Black Forest cake

Instructions

1. Step 1

   Preheat the oven to 175°C, line the bottom of a 20 cm round pan with parchment paper and butter only the bottom lightly, leaving the sides ungreased. Ungreased sides give the sponge something to cling to so it rises with a flat top. The pan is ready when the parchment lies flat without curling at the edges.

   Mark step 1 as done

2. Step 2

   Put 250 g eggs, 150 g superfine sugar and a pinch salt in a stand mixer bowl, set the bowl over a pot of warm water and stir until the mixture feels warm, then whip on high speed for about ten minutes. Warm eggs whip up faster into a thick, stable foam. Lift the whisk: if the mixture falls back in a ribbon that sits on the surface for a few seconds before disappearing, it's ready.

   Suggested time: about 10 minutes.

   Mark step 2 as done

3. Step 3

   Sift 75 g cake flour, 15 g cornstarch and 25 g cocoa powder together twice, then sift them over the egg foam in three additions and fold very gently with a spatula. Cocoa clumps easily, so thorough sifting keeps the sponge free of floury specks. The batter is ready when it's an even brown with no dry bits floating on top.

   Mark step 3 as done

4. Step 4

   Melt 40 g unsalted butter, stir a scoop of the batter into the butter until blended, then pour this mixture down the side of the bowl and fold it in with a few strokes. Mixing the butter with a little batter first keeps the heavy butter from sinking and deflating the foam. The batter is ready when it looks lightly glossy with no yellow streaks of butter at the bottom of the bowl.

   Mark step 4 as done

5. Step 5

   Pour the batter into the pan, smooth the top and tap the pan once on the counter, then bake at 175°C for 28 to 35 minutes. A moderate temperature cooks the sponge evenly without drying out the top. The cake is done when it pulls slightly away from the sides, springs back when pressed gently and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

   Bake at 175°C for about 28 to 35 minutes.

   Mark step 5 as done

6. Step 6

   Turn the cake out onto a rack, peel off the parchment and let it cool completely for about an hour, then use a serrated knife to slice it horizontally into three even layers. A fully cooled sponge is firmer and won't crumble when you cut it. You've cut it right when all three layers are the same thickness with flat cut surfaces.

   Suggested time: about 60 minutes.

   Mark step 6 as done

7. Step 7

   Put 60 g water and 40 g granulated sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat until the sugar has dissolved, then turn off the heat and add 20 g kirsch. Adding the brandy off the heat preserves its cherry aroma. The syrup is ready when it's completely clear with no sugar crystals left at the bottom.

   Medium heat.

   Mark step 7 as done

8. Step 8

   Drain 400 g pitted cherries, saving the juice, then mix 15 g cornstarch with a few spoonfuls of that juice and cook it with the rest of the juice and 60 g granulated sugar over medium heat, then add the cherries along with 20 g kirsch. The cornstarch thickens the filling so it doesn't seep into the cream. The filling is ready when it's thick and glossy, coats the back of a spoon and the cherries still hold their shape.

   Medium heat.

   Mark step 8 as done

9. Step 9

   Pour 600 g well-chilled whipping cream into a cold bowl, add 50 g powdered sugar and 4 g vanilla extract, and whip on medium speed for about four minutes. The colder the cream and bowl, the faster the cream whips and the longer it holds its shape. The cream is ready when clear ridges form on the surface and the peaks stand firm when you lift the whisk.

   Suggested time: about 4 minutes.

   Mark step 9 as done

10. Step 10

    Place the first sponge layer on a cake board, brush it evenly with syrup, spread on a thin layer of cream, then pipe a ring of cream around the edge and spoon half the cherry filling into the middle; repeat with the second layer and top with the third. The ring of cream works like a little wall that keeps the filling from spilling out. The cake is assembled correctly when the layers are aligned and the top is flat.

    Mark step 10 as done

11. Step 11

    Cover the top and sides of the cake with cream and smooth it with a spatula, then shave 60 g dark chocolate into curls and press them onto the sides, pipe rosettes of cream on top and set 80 g pitted cherries on each one. The chocolate shavings give the cake its signature look and hide any spots where the cream isn't perfectly smooth. The cake is finished when the sides are evenly coated with chocolate and every rosette has a cherry.

    Mark step 11 as done

12. Step 12

    Refrigerate the cake for at least four hours or overnight before slicing. The rest lets the syrup soak in evenly and the cream set firm, so the slices stand up tall. The cake is ready when the cream feels firm and cold and a knife leaves a clean cut showing every layer.

    Suggested time: about 240 minutes.

    Mark step 12 as done