cakes and tortes: black forest torte

one significant difference between europeans and americans when it comes to food is our insatiable sweet tooth. it becomes abundantly clear when you learn how much sweeter we like our whipped cream and how sickeningly sweet we like our cakes and frosting. i have always had more of a savory tooth myself, so i tend to prefer more subtle sweetness in desserts, and i don’t like four inches of frosting piled on top of my cupcakes or in between every layer of carrot cake. the black forest torte is a fine example of the layers of none-too-sweet flavor that, when combined, make a lusciously moist and flavorful cake.

although my grandma was born and raised in southern germany, i don’t remember ever having black forest torte when i was young. still, it reminds me of her and the types of dishes she made. the attention to detail, the layers of flavor and the use of ingredients indigenous to the region (in this case, cherries from southwestern germany)–preserved in syrupy liqueur to ensure they wouldn’t be wasted. a cake in true german style.

black forest torte

chocolate genoise (recipe follows)
cherry liqueur (kirschwasser, a clear cherry brandy from germany, is ideal)
8 oz. heavy whipping cream
3 T. sugar
dark pitted cherries in syrup or liqueur, drained
dark chocolate shavings

genoise

9 oz. eggs
6 oz. sugar
1/8 t. salt
5 oz. cake flour
1 oz. cocoa powder
2 oz. butter, melted
1/4 t. vanilla extract

preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. butter the bottom of a nine-in. baking sheet, and line it with parchment paper. do not butter the sides of the cake pan. in a stainless steel bowl, mix the eggs, sugar and salt. set the bowl over a hot water bath on the stove, and stir until the mixture is slightly warm and foamy. slowly stream in the melted butter, mixing continuously. sift together the flour and cocoa powder. now with a large rubber spatula, slowly fold the dry ingredients into the egg mixture in three or four batches. be careful not to deflate the foam. “a lot of bakers will do this part by hand so they don’t deflate the batter–even for really large batches,” Chef Kim said, as she deftly folded the flour bit by bit into the batter. as soon as all the flour is incorporated, quickly pour the batter into the baking pan and bake. delays will only deflate your batter further. bake about 20 to 25 minutes, or until the sides of the cake pull away from the pan and top springs back when you press on it lightly. cool the cake completely. with a long serrated knife, remove the top of the cake so it is totally flat. cut it in half, making sure each piece is about the same thickness.

brush the top of one of the pieces all over with the cherry liqueur to soak the cake.

meanwhile, quickly whip the cream until stiff, gradually drizzling in the sugar as soon as the cream becomes foamy. using an offset spatula, top the soaked cake with a generous layer of whipped cream–enough to cover a whole cherry. nestle the cherries into the cream all over the top. if the tops are still sticking out, cover them with a little more cream, being sure to level off the top with the offset spatula.

soak the top of the other half of your cake with the liqueur.

carefully set the second half of cake on top of the half covered with cream and cherries. press gently on it to be sure it is flat. now frost the cake all over the top and sides with whipped cream.

don’t worry about making it look perfect–whipped cream is pretty soft. also, if your cream starts to lose its stiffness as you frost, just grab a whisk and whip it back to stiff peaks. garnish the cake by piping whipped cream shells all around the outside using a pastry bag and small star tip. you can also garnish with chocolate shavings or fresh cherries, if you have them.

store in the refrigerator up to seven days, though try to eat or serve it as soon as possible, since the whipped cream won’t stay stiff that long.