I feel quite honored to be able to share this recipe with all of you. This is from my Mom’s friend, Ute, whom was kind enough to share her family’s recipe with me. I made it when she and her husband came over for dinner and I got the approval of making the cake properly. Phew!
The only change I made to it was omitting 2 T of cherry liquor and 2 T water. Instead, I used liquid from the cans of cherries, since that water had some cherry flavor in it. It was really fun to try my hand at such a special family recipe and I hope you all will give it a try as well. One of my favorite things about German cuisine is the combination of sweet and sour flavors. The sour cherries pare so well with the sweet chocolate and whipped cream. Yum!
Black Forest Cherry Cake (Schwarzaelder Kirsch Torte)
Recipe adapted slightly from Ute G.
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
6 egg yolks, separated
4 T liquid from cherries
4 oz (about 1 cup) almonds, peeled and ground (I ground slivered almonds since they’re peeled)
4 oz sweet bakers chocolate, ground (save aside a small amount to decorate)*
1 T vanilla extract
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 quart heavy whipping cream
1 cup powdered sugar
4 tsp instant clearjel, optional*
2 cans sour cherries in water
Cream butter and sugar together in a large bowl until well combined.
Add egg yolks (saving egg whites), water from cherries, almonds, chocolate, vanilla, flour, and baking powder. Mix well.
In a separate bowl, whip the egg whites (and a spoon of sugar or two so it gets nice and stiff).
It should come out of your bowl clean and not stick to the sides or be runny when done.
Gently fold into your cake batter.
Grease and flour a nine inch cake pan. Fill with batter.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 35 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
Let cool 10-15 minutes in pan and then remove out of pan and cool completely on a wire rack.
Cut into three layers.
Whip cream with powdered sugar and instant clear jel.
Spread a liberal amount on first cake round.
Drain cherries and evenly distribute almost a whole can on first layer, saving just a few aside.
These are the cherries I used, if you live near a German market you may be able to buy a large jar there, then you’ll only need one jar.
Top with another cake round, spread more whipped cream, and add the next can of drained cherries, saving just a few aside again.
Top with last cake round and spread whipped cream on top and sides.
Dust with grated chocolate, or use a vegetable peeler to shave off larger pieces of chocolate and top with those. If desired, pipe some rosettes with whipped cream around edge of top of cake, and top each with a cherry that was saved aside from earlier.
*NOTE: You could probably melt the chocolate and cool slightly instead of grating it as well.
You don’t have to use the instant clear jel, it just stabilizes the whipped cream.
Black Forest Cherry Cake (Schwarzaelder Kirsch Torte)
November 4, 2010
Category
Cake / Cake Pops
German
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 6 egg yolks, separated
- 4 T liquid from cherries
- 4 oz (about 1 cup) almonds, peeled and ground (I ground slivered almonds since they're peeled)
- 4 oz sweet bakers chocolate, ground (save aside a small amount to decorate)*
- 1 T vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 quart heavy whipping cream
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 4 tsp instant clearjel, optional*
- 2 cans sour cherries in water
Instructions
- Cream butter and sugar together in a large bowl until well combined.
- Add egg yolks (saving egg whites), water from cherries, almonds, chocolate, vanilla, flour, and baking powder. Mix well.
- In a separate bowl, whip the egg whites (and a spoon of sugar or two so it gets nice and stiff).
- It should come out of your bowl clean and not stick to the sides or be runny when done.
- Gently fold into your cake batter.
- Grease and flour a nine inch cake pan. Fill with batter.
- Bake at 350 degrees for about 35 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
- Let cool 10-15 minutes in pan and then remove out of pan and cool completely on a wire rack.
- Cut into three layers.
- Whip cream with powdered sugar and instant clear jel.
- Spread a liberal amount on first cake round.
- Drain cherries and evenly distribute almost a whole can on first layer, saving just a few aside.
- These are the cherries I used, if you live near a German market you may be able to buy a large jar there, then you'll only need one jar.
- Top with another cake round, spread more whipped cream, and add the next can of drained cherries, saving just a few aside again.
- Top with last cake round and spread whipped cream on top and sides.
- Dust with grated chocolate, or use a vegetable peeler to shave off larger pieces of chocolate and top with those. If desired, pipe some rosettes with whipped cream around edge of top of cake, and top each with a cherry that was saved aside from earlier.
NOTE: You could probably melt the chocolate and cool slightly instead of grating it as well.
- You don't have to use the instant clear jel, it just stabilizes the whipped cream.
