Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte

Name: Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte
Prep time: 80 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 230 min
Yield: 12
Cuisine: Namibie
Ingredients: 🥚 6 medium eggs, at room temperature; 🍚 180 g sugar; 🌾 120 g sifted wheat flour; 🍫 40 g unsweetened cocoa; 🧈 40 g melted, cooled butter; 🧁 600 ml very cold heavy cream; 🍒 500 g pitted sour cherries, fresh or drained from a jar; 🍒 100 ml cherry juice or water; 🍬 45 g sugar for the fruit, plus 25 g for the cream; 🌽 12 g cornstarch and 20 ml cold water; 🍫 80 g dark chocolate shavings; 🍒 30 ml kirsch, optional; omit for an alcohol-free version; 🧂 1 pinch of salt

🍒 Cocoa sponge, tart cherries, whipped cream and chocolate shavings: Black Forest cake served in the spirit of Namibia’s German-style bakeries.

Ingredients

🥚 6 medium eggs, at room temperature
🍚 180 g sugar
🌾 120 g sifted wheat flour
🍫 40 g unsweetened cocoa
🧈 40 g melted, cooled butter
🧁 600 ml very cold heavy cream
🍒 500 g pitted sour cherries, fresh or drained from a jar
🍒 100 ml cherry juice or water
🍬 45 g sugar for the fruit, plus 25 g for the cream
🌽 12 g cornstarch and 20 ml cold water
🍫 80 g dark chocolate shavings
🍒 30 ml kirsch, optional; omit for an alcohol-free version
🧂 1 pinch of salt

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 180 °C conventional heat. Grease and line the bases of two 20 cm round pans. Separate the eggs without getting yolk into the whites.

Whisk the yolks with 120 g sugar until pale. Sift the flour, cocoa and salt together, then gently fold them into the yolks.

Beat the egg whites. When foamy, gradually add the remaining 60 g sugar and whisk to soft, glossy peaks.

Fold one third of the whites into the batter to loosen it, then fold in the rest in two additions. Add the cooled butter in a thin stream without deflating the mixture.

Divide the batter evenly between the pans and bake for 25 to 30 min. A skewer in the centre should come out without raw batter. Cool for 10 min, turn out and cool completely.

While the cakes bake, simmer the cherries, juice and 45 g sugar for 5 min. Mix the cornstarch with cold water, add to the fruit and cook for 1 to 2 min until thickened. Cool completely.

Whip the very cold cream with 25 g sugar to firm but smooth peaks. Keep chilled. Slice each sponge horizontally into two layers with a serrated knife.

Place one layer on a serving plate. Lightly brush with cherry juice and, if desired, kirsch. Spread a thin layer of cream, then one third of the cherries. Repeat between the layers.

Cover the top and sides with the remaining cream. Press the chocolate shavings onto the sides, decorate with the remaining cherries and refrigerate for at least 2 h before slicing.