BLACK FOREST CAKE

DEVIL'S FOOD

CHOCOLATE BAVARIAN

CHANTILLY CREAM

CHOCOLATE CURLS

AMARETTO CHERRIES

Cake Black Forest

Charlotte Vanilla Chocolate

Chocolate Beignets

Chocolate Bitter Mousse

Chocolate Cigar

Chocolate Gianduja Napoleon

Chocolate Mille Feuilles

Chocolate Molten

Chocolate Pudding

Chocolate Souffle

Chocolate Variation

Christmas Classics

EASTER

Honey Parfait Glace

OPERA Green Tea

Pear Belle Helene

Pear Bourdaloue

Profiteroles

Rocky Road

Semi Sweet ( 65 to 72%)

Souffle Grand Marnier

Tira_Misu'

| Chocolate_Sponge | Chocolate Bavarian | Chantilly cream | Syrup | ASSEMBLING |

The main components of the traditional Black Forest cake are:

    ·         Chocolate sponge cake

    ·         Sour cherries in Brandy

    ·         Chantilly cream

    ·         Chocolate curls

    ·         Simple syrup with Brandy

The recipe that follows differs a little, offering other way to satisfy the palate but not too far from the original one.

This winter pastry makes a statement by the use of the sour cherries. The sour cherries are growing in abundance but because of their sour taste, their preparation cannot imitate the use of the sweet cherries. They are mostly used by the cooks for savory dishes like dressings, chutneys, sauces, etc…, but they can also be used by local bakers for some specialty breads or foccacias.

For the pastry, their consumption has to be postponed -- the only way to preserve them is to macerate them in a good Brandy like Amaretto and to reveal them during the holidays in different preparations as a delicacy like these chocolate bonbons in which a cherry soaks in its Brandy. And so it is with the Black Forest Cake as well.

 CHOCOLATE SPONGE

    ·         16 eggs

    ·         450 grs sugar

    ·         300 grs AP flour

    ·         50 grs cornstarch

    ·         65 grs cocoa powder

1.       Beat eggs and sugar over heat ( double boiler or low flame) until light ribbon, then finish with the mixer using the whisk until very fluffy and soft peak.

2.       Sift all dry ingredients together and using a spatula, add them slowly to the egg mix

3.       Using a brush, grease the cake tin with butter or margarine ( or just butter spray), then put them in the freezer a few min before dusting them with flour.

4.       Garnish these tins with cake mix until ¾ and bake in hot oven(325ºF for 15 min, then 300ºF for 15 to 20 min). Remove from mold after baked, upside-down on a cooling rack

 CHOCOLATE BAVARIAN CREAM

·         1 Qt milk

·         300 grs ½ sweet chocolate ( 55 to 66%)

·         10 yolks

·         250 grs sugar

·         10 leaves (25 grs) gelatin

·         1 Qt whipped cream

1.       Bring milk to a boil

2.       Turn off flame and add chocolate (chopped or pistols)

3.       Whisk until totally melted and bring back to a boil

4.       Mix well yolks and sugar until clear lemon color

5.       Add some of the boiling chocolate milk, mix well, and put all liquid to cook again until “nappe”

6.       Have gelatin already soaking in cold water

7.       Before adding it to the hot creme anglaise, squeeze between hands to extract the water.

8.       Let melt it, whisk the mix and refrigerate.

9.       Whip the cream, soften the hard chocolate cream by passing it over a flame heating it, and add the cream, using a spatula.

 CHANTILLY CREAM

·         1 Qt heavy cream

·         150 grs confectionners sugar

·         1 tsp vanilla extract

1.       Whisk the cold cream (or over ice)

2.       Before stiff, add sugar and vanilla, give a couple of more turns and keep refrigerated

 PUNCHING SYRUP

·         1 Qt water

·         1 ½ Lbs sugar

1.       Bring water and sugar to a boil and let cool. Keep refrigerated.

2.       When ready to do the cake, drain the amaretto cherries into a colander and over a bowl to save the liquid (alcohol)

3.       Use this liquid to flavor the syrup before punching the chocolate sponge

 ASSEMBLING THE BLACK FOREST CAKE

1.       Cut the a chocolate sponge into 3 equal slices

2.       Start making the cake by punching the first layer of sponge on the dish used for its presentation or on a card board. It will be impossible to remove the cake after its completion.

3.       And then follow as indicated below:

·         1^st layer of chocolate sponge

·         ½” thick chocolate bavarian cream

·         2^nd layer of sponge

·         ½” thick Chantilly cream

·         3^rd and last layer of sponge

1.       Using a spatula cover the cake by spreading some Bavarian cream

2.       Using a pastry bag and a star tip, pipe some dots of Chantilly cream around the cake. Then put an amaretto cherry (with the stem) on each dot

3.       Cover the cake with chocolate curls

4.       Finish decorating your cake with piped chocolate pinetrees, fences and meringue mushrooms

5.       Confectionners sugar for the snow...............

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Et Voila!