Black Forest Gateau-Schwarzwalder Kirschtorte

When living in the Monterey California I used to drive to Ventura about once a month. I would try to time my stops for cake at the Madonna Inn. This is an interesting inn in San Louis Obispo that has rooms decorated in all types of themes. If you look at the web site link at the rooms you will see I mean. The place does have a great cafe and bakery. They also have a steak house but I have never been inside of it. The men’s restroom has a waterfall urinal that is rather unusual. . The Black forest cake is not the only great dessert but it is my favorite. If is not made in the traditional way like the ones I have in the Black Forest in Germany but is wonderful in its own way with the chocolate mousse filling. Below is a traditional black forest cake but you can use a cake mix to make the cake and either have the base or not. After the recipe for the traditional cake I have put a couple of chocolate filling recipes. You use the filling between the cakes instead of the cream filling. You can also use a cherry pie filling instead of making your own.





Black Forest Gateau- traditional

Base:

4 ½ oz. all-purpose four
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1 pinch baking powder
1 ¼ oz. sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla sugar
1 tablespoon kirsch

Mix the flour with the cocoa powder and baking powder and sieve into a mixing bowl. Add the sugar, vanilla sugar, kirsch, and margarine or butter.

Use the dough hook of a hand mixer to process the ingredients thoroughly, first at low speed and then a full speed. Then knead the mixture on the work surface to form smooth dough. Chill the dough for a while if it is sticky.

Roll out the dough on the base of a 11 inch spring form pan an d prick several times with a fork. Put the spring form rim around the base.

Preheat oven to 400-425 degrees F.

Bake base for 15 minutes. Loosen from the springform base immediately after baking. Allow to cool on the base and then transfer to a cake dish.

Sponge mixture:

4 eggs
3 ½ oz. sugar
2 teaspoon vanilla sugar
3 ½ oz. plain flour (all-purpose)
1 oz. cornflour
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1 pinch ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon baking powder

Use the whisk of a hand mixer to beat the eggs at full speed for 1 minute until foaming. Combine the sugar and vanilla sugar and whisk into the eggs for 1 minute, then whisk for a further 2 minutes.

Combine the flour, cornflour, cocoa powder, cinnamon and baking powder. Sieve half over the egg mixture and briefly whisk in at low speed. Work in the rest of the flour mixture in the same way.

Line a 11 inch springform pan with non-stick baking paper and grease the base. Pour the mixture into the tin and bake according to the instructions.

Place into preheat oven to 375-400 degrees F. oven for 25-30 minutes. Loosen the cake from the tin, turn out and leave to cool.


Filling:

12 oz. canned cherries or 1 pound 2oz. red cherries
2 ½ oz. sugar
2 tablespoons cornflour
1 oz. sugar
3 tablespoons kirsch
½ oz. unflavored gelatin
5 tablespoons cold water
1 ¼ pints double cream
11/2 oz. icing sugar
2 teaspoons sugar


Drain the cherries, reserving the juice. If using fresh cherries, wash them, remove stalks and stones. Add 3 oz. sugar and leave for a while to draw out the juices. Bring to a boil. Drain, keeping the juice and let cool. Measure out 9 fl oz. for the juice. Topping up with water if necessary. Mix the cornflour with 4 tablespoons of the juice and bring the rest of the juice to the boil. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cornflour mixture. Bring briefly to a boil and stir into the cherries. Let cool and add about 1 oz. sugar and 3 tablespoons of kirsch to taste

Stir together the gelatin and water in a small pan and leave to soak for 10 minutes. Heat until gelatin has dissolved, stirring continuously.

Whip the cream until almost stiff. Beat into the lukewarm gelatin solution and whip until completely stiff. Sieve the icing sugar add the vanilla sugar and stir into the cream.

Spread the cherry mixture and a third of the cream over the pastry base.

Cut the sponge into two layers and press the bottom layer firmly on top of the cream. Spread with half the remaining cream and cove with the upper layer.

Chocolate shavings
Cherries
Cream

Spread the remaining cream evenly over the top and sides and decorate the cake with chocolate shavings, cherries and cream using a piping bag.



Chocolate Mousse:

Combine three 1-ounce squares of semi-sweet chocolate
and 3 T kirsch in top of double boiler, stir over, not touching, boiling water till chocolate melts and mixture is smooth. Slowly stir into 1 well beaten egg. Whip 1 C of heavy cream and 2 T sugar; fold into chocolate. Chill 2 hours.



CHOCOLATE FILLING:

1 c. Cool Whip
1 box powdered sugar
1 tbsp. cocoa
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Mix together until all mixed.


CHERRY FILLING

1 1-pound 4-ounce can tart red cherries in heavy syrup (if you can't find this size can, buy 2 smaller cans and use equivalent amount)
2 Tablespoons arrowroot or cornstarch
8 to 10 drops red food coloring

Combine in saucepan, cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat until smooth, thick and clear. Remove from heat; cool.