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Black Forest Cake

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This is something I’ve been thinking about posting for awhile as it’s usually my go to cake to bake. When I first started baking it I had some serious trouble finding kirsch (arguably the key ingredient). Every person I asked had no idea what I was talking about and I started thinking I’d been saying it wrong. What ensued was me giving a little spiel about how it’s a cherry liquor and how it’s used in THE black forest cake, what could be more obvious? Unfortunately that didn’t help at all. However, a few liquor shops later I finally found it and all my dreams cake true. Came true. 

Every time I make it I like to change up the appearance and do something different. The recipe I was taught at Le Cordon Bleu had alternating layers of chantilly cream and chocolate creme legere – but who has time for that, am I right? So, without further ado, lets do it!

Black Forest Cake

180°C / 35m (or until sponge is cooked)

Classic Chocolate Genoise

  • Combine 4 eggs + 125g sugar in a mixing bowl.
  • Set over a bain marie (basically put a pot of water on the stove with your mixing bowl over it) and just stir gently until it feels warm to touch.
  • Take your mixing bowl off the stove and whisk until light and fluffy. If your mixture looks like there are large air bubbles, just slowly slowly slowly mix until it looks smooth. This will help stabilise the batter.
  • Sift 100g flour + 25g cocoa powder and dump it into your whipped egg and sugar mixture.
  • Fold until combined. Don’t worry if some of the air deflates. This is perfectly normal, if not good.
  • Bake

Chantilly Cream

  • Combine 300g cream + 30g sugar and whip until it comes to a soft serve consistency (i.e. slightly under).

Chocolate Ganache

  • Heat 150g cream (microwave is fine) and dump in 100g dark chocolate. Add sugar to taste and stir until smooth.
  • When cool, whip until thickens.

Soaking Syrup

  • Ideally, you want to combine the kirsch/juice that the griottines (macerated cherries) are soaking in with some sugar and water.
  • Realistically, go buy a can or jar of soaked cherries in syrup from the supermarket. Add some sugar and kirsch to the syrup to taste.