BLACK FOREST CAKE

This was made for a client's party but would also make an excellent Valentine's Dessert. It's a Black Forest Cake with kirsh whipped cream and black cherries, covered with ganache and chocolate shavings. I tempered some chocolate to make the fillagree hearts.

I made a chocolate cocoa cake that stays very moist even right out of the refrigerator. I stabilized with gelatin and spiked the whipped cream with kirsh and used Comstock canned cherries. I also put some kirsh in a little simple syrup to lightly moisten the cake. To make the chocolate shavings I took a slab of chocolate and ran my potato peeler over it to shave the chocolate off the slab.

GANACHE

1 1/2 Pounds Semi Sweet Chocolate

24 Ounces Heavy Cream

METHOD

Bring the cream to a boil and pour over the chocolate. Stir with a whisk until the chocolate is completely melted. Cover and leave at room temperature. Make this one day in advance so it sets up to an icing consistency.

COCOA CAKE
Makes 2 9" round cakes.
15 ½ Ounces Granulated Sugar
9 Ounces All Purpose Flour
3 ¾ Ounces Cocoa Powder (sift after measuring)
1 ½ Teaspoon Baking Powder
1 ½ Teaspoon Baking Soda
1 ½ Teaspoon Salt
2 Large Eggs (room temperature)

1 Cup Whole Milk
½ Cup Canola Oil
2 ½ Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
7 Liquid Ounces Boiling Water
METHOD
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray and line with parchment 2 - 9" round cake pans.
2. This should be done by hand. No mixer necessary. When making X2 or X4 use a mixer.
3. Place all dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl and whisk to combine.
4. Place all wet ingredients except water into another bowl and mix together.
5. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and stir until well combined.
6. Boil water in microwave, add and stir to combine.
7. Pour into prepared pans.
8. Bake 30 to 40 minutes.

STABILIZED WHIPPED CREAM WITH KIRSCH

1/8 Ounce (1/2 packet) Gelatin Powder

3/4 Ounce Kirsch

12 Ounces Heavy Cream

2 Tablespoons Powdered Sugar

Seeds of 1/4 Vanilla Bean

METHOD

Sprinkle the gelatin powder over the kirsch. Let it bloom for about 5 minutes then soften it in the microwave 10 - 15 seconds, just until it melts.

Whip the cream with the sugar and vanilla to semi stiff peaks.

With the whip still whipping pour in the gelatin and continue to whip to stiff peak.

Use immediately.

ASSEMBLY

Split and soak the cake layers slightly with simple syrup flavored to taste with kirsh.

Put the canned cherries with a little of the glaze on the cake layers.

Put whipped cream directly on top of the cherries and spread to the outside of the cake.

Stack the cake and refrigerate to set the whipped cream.

Cover the cake with ganache.

Decorate.