Black Forest Cake (Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte)
Three layers of light chocolate sponge cake brushed with Kirschwasser, filled with thickened sour cherry compote and softly whipped cream, then covered in cream and finished with chocolate shavings and whole cherries. The German legal definition of Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte requires the kirsch flavor to be clearly noticeable — the spirit is not decorative, it is structural to the flavor. The sponge is an egg-separated génoise: egg whites whipped to stiff peaks and folded in last, keeping the crumb light despite the cocoa. The assembled cake should rest overnight in the fridge; it tastes significantly better the next day.
Ingredients
- 6 eggs, separated
- 180 gsugar
- 120 gplain flour
- 40 gunsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tspbaking powder
- 60 gunsalted butter
- 680 gjarred morello/sour cherries in syrup
- 2 tbspcornstarch
- 2 tbspsugar
- 80 mlKirschwasser
- 600 mldouble cream
- 2 tbspicing sugar
- 100 gdark chocolate shavings or curls
- 12 whole morello cherries
Method
- Bake the chocolate sponge. Preheat oven to 180°C. Line the base of a 23 cm springform with parchment; butter the sides. Beat egg yolks with 90 g of the sugar until pale, thick, and ribbon-like — about 4 minutes. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites with a clean whisk to soft peaks; gradually add the remaining 90 g sugar and beat to stiff, glossy peaks. Sift the flour, cocoa, and baking powder together. Gently fold the yolk mixture into the whites, then fold in the flour mixture in three additions, followed by the melted butter. Pour into the tin and bake for 30 to 35 minutes until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn onto a rack. Cool completely before slicing.
- Make the cherry filling. Drain the cherries, reserving 200 ml of syrup. In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of cold syrup until smooth. Heat the remaining syrup and 40 ml of Kirschwasser in a small saucepan. When it reaches a simmer, whisk in the cornstarch paste and cook, stirring, until thickened like a loose jam — about 2 minutes. Stir in the cherries, simmer 1 minute. Remove from heat, add the sugar, stir, and cool completely. The filling must be cold and set before assembling.
- Whip the cream. Beat the cold double cream with the icing sugar in a chilled bowl to soft, billowing peaks — it should hold its shape but not be grainy. Do not over-whip. Divide roughly into two thirds for filling and one third for the exterior. Keep refrigerated until assembly.
- Assemble. Using a long serrated knife, cut the sponge horizontally into three even layers. Place the bottom layer cut-side up on your serving plate. Brush generously with the remaining 40 ml of Kirschwasser — the sponge should be noticeably moist. Spread one third of the filling cream over it. Pipe or spoon a ring of cream around the edge to act as a border, then spoon half the cherry filling inside the ring. Place the second sponge layer on top; brush with Kirschwasser, spread cream, and fill with the remaining cherries in the same way. Place the final sponge layer on top, cut-side down. Press gently.
- Finish and decorate. Cover the top and sides of the cake smoothly with the remaining cream. Press chocolate shavings onto the sides and scatter them lightly over the top, leaving a clean ring around the edge. Pipe 12 small cream rosettes around the top edge and place one whole cherry on each. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving, ideally overnight — the Kirschwasser absorbs into the sponge and the flavors integrate. Serve cold from the fridge, in generous slices.
FAQ
Kirschwasser (literally 'cherry water') is a clear, dry, un-sweetened cherry brandy distilled from fermented whole cherries. It has a clean, tart, faintly floral cherry flavor with no sweetness and about 40% alcohol. It is the defining ingredient of Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte — German regulations state the kirsch flavor must be clearly noticeable. Substitutes in order of preference: cherry eau-de-vie (similar product from France), slivovitz (plum brandy, different but good), rum (available everywhere, different flavor but works). For a non-alcoholic version: use the cherry syrup from the jar to soak the layers and add a teaspoon of vanilla or almond extract to the filling. The result will be good but noticeably different.
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Comments (5)
Die Kirschwasser menge ist genau richtig. Manche Rezepte nehmen zu wenig dann schmeckt man es garnicht. Sahne nicht zu süß machen das ist wichtig
Die Sahne hab ich etwas weniger gezuckert als angegeben. Fand es immernoch süss genug. Kirschwasser nicht vergessen das macht den unterschied!!
Naja also etwas zu süß für meinen geschmack ehrlich gesagt. Kirschwasser war dafür perfekt. Die Sahne hab ich weniger gezuckert das passt besser.
Two things make or break a Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte: the Kirschwasser and the cherries. Use real Kirschwasser, not cherry liqueur — they are completely different products. Brush each cake layer generously. And use sour cherries (Schattenmorellen), not sweet ones. The contrast between the tart cherries, bitter chocolate, and sweet cream is what makes this cake work. Sweet cherries make it one-dimensional.
Als Schwarzwälder sage ich: Das Rezept ist nah dran. Der Biskuit muss mit echtem Kakao sein, nicht mit Schokolade. Die Kirschwasser-Menge ist richtig — viele Rezepte im Internet nehmen zu wenig, dann schmeckt man es nicht. Die Sahne nicht zu süß machen, der Kuchen hat genug Zucker durch die Kirschen. Gutes Rezept für Anfänger.