Black Forest Cake Recipe

=== FOR THE CAKE ===
6 oz Bittersweet chocolate; cut
-into bits
6 tb Unsalted butter
1 ts Vanilla extract
1/3 c Water
6 lg Eggs; at room temperature
1 c Sugar
1 c Cake flour
1/2 ts Salt
=== FOR THE FILLING ===
2 lb Canned sour cherries;
-drained,
Reserving the juice
1/3 c Sugar
5 ts Cornstarch
2 tb Kirsch
=== FOR THE SYRUP ===
1/2 c Sugar
1/2 c Water
1/4 c Kirsch
=== FOR THE WHIPPED TOPPING
-===
1 Envelope Unflavored gelatin
3 tb Kirsch
3 c Well-chilled heavy cream
1/3 c Sifted confectioner’s sugar
1 ts Vanilla
1 1/2 c Chocolate shavings and curls
Glaceed cherries; for
-garnish

Make the cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter three 7-inch cake
pans, line them with wax paper and butter and flour the paper. In the
top of a double boiler set over simmering water melt the chocolate
with the butter, vanilla and water, stirring until smooth. Remove the
pan from heat. Into a bowl sift together the flour and salt. In a
bowl with an electric mixer beat the eggs with the sugar for 5 to 10
minutes, or until batter ribbons when beaters are lifted. Fold flour
mixture into egg mixture until just combined and fold in chocolate
mixture gently but thoroughly. Pour batter into pans, smoothing the
tops, and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until cake tester inserted in
center comes out clean. Let cool in pans 5 minutes. Run knife around
edge of pans and invert onto racks to cool completely. Make the
filling: In a saucepan combine reserved cherry juice, sugar and
cornstarch. Bring mixture to a boil over moderate heat, stirring, and
simmer, stirring, for 1 to 2 minutes, or until thickened. Stir in
cherries and kirsch, transfer to a bowl and let cool. Filling may be
made 1 day in advance and kept covered and chilled. Make the syrup:
In a saucepan combine the sugar and water, bring to a simmer,
stirring, and simmer until sugar is dissolved. Remove pan from heat
and stir in Kirsch. Let cool. Make the whipped cream topping: In
small saucepan combine gelatin and Kirsch and let soften 5 minutes.
Gently heat mixture over low heat, stirring, until liquid is clear.
Remove from heat. In chilled bowl with chilled beaters beat cream
until it holds soft peaks, add sugar and vanilla and beat until it
holds stiff peaks. Add gelatin mixture in stream, beating, and beat
until it holds stiff peaks. Assemble cake: Invert one layer of cake
onto a cardboard round, brush with some of syrup and spread half
cherry filling over it. Spread 1 1/2 cups of whipped cream over
cherries, sprinkle with 1/4 cup chocolate shavings and invert second
layer of genoise onto cake. Brush with syrup, spread with remaining
cherry filling and top with 1 1/2 cups whipped cream, spreading it
into an even layer. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup of chocolate shavings and
invert third genoise layer onto cake. Brush top with syrup and spread
remaining whipped cream over top and sides of cake reserving about
2/3 cup for garnish. Coat side of cake with some of remaining
chocolate shavings. Transfer remaining whipped cream to a pastry bag
fitted with a large star tip, pipe rosettes decoratively around top
edge of cake and top each rosette with glaceed cherry. Sprinkle top
of cake with remaining chocolate shavings and let cake stand, covered
and chilled, for at least 3 hours and up to 8 hours. This recipe
yields 8 to 10 servings.

Yields
8 servings