BLACK FOREST GATEAU...a southern German dessert cake to die for!
26 November 2007
"Man cannot live on chocolate alone, but woman sure can."
Author Unknown
Author Unknown
Black Forest Gateau...
The Black Forest region ('Schwarzwald') in Germany is essentially known for three distinctive features: its highlands, scenery and woods, the traditional cuckoo-clock, & the typical southern German dessert- 'Black Forest Gateau' or 'Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte' ( literally "Black Forest cherry cake") .
Hmmmm...a peek into the insides!!The Black Forest gateau consists of several layers of chocolate cake, with whipped cream and cherries between each layer. Then the cake is decorated with additional whipped cream, maraschino cherries, and chocolate shavings.
Here's the one I baked for my mother's birthday over the weekend. We don't get maraschino cherries here, so I used regular canned cherries. The gateau was a delicious, light cake...& it disappeared in next to no time!! It was finger licking good.
Chill it well for the flavours to mature!
YUM! YUM!!
Ingredients:
Sponge
Eggs - 6 (300gms)
Powdered Sugar - 150 gms
Flour - 125gms ( flour= half the weight of the eggs 150 gms - 3tbsp (for cocoa) i.e. 125gms )
Cocoa - 3tbsp
Cornflour - 2 tbsp (makes the cake texture lighter)
Baking powder - 1tsp
Salt - 1 pinch
Vanilla Essence/Extract - 1 tsp
Sponge
Eggs - 6 (300gms)
Powdered Sugar - 150 gms
Flour - 125gms ( flour= half the weight of the eggs 150 gms - 3tbsp (for cocoa) i.e. 125gms )
Cocoa - 3tbsp
Cornflour - 2 tbsp (makes the cake texture lighter)
Baking powder - 1tsp
Salt - 1 pinch
Vanilla Essence/Extract - 1 tsp
Filling/Topping:
Cream - 500ml (whipping/35% fat)
Icing Sugar - 4-5 Tbsp
Canned cherries - 1 tin/approx 1 cup of chopped bits; reserve a few halves for the top; reserve the syrup too .
Juice of 1 lime
Cornflour - 1 tsp
Method:
- For the sponge:
- Preheat oven to 190deg C , reduce to 180deg C after 10 mins of putting the cake in.
- Line, grease & flour a 9" tin; A spring form cake tin is always better.
- Sift the flour +cocoa + baking powder + salt + cornflour 3 times.
- Beat the eggs and sugar well with beater till very thick ribbon falls and holds in place for at least 5 seconds (beat for approx 10 mins)
- Add vanilla essence and beat for 1 min.
- Gently fold in the sifted flour; mix lightly so that air doesn't escape.
- Turn gently into tin and bake for 30-35 mins till done.
- Once done, remove from tin after 5 mins and leave on rack to cool completely. Cut horizontally into 3-4 layers.
- Filling:
- Mix a tsp of cornflour in the cherry syrup. bring about 1/2 cup of the syrup to a boil, add the cornflour mix, & boil till thick. take off heat, add lime juice, and leave to cool.
- Whip the cream with 4tbs powdered sugar until thick and holds peaks. Reserve 1/2 for icing the top.
- Take the remaining cream & mix in the chopped cherries.
- Place the bottom most layer of the sponge on your serving platter, spread 1/3 of the cherry syrup, spread 1/3 of the whipped cream and bits over it. Make sure you remember to sprinkle the layer with the syrup only after placing it in position on the serving platter.
- Repeat with remaining layers.
Making the leaves...rose leaves work really well!
Melt some chocolate; cover the wrong side of the cleaned leaves with it; leave to set for about 10 minutes in the fridge. Peel off very gently. These can be made days in advance. Store in a cool place.
Topping:
- Spread the remaining cream over the top and sides of the cake.
- Decorate with chocolate shavings, cherry halves, chocolate leaves, dragees etc.
- Chill well before serving.
A slice of 'Schwarzwalder Kirschtorte'!
November 27, 2007 2:29 PM
You are a passionate baker!
November 27, 2007 2:51 PM
fab, fab, fab creation! We live in Munich, not far from Schwarzwald;) But i must admit that even though I have devoured the German black forest torte several times I still favour my first taste at Hot breads (in Chennai). You have brought back wonderful memories of my college days. We have a saying in Tamil that the hands that are so brilliant in the kitchen deserve a pair of diamond bracelets;)
November 27, 2007 5:08 PM
wow! thts so professional and perfect. i really want to try that one day. where do you get the choc shavings from? or rather, how do u make those?
November 27, 2007 5:14 PM
Wow!that cake looks soooooooo good :) it has me drooooling. Am stopping at Sweet Chariot on my way back home ;-)
November 27, 2007 5:29 PM
Perfect!!!!!!!!!!!!
November 27, 2007 6:05 PM
I am afraid to come to your blog, every post is post is delicious, I can feel the pounds crawling in my belly and my tights. Hahahaha. This is another masterpiece.
Thanks for sharing.
Cheers!
BTW, Can I add you to my blogroll?
November 27, 2007 8:09 PM
Thanks Suganya.
Hi there Latha, u made my day...th e wrists are waiting!!
Hey Nags,thanks girl. I made the shavings out of melted chocolate. Spread melted choc on a cold marble slab;once its hardened up, hold a butter knife at an angle & push it outwards creating choc shaings. Very simple & very handy. Can be made & kept in advance.
Anu, hope u got to Sweet Chariots & are indulging in sweet nothings now!
Pushpa....thaaaaaaaaaaaaaaank you!
And Ben...what wud the garment industry do without us!! Ha Ha! INDULGE Ben..the time is now!! As for asking me if you can add me to your blogroll....I am honoured to be added!Pls do not embarass me! We are the ones with the baking powder power!
November 27, 2007 8:34 PM
You won't believe this...I had just watched "The Perfect Man"...in which the lady uses the cyber-name : "Passionate baker"...and then went to my blog...where I had a comment from Mr. Nutritionist :D...and I saw your comment on his blog!
Long winded I know!! But I love coincidences :))
Now that I have discovered your blog...I think I'm going to be an ardent follower :D You rock!
November 27, 2007 9:18 PM
Lovely, as usual. I think I am running out of words to describe your creations! Honest. You have magic hands.
BTW, where do you source your cream. Where I am, I have only seen Amul and Ajantha.
November 27, 2007 10:06 PM
Wow that looks oh so professional like the ones that you buy!!! Love the choc leaves!
November 27, 2007 10:10 PM
absolutely super stuff...ALL of it. Could NEVER achieve such results...however hard i tried. Your ardent fan from the land of babushkas...
November 27, 2007 10:22 PM
Wow I LOVE black forest gateaux! Your recipe looks so delicious, I love your chocolate leaves on top. :)
November 28, 2007 2:41 AM
Fabulous!!!!!! such a lovely looking cake. Really breath taking. Loved every bit of it. Beautiful decor. Thx for sharing. I wish I could bake & decorate too.
November 28, 2007 5:31 AM
This is one of my favorite cakes...yours, as usual, looks amazing!
November 28, 2007 9:35 AM
Beautiful decoration! I've never tried making chocolate leaves before. (I hope if you have some time you can check out my blog's cakes, hehe :)
I am loving your cookies too! Everything looks so good.
November 30, 2007 6:00 PM
The cake is soooo beautiful! I'm always amazed with your creations :)
December 5, 2007 10:41 PM
Wow, this looks gorgeous! :-)
Just found your blog and I am impressed: You are definitely passionate about baking, everything looks so nice!
I like your Black Forest Cherry Gateau. Just perfect! I made a Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte this September - so I know it is a lot of work! ;-)
Maraschino cherries are not typical, so your regular canned cherries did well and tasted great I supose.
Regards to India! I spent a week in your beautiful country in May 2005.
December 6, 2007 6:09 AM
Thanks for dropping by Lost World; I love the uncanny connection.
Thanks Aparna; did you get my mail?
Rachel, Jeena, Rina, Meeso...thanks for your lovely comments.
Chhoti from the land of the babushkas...we inspire each other!!
Manggy, for heavens sake...look at your cakes & stuff!I spent hours surfing your blog...its fabulous! Love the lemon curd cake.
Great to hear from you always Anne...thank you.
Hi Barbara, Thanks for such inspiring words. They mean a lot to me. Thanks for the comment on the variety of cherries; makes me feel like I wasn't too off the mark!
January 4, 2008 3:10 AM
Once again..The cake looks fabulous..Exactly like the ones in a bakery..Any chance I could take some classes frm you?? Am seriuos ...