Summer-Style Black Forest Chocolate Sponge Cake
A summer take on the famous German Black Forest cake: an airy chocolate sponge, a rich cherry layer with brandy, and a delicate milk chocolate cream. Unlike the classic multi-tiered cake, here everything is put together more simply: a single sponge layer topped with the cherry mixture and chocolate cream, finished with shavings and cocktail cherries.
The original Schwarzwalder Kirschtorte comes from the Black Forest and is unthinkable without cherries and cherry brandy. This recipe keeps the tradition: the cherries are cooked down, spiked with brandy, and pureed in a blender, while the milk chocolate makes the cream softer and sweeter than the classic whipped cream.
Worth knowing: A sponge made over a water bath comes out especially fluffy. The key is not to overheat the eggs, just to dissolve the sugar, and then beat. You can swap the brandy for cherry liqueur or, for a kid-friendly version, leave it out entirely. Milk chocolate can be replaced with dark for a less sweet cream. Let the ganache cool in the refrigerator before whipping it with the sour cream, otherwise the cream won’t reach the right thickness.
Serve chilled, accompanied if you like by a glass of cherry cordial. The cake is worth letting rest in the refrigerator for a few hours so the flavors come together.
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Ingredients
Instructions
Make the sponge. Crack the eggs into a deep bowl and add the sugar. Set the bowl over a water bath on the lowest heat. Stirring with a whisk, let the mixture warm so that it becomes smooth and the sugar dissolves. Remove the bowl from the heat and beat the eggs with a mixer for 3 minutes until fluffy.
Sift the flour with the cocoa through a sieve. Fold a third of this mixture into the beaten eggs and stir with a whisk. Continuing to work with the whisk, add the sour cream and melted butter. Fold in another third of the flour-cocoa mixture, then the last part, and stir thoroughly.
Line the baking pan with parchment and grease with butter. Pour the batter into the pan and bake in an oven preheated to 180 C (350 F) for 30 minutes.
Pit the cherries. Pour the berries into a saucepan and add the sugar. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, until the berries release their juice and lose their shape. Remove from the heat, pour in the brandy, and blend until smooth.
Make the cream. Pour the cream into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Finely chop the chocolate and put it in a bowl. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and stir until smooth and glossy. Let the mixture cool, then refrigerate for at least half an hour. Add the sour cream and whip the cream with a mixer.
On the cooled sponge, spread a layer of cherries, then a layer of cream. Decorate with chocolate shavings and cocktail cherries. Keep refrigerated until serving.
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