bittersweet chocolate
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Make the cake: Preheat oven to 350 F, 180 C.
2. Grease and flour a deep 9 inch round baking pan.
Authentic German Black Forest Cake, Schwarzwalder Kirschtorte, grease and flour pan
3. In a large mixing bowl, add the sugar and eggs, beat of a medium speed until tripled in volume, see photo. This will take around 7-8 minutes.
4. In a separate bowl, sieve the flour, salt, cornstarch and cocoa powder. Then add to the egg batter. Add the melted butter and using a spatula or large spoon, gently fold the mixture until combined. *** Do not over mix!
5. Transfer to your greased and floured cake pan and place in oven for about 40 minutes. Test the center with a skewer to make sure the cake is done.
6. Transfer the cake IN the pan on to a cooling rack and let rest for 15 minutes then carefully turn out from the pan, upside down on to a cooling rack and leave until completely cooled.
7. Using a serrated (like a bread knife), slice the cake into 3 equal layers as the photo. and set aside.
8. Add the drained cherries to a bowl and pour the kirsch all over the cherries and let steep for about 30 minutes. (I cut my cherries in half)
9. Place the 1/2 cup of sugar and 1/2 cup reserved cherry juice in a medium-size saucepan and under a medium heat, stir until the sugar dissolves. Set aside.
10. Add the liquid used for soaking the cherries in the cherry syrup.
Place the cherries on a plate and sort through them to pick a dozen or so nice ones for decorating the top of the cake if you’re not using fresh cherries for the decoration, and divide into 2 equal portions.
Make the frosting:
11. Use a small bowl and add the gelatin and 6 Tbsp milk. Stir. and let sit for 5 minutes. The mixture will get thick.
12. In a medium saucepan, add the cornstarch and sugar with the 2 cups of milk and whisk over a medium heat. Keep stirring to avoid lumps. Once the mixture resembles pudding mixture in thickness, add the gelatin mixture and whisk to combine and the mixture is nice and smooth. (You may need to pop the gelatin mixture in the microwave for 15 seconds to loosen if it has set too soon.)
Authentic German Black Forest Cake - Schwarzwalder Kirschtorte, frosting preparation
Authentic German Black Forest Cake - Schwarzwalder Kirschtorte, frosting preparation using gelatin
Authentic German Black Forest Cake - Schwarzwalder Kirschtorte, frosting preparation using gelatin
13. Transfer the gelatin mix to a large bowl and set aside.
Authentic German Black Forest Cake - Schwarzwalder Kirschtorte, frosting preparation using gelatin
14. Using a mixer, add the fresh cream, kirsch and vanilla extract. Using the whisk attachment, whisk until stiff peaks form. Be careful not to over whisk as your cream will become too stiff and resemble butter!
Authentic German Black Forest Cake - Schwarzwalder Kirschtorte, frosting preparation
15. Add half of the whipped cream to the gelatin mixture; stir until smooth using a spatula. Add remaining whipped cream, and gently fold until the mixture is combined.
Authentic German Black Forest Cake - Schwarzwalder Kirschtorte, frosting preparation using gelatin
Authentic German Black Forest Cake - Schwarzwalder Kirschtorte, frosting preparation using gelatin
To assemble the cake:
16. Start by placing the first layer of your cake on a plate and brush generously with the cherry syrup. Brush all over the surface and right up to the edges.
Authentic German Black Forest Cake - Schwarzwalder Kirschtorte, showing cake assembly
Authentic German Black Forest Cake - Schwarzwalder Kirschtorte, showing cake assembly
17. Arrange the first half of the cherries all over the first cake layer. (I cut my cherries in half but you can leave yours whole if you wish). Then take a spatula and spread 1/4 of your frosting mixture all over the cherries.
Authentic German Black Forest Cake - Schwarzwalder Kirschtorte, showing cake assembly
Authentic German Black Forest Cake - Schwarzwalder Kirschtorte, showing cake assembly
18. Carefully place the next cake layer on top of the frosting and repeat by brushing cherry syrup all over the surface, adding the second half of your soaked cherries and another 1/4 of your frosting mixture. Finish off by adding the third cake layer.
19. Brush more cherry syrup on the top cake layer, again, be generous, and make sure you reach the edges too with the syrup! Crumb coat the entire cake with a thin layer of frosting and place in the fridge for 30 minutes to firm up.
Authentic German Black Forest Cake - Schwarzwalder Kirschtorte, showing cake assembly
20. Remove from the fridge and spread the remaining frosting all over the cake.
Feel free to spread with a palette knife, use a piping nozzle or simply spread the frosting ‘roughly’. Finish off by decorating the top with the reserved cherries and a grating of chocolate. Place in the fridge for minimum 2 hours, then cut into 12 slices and enjoy!
thanks done share recipes to : https://lovefoodies.com/authentic-german-black-forest-cake-schwarzwalder-kirschtorte/