This is not an easy recipe. Turn back while you still can. It takes a lot of work and time but the results are awesome.

Begin by preparing your ingredients.   You will need to make moistening syrup to mix with your liquor.  Combine 3/4 cup water and 3/4 sugar in a sauce pan.  Heat until the sugar has dissolved.  Set this liquid aside.

To make this recipe extra special, we made clarified butter.  This is different than ghee as you do not heat the butter until the milk solids brown.   Clarified butter is wonderful as it makes the shelf life of butter much longer and increases the smoke point.  Cut the butter into small pieces and allow to melt on low heat.  Do not stir.  Turn off heat when melted.

With a spoon, skim off the foam.

Allow the melted butter to sit and milk solids settle.  Carefully pour into a heatproof dish.

You can see all the milk solids that are left behind.  If you were making Ghee, you would heat the butter longer and the milk solids will brown.  It gives the butter a nice nutty flavor.

Ok time to make the cake. Get your ingredients ready: eggs (room temperature), cake flour, sugar, cocoa powder and clarified butter.

Whenever you are using cocoa powder it is very important to sift it before mixing in the wet ingredients.  The cocoa tends to get lumpy and sifting it helps the dough get nice and fluffy.In a heat proof bowl whisk together the 6 eggs and 3/4 cup sugar.

Set the bowl in a skillet of barely simmering water (or double boiler).  Whisk until the mixture is about 110 degrees F.

Beat until the mixture has tripled in size.

In 3 additions, sift in the flour and cocoa mixture and fold into the egg mixture gently.

Reheat the butter until it is hot.  Fold about 1  1/2 cups of the egg mixture into the butter until completely incorporated.  Add the vanilla.  Scrape the remaining egg mixture and fold in.Scrape the batter into greased pans and bake for about 30 minutes. The cake should start pulling away from the side

Remove cake from the pan and cool on a wire rack.

   

Prepare the filling.  You will need a bottle of Kersh, canned or frozen unsweetened cherries, whipping cream, moistening syrup and dark chocolate. Begin by whipping your whip cream. In a bowl or measuring cup, mix together the Kersh and moistening syrup.  This will be your moistening liquid.  Drain the cherries and have them ready for the filling.

While the whipping cream is whipping, cut out the centers of your cupcakes. You will be filling them with cherries.

Generously brush the tops with the moistening liquid.

Slice the cake into 3 layers.

For the first layer moisten top of the cake.

  Melt the chocolate and mix with 1/3 cup pf whipping cream.

Place cherries in each cupcake.

Place chocolate whipping cream on top of the cake.

Moisten the second layer of the cake.  Place the moist side down on the chocolate whipping cream layer.  Moisten the top of the cake.

Spread a layer of whipping cream on top of the second layer.  Arrange a single layer of cherries on the whipping cream.

Moisten the  last layer of cake.  Place the last layer on the cherries.

For the cupcakes, pipe the whipping cream on the cupcakes.

Decorate the cupcakes with cherries.

For you cake, pipe the whipping cream to help spread the whipping cream evenly on the cake.

 

Decorate the cake with cherries and grated chocolate.

(From Joy of cooking.)

Moistening Syrup

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup water

Combine in a sauce pan.  Heat until the sugar has dissolved.  Set aside to cool.

Clarified Butter

• butter

Cut butter into small pieces.  Heat butter on low until melted.  Skim off the foam.  Let stand for a few minutes so the milk solids settle to the bottom.  Carefully pour the clear liquid in a heatproof container.

Black Forest Cake

Chocolate Genoise

• 1/2 cup and 1 tbsp sifted cake flour
• 1/2 cup and 1 tbsp cocoa powder (unsweetened)
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter (clarified)

• 6 large eggs
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Have all ingredients at room temperature.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease and flour one 9 inch springform pan.

Sift together the cake flour, cocoa powder and 1/4 cup sugar.  In a sauce pan melt 1/3 cup clarified butter and set aside.

In a heat proof bowl whisk together the 6 eggs and 3/4 cup sugar. Set the bowl in a skillet of barely simmering water (or double boiler).  Whisk until the mixture is about 110 degrees F.  Remove the bowl from the heat and beat on high speed until the mixture is lemony in color and has tripled in volume. The eggs should be at the au ruban stage.

In 3 additions, sift the flour mixture over the top and fold in very gently with a rubber spatula. Reheat the butter until it is hot.  Fold about 1  1/2 cups of the egg mixture into the butter until completely incorporated.  Add the vanilla.  Scrape the remaining egg mixture and fold in.  Scrape the batter into the pan and spread evenly.  Bake until the cake begins to pull away from the sides.  About 30 minutes in a spring form. Remove the spring form and let cake cool on a rack.

Assemble the cake.

Cut the cake into 3 layers.

Prepare the whipping cream.  Melt the chocolate.  Portion 1/3 cup of the whipping cream and combine with the chocolate.  Prepare the moistening liquid by mixing 1/2 cup moistening syrup and 1/4 cup kirsh.

Begin with the first layer. Place the layer on your plate and moisten the top with the moistening liquid.  Be generous.  Put the chocolate whipping cream on top of the first layer.  Moisten the bottom of the second layer.  Place on top of the chocolate whipping cream.  Moisten the top of the second layer.  Spread a layer of whipping cream on the second layer.  Arrange a single layer of cherries on the cake.  Moisten the bottom of the last layer of the cake.  Place the layer on top of the cherry layer.  Frost the entire cake with whipping cream. Decorate the cake with the remaining cherries.  You can shave some chocolate on top.

Assemble the cupcakes

Cut a hole in each cupcake.  Save the cake from the hole. Moisten with the moistening liquid.  Fill each hole with a couple of cherries.  Pour some chocolate whipping cream on top of the cherries. Cap each cupcake with the extra cake cut from the hole.  Pipe each cupcake with  the whipping cream and decorate with cherries and shaved chocolate.

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