Thursday, May 7, 2009

Black Forest Cake


Ingredients
12 tablespoons soft unsalted butter
2 cups cake flour, sifted
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup Dutch process cocoa
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs at room temperature
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 pound semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped
3 1/2 cups heavy cream
3 tablespoons sifted confectioners’ sugar
1/2 cup kirsch
1 cup sour cherry preserves
Grated semi-sweet chocolate for decoration.

Procedure
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Use 1 tablespoon butter to grease 3 8-inch layer cake pans. Line bottoms with circles of waxed or parchment paper and use a little more butter to grease paper. Dust pans with a little flour. Sift remaining flour with baking soda, baking powder, cocoa and salt.

2. Beat eggs until very frothy. Gradually add all but 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, beating until mixture is thick, light and falls in a ribbon when beater is lifted. Whisk in vanilla and mayonnaise. Add dry ingredients alternately with 1 1/4 cups water, mixing just until combined. Spread in pans and bake 30 to 35 minutes, until springy when touched. Cool on a rack.

3. Place chocolate in a bowl. Bring 1/2 cup heavy cream to a boil, pour over chocolate and mix until it makes a smooth and shiny ganache. Refrigerate until cooled and thickened but still spreadable, about 30 minutes.

4. Melt remaining butter in a saucepan with 1/2 cup cream. Allow to cool to room temperature. Whip remaining cream with confectioners’ sugar until softly peaked, then gradually add butter mixture, beating just until butter has been incorporated. Refrigerate.

5. Place remaining 2 tablespoons sugar in a small bowl and add 2 tablespoons boiling water. When sugar dissolves, stir in kirsch. When cakes have cooled remove them from pans and peel off paper. Place layers on cutting board and brush with kirsch mixture.

6. Place one layer on a flat cake plate for serving. Spread with half the chocolate ganache. Spread with half the preserves. Spread with 2/3 cup of the whipped cream. Top with another layer and spread with ganache, preserves and whipped cream. Put last layer on cake, top side up. Press lightly to secure layers and use a spatula to smooth outside of cake. Frost cake with remaining whipped cream and dust with grated chocolate. Wipe rim of cake plate clean. Refrigerate cake until ready to serve.

No comments:

Post a Comment