Three Cooks and a Cherry Tree

Black Forest Cake from Sally's Baking Addiction

 No self-respecting French person living in the countryside would be without un verger--an orchard--no matter how small. When our châtelains Nicole and Pierre downsized from the château, they bought a village house with no verger but with one grand, magnificent cerisier that shades the large patio (where the parties continue, château or no). In a good year, when the fruit is abundant, after our French conversation group ("Ecole Nicole") is over, everyone grabs bowls and ladders. We go home with baskets brimming with fresh cherries.

I'm not sure how I got on this bee in le bonnet, since I'm not a baker, but this year I decided it was essential for Nicole and I to make a big fat Black Forest Cake together, with her beautiful cherries. 

Our big summer party, with all of our expat and French friends, was held this week. Everyone brought a favorite dish. And ours was to be this grand cake.

I chose the recipe pictured above. Here are a couple more renditions to drool over:

Of course I got to wondering how this internationally popular cake came to be. Turns out it was created in 1915 by German chef Josef Keller, as a treat for his tea room. The Black Forest is a dense pine  and fir forest and the area's main crop is of course cherries, plus they make good chocolate. At fêtes in the area, traditional dress is worn, with the colors of the costumes echoing the colors of the cake: black for dark chocolate,  white for the cream. The rather fantastical hats, with huge cherry poufs on top, are called Bollenhuts (red cherries for single ladies, dark cherries for married ones. Though if these hats are designed  to help catch a mate, they may want to try a different tactic).

I made a 3 layer chocolate cake--following the recipe exactly, which is normally against my principles-- and then took it over to Nicole's early that day, so we could layer it with cherries, smother it in whipped cream frosting, and make a chocolate ganache to drizzle over the whole she-bang. Our friend Dee, visiting from the Alps, got right into the choco-cherry spirit. The more bakers, the better. I used the recipe from Sally's Baking Addiction.

And did our cake look like Sally's photo at the top? Um, pas exactement. Cake by Committee may not be the best idea, for the decorating phase. Let's just say it was a Cake of Character.

Our  slightly lopsided and gloppy cake may not have looked like the photo, but there was not a crumb left. 

 

RECIPE: Not Quite Sally's Black Forest Cake

I've included directions here to help you avoid the gloppy look!

• Author (with minimal changes): Sally
• Yield: 12 servings (mine easily served 15)

Ingredients

Chocolate Cake

• 1 and 3/4 cups (219g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
• 3/4 cup (65g) unsweetened natural cocoa powder
• 1 and 3/4 cups (350g) granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons espresso powder (optional)
• 1/2 cup (120ml) canola or vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup (180g) full fat sour cream, at room temperature (I used crème fraîche entière)
• 1/2 cup (120ml) buttermilk, at room temperature (I added 1 teaspoon of lemon juice to whole milk and let it sit 10 minutes).
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup (120ml) hot coffee
• 2 (15 ounce) cans dark sweet cherries in heavy syrup (or make your own, SEE  MY NOTE)
• 2 Tablespoons cherry liquor (sold as kirsch or kirschwasser. Or use what you have: brandy or amaretto or creme de cacao, or skip it).

Chocolate Ganache

• 1 cup (240ml) heavy cream 
• two 4-ounce semi-sweet chocolate bars (226g), chopped

Whipped Cream

• 2 cups (480ml) cold heavy cream or heavy whipping cream
• 1/4 cup (30g) confectioners’ sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• Whip cream fixative, SEE MY NOTE

NOTE : We used fresh cherries, not canned.  I cooked them down to make cherries in syrup using this recipe at Magnolia Days.

Also, our cake didn't hold together so well when we cut it. Next time I would add either a whipped cream fixative powder, or a couple of teaspoons of instant vanilla pudding, to stabilize and thicken it.

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease three 9" cake pans lined with parchment paper rounds, then grease the parchment paper.  (if like me you have just 2 pans, cook the first two, cover and refrigerate remaining batter, then cook third one).
2. Make the chocolate cake: Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and espresso powder (if using) together in a large bowl. Set aside. Using mixer fitted with a flat beater, beat the oil, eggs, sour cream, buttermilk, and vanilla together until combined. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, add the coffee, and beat until completely combined.
3. Divide batter evenly between 3 pans. Bake for 21-25 minutes. Baking times vary, so keep an eye on yours. The cakes are done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Set on a wire rack. Cool 30 minutes in the pans, then remove  from pans and set on a cooling rack. 
4. After the cakes have cooled, use a large serrated knife to slice a thin layer off the tops of the cakes to create a flat surface. (mine were flat, so no need!).
5. Prepare the syrup: Drain the cherries, reserving 3/4 cup (180ml) of the heavy syrup (if it's not thick, reduce it down, on a simmer. You will only need about 1/4 cup).
6.  Brush reduced syrup all over the cakes.
7. Slice the cherries in half, leaving a few whole cherries for garnish. Set aside.
8. Make the ganache: Place chopped chocolate  in a medium bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan until it begins to gently simmer. (Do not let it come to a rapid boil). Pour over chocolate and let it sit for 2-3 minutes to gently soften the chocolate. Slowly stir until completely combined and chocolate has melted. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes as you prepare the whipped cream (mine needed longer; I put it in the fridge for a bit).
9. Make the whipped cream: Whip the heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla extract on medium-high speed with a mixer until soft peaks form, about 3 minutes (add a fixative if you like).
10. Assemble: Place 1 cake layer on your serving plate. Spread 1 heaping cup of whipped cream evenly on top. Dot with half of the halved cherries and drizzle with a spoonful of reduced syrup. Top with 2nd cake layer and evenly cover the top with 1 heaping cup whipped cream, the remaining halved cherries, and another drizzle of reduced syrup. Top with the 3rd cake layer. Spread the remaining whipped cream on top and all around the sides in a thin layer using an icing spatula. Use a bench scraper to smooth out the whipped cream on the sides of the cake.
11. Pour chocolate ganache on top of the cake, in small amounts at a time to see how it's going to drip. Thick enough to barely drip unless you help it a little, is the best. Spread to the edges of cake. Take a flat, narrow spreader or table knife and pull some to the edges gradually until they drip over. Top with whole cherries. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.
12. Cover and store leftover cake at room temperature for 1 day or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

 

PS. My apologies if you are a subscriber and received two emails instead of one this time. My email server decided to do this with no input from me! I hope I have fixed the problem. 

In the COMMENTS: Gwyneth, what a beautiful name, English I’m assuming. Thanks for joining in. And yes, I think those straw finials are a kind of signature as well. Creative, n’est pas? Libby, the driving is absolutely terrifying. And Cambridge is now on my travel list. Merci for all the nice comments.

Favorite READS: Natalia has something different to  recommend to us this week: a coffee table book called Empress of the Garden. Full of gorgeous rose pictures. I share your love of roses, Natalia and your maman's—especially the antique ones. 

For art lovers: Our good friend Julie Messerschmidt is a painter extraordinaire. She shows at the Stevenson & Co Gallery in Charleston, and sells on-line as well. She has a new exhibit of paintings inspired by seasonal fruits and vegetables. She used Amalfi lemons for the winter-inspired one, below, in progress. I love this photo from her atelier in Mersault, which shows how she sets up a real still-life vignette to paint from. You can see more of her work here or at the gallery site, above.

And the finished work: Wonderful!