Among the most diverse pastries, invented by the peoples of different countries, the Black Forest cake enjoys well-deserved love and respect. The Germans (the name is German) are considered to be its "authors", but there are serious doubts about the validity of such a judgment. However, whoever composed this delicacy, he did it talentedly, and now the cake is baked all over the world. Many variants of its preparation were invented, but for a start we will focus on the traditional one.
Black Forest Classic Black Forest Cherry Cake
For him, it is necessary to prepare two types of cakes: a biscuit and a shortbread. Moreover, the Germans insist on the mandatory use of kirsch. In our area is not so easy to get it. Therefore, the housewives use any other cherry syrup and assure that from such a replacement the Black Forest cherry cake does not lose its taste. Another subtlety: in the classic recipe, fresh cherries are required. But if you started a cake in the winter, you can safely use frozen ones. So let's get started.
Cake cakes
First, let's get into the sand - it requires less attention and time. 170 grams of flour are mixed, 100 - butter and half a glass of sugar. Upon reaching homogeneity, the dough is rolled to the size of a baking sheet, pricked with a fork in many places and placed at 170 degrees in the oven for 25 minutes - until the match, dipped into the cake, remains dry.
Now for the biscuit, which is part of the Black Forest cherry cake. For him, a glass of sugar (pour a spoonful of protein from it) is whipped with 100 grams of oil. Squirrels are separated from 4 eggs and beaten with powdered sugar. When the foam becomes dense, yolks and a stack of liquor are added. A 100 gram bar of chocolate is melted and added to the dough. Almonds follow - grind 50 g in a coffee grinder and pour into a bowl. It remains to add half a glass of flour, 2 large tablespoons of corn starch and a teaspoon of baking powder, beat for the last time and pour into a mold covered with parchment. In the oven, the cake will stay for about 40 minutes; Do not open the door for the first half hour! Ready will need to be cut in half along the plane.
Impregnation Syrup
The right Black Forest cake should be soaked in cherries. For this purpose, kirsch is usually used, but you can do otherwise: take a little less than a pound of berries; if they are frozen, thaw and drain the juice. 3 tablespoons of juice mixed with a couple of tablespoons of corn starch and the same amount of sugar. A container of liquid is put on fire; when it boils, throw half a large spoon of cinnamon and one clove into it. After about five boiling, the clove is removed. When the jelly thickens - remove from heat and cool.
Last step: cake assembly
Cream is an indispensable component of the Black Forest cake. The recipe suggests taking their maximum fat content, in a volume of 700 ml, and whisking - slowly at first, then more intensely. In the middle of the process, add vanilla to taste and a thickener - about four sachets.
Sponge cake soaked in cherry liqueur. At this stage, you must be vigilant: if you overdo it, the cakes begin to creep. Shortbread is smeared with cherry jam or confiture (about a third of a kilogram will need it). Cherries are laid out evenly on both cakes; about a dozen are left for decoration. Whipped cream is divided into all three cakes. Those cakes that are equipped with cherries are filled with jelly. Everything develops in the following order: sand with jam - a biscuit with cherries and cream - a biscuit with cream only. Now the Black Forest Cherry cake is strewn with chocolate chips, decorated with cherries and creamy roses and placed for six hours to soak. Then you can enjoy its taste.
A simpler but no less delicious cake
Like any other dish, this delicacy has not only a classic recipe. Many variations were invented, including for the lazy and not too friendly with pastries. The following Black Forest cake has a wonderful, quite authentic taste, a step-by-step recipe of which we offer you.
Stage 1. In a water bath, 6 eggs with 150 grams of sugar are slightly warmed, beaten - first slowly, then to white froth. The volume should grow 4 times. In another bowl, the sifted flour (two-thirds of a glass) is mixed with two tablespoons of cocoa and gradually poured into a whipped mixture. Stir carefully, otherwise the eggs will settle and the biscuit will turn out flat and not lush. The dough is poured into a greased form and baked at 180 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes.
Stage 2. Frozen pitted cherries (400 grams) are poured with two tablespoons of sugar and put on the stove. After boiling, most of the juice is drained, half the tablespoon of starch diluted in a small volume of water is added to the residue, mixed and boiled for about 10 minutes until it thickens. As it cools down - pour tincture, brandy or cherry liquor - a couple of tablespoons.
Stage 3. The cooled sponge cake is cut into two parts and soaked in the juice obtained during the preparation of cherries.
Stage 4. The maximum fat cream (half a liter) is whipped with powdered sugar (50 g) and a bag of vanillin. Jelly is distributed over the cakes, the top is filled with cream (the sides are coated with them), sprinkled with grated chocolate and laid out with cherries. Such a Black Forest cake should not even stand - it can be eaten immediately.
Black Forest Blackberry Cake
In this variation, canned cherries are used, from which the seeds are removed - a very successful “winter” solution. People who have relatives of grandmothers who cover the berries in their own juice, are completely in a winning position. They will have access to the Black Forest cake at any time of the year. The recipe is implemented as follows.
- 2 teaspoons of gelatin are poured with cold water for half an hour - very little, otherwise it will not seize.
- Cherry (half a kilo) is decanted and dried.
- 6 proteins whip cool; how they form a dense foam - 170 g of powdered sugar is introduced. Beating does not stop.
- 100 g of bitter (milk will not work) chocolate breaks finely.
- In two-thirds of a glass of boiled water, half of the chocolate is dissolved. As it cools down - it is poured into 150 g of flour and mixed.
- Proteins are added and kneaded again.
- The dough is distributed in the form, baked for 20 minutes and after settling for 10 minutes it is transferred to the wire rack and finally cooled.
- A cream is being prepared with which the Black Forest cherry cake will be greased. For him, half a liter of thick sour cream is whipped with the gradual addition of a third of a kilogram of powdered sugar and 150 ml of cherry filling (liquor is also suitable, but not too strong). As you whip, the prepared gelatin and another half a kilo of sour cream are added.
- The cake is cut into three equal parts. Cherries are placed on the first and greased with a third of the cream prepared. The cake laid on top is covered by another third of it. The third cake receives the rest of the cream, is decorated with cherries and all the same roses - cream or cream.
In this version, the Black Forest cake should stand in the refrigerator for a couple of hours. There is just enough time to prepare for the meeting of guests.
What will Alla Kovalchuk please?
As already mentioned, not only the Germans appreciated, loved and actively prepared the Black Forest cake. “Everything will be kind” - a program, part of which is useful culinary advice and no less successful “transformations” of famous dishes, could not pass by such a wonderful dessert. Here's what recipe the creators of the program shared with the world.
Three yolks are whipped into a froth with two tablespoons of sugar. Squirrels from the same eggs are first beaten with a pinch of salt, then a spoonful of sugar is added a little bit and the beating continues. 40 g of starch is mixed with 60 g of powdered sugar; half add to the yolks - and again whisk. Only after both substances are combined, the remainder of the powder and a glass of flour are added, and everything turns into a total mass. The bottom of the baking dish is greased, dusted with flour, the dough is placed in it and baked for about half an hour. When the form cools down, a cake is taken out of it and divided in half. Both halves are soaked in a mixture of strong coffee and brandy in a ratio of 1: 4. To make the Black Forest cake from Alla Kovalchuk, a glass of greasy cream, 3 egg yolks, crushed with sugar, white chocolate crumbs and mascarpone cheese are whipped for lubrication. Cake is spread with this cream, a second one is laid on it, again it is smeared with cream, laid out with cherries, sprinkled with chocolate chips and put for four hours in the refrigerator for impregnation. Now appreciate the flight of culinary thought!
Improvements from our chefs
Firstly, about replacing kirsch. The main thing in this drink is the smell and taste of cherry seeds. Any other liquor contains only berries. So if you want to do without running around in search of a German drink, make a tincture yourself or add to the finished bones in advance. A good replacement would be brandy.
Again - the differences between fresh and frozen cherries. So that the berries do not lose their appearance, it is better to cook them immediately in syrup. Otherwise, they wrinkle. Compote cherry is better not to use at all - it is pretty tasteless.
Beauty must be delicious
Most recipes recommend decorating the Black Forest cake with cherries for cocktails. Not the best advice - such berries are deliberately made tasteless so as not to overshadow the shades of drinks that go into cocktails. Yes, and buy it is not so simple. Fresh berries are the best alternative. For lack of these, you can extract berries from jam or soak dried ones - it will definitely be tastier.