Black Forest Cake ================= Servings: 10-12, Time: 1.5 hrs plus overnight cherry soak. NOTE: No baking powder or soda. It uses the 10 min of mixing to create air bubbles. For cake: 2 cups fresh black cherries or 2-15oz canned sweet cherries cut in half 1/2 cup kirsch (cherry brandy) - Could use syrup from canned cherries. 6 eggs 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter, melted, plus more for greasing 1/2 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder, plus more for dusting 1.5 cups flour 1 teaspoon salt 1 cup sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract For ganache: 1 cup cream 8 ounces dark chocolate, chopped Instructions: 1. Pit the cherries and soak about two-thirds of them in the kirsch overnight. - Variation if using canned cherries. Drain cherry + reserve 3/4 cup (plus 2 tbsp more if not using Kirch). Simmer to reduce to 1/4 cup. 2. Heat the oven to 350F. - Place the eggs in a bowl of warm water for 5 minutes; being slightly warm will make them fluffier when you beat them. - Grease two 9-inch or three 8-inch cake pans. Cover the bottoms with a circle of wax paper or parchment and butter the paper. Sift cocoa powder cover the pans; invert and tap to remove the excess. 3. Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, and salt in a medium bowl and set aside. - In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the eggs, sugar, and vanilla at medium-high speed until tripled in volume, about 10 minutes. It will be pale yellow. If you pour a spoonful of the mixture back on itself, it should form a defined ribbon. - Gently fold the flour mixture into the egg mixture by hand. - When it is mostly incorporated, spoon 1 cup of the mixture into a small bowl. Add the melted butter to this mixture and blend gently but thoroughly, then fold this butter mixture back into the rest of the cake batter. 4. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and smooth the tops with a rubber spatula. - Bake 25-30 min until a toothpick comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. -Let the cakes cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then run a knife around the edge of the pans and invert onto a rack to finish cooling. 5. Put the first layer of cake, top side down, on a plate or cake stand. Poke it all over with a fork. - Drain the cherries and reserve the kirsch; - pour half the kirsch evenly over the first layer, then top with the soaked cherries. - Place the second layer of cake on top, repeating the poking with a fork and drizzling with kirsch. (If you have 3 cake layers, divide the cherries among the layers and sprinkle the kirsch over all 3 layers.) 6. Make Chocolate Ganache (1.5 cups) - Put the cream in a pot and heat it until it's steaming. Put the chocolate in a heatproof bowl, pour on the hot cream, and whisk until the chocolate is melted and incorporated into the cream. - Use right away as a sauce or coating; as it cools down, it will start to set and get stiffer and harder to spread. See the variations to whip it into a smooth, rich frosting or turn it into a creamy glaze. - Frost the top and sides of the assembled cake with Chocolate Ganache and garnish with the remaining fresh cherries. 7. Store at room temperature, covered or wrapped in plastic wrap, for a few days. Variations: - FAST BLACK FOREST CAKE For last-minute cake preparation, skip soaking the cherries overnight: Stir together two-thirds of the cherries and the kirsch in a bowl and let sit for at least 30 minutes. Meanwhile, bring 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 cup water to a boil in a small saucepan until the sugar dissolves; remove it from the heat. Drain the cherries and set aside, saving the kirsch. Pour the kirsch into the sugar-water and stir to combine. - CHOCOLATE-RASPBERRY CAKE It's easy to swap in other fruits for a different taste altogether: Substitute raspberries for the cherries and raspberry liqueur for the kirsch. - CHOCOLATE-PEACH CAKE Substitute peaches for cherries and peach schnapps for kirsch. - BLACK FOREST AMARETTO CAKE For a nutty twist: Substitute 1/2 teaspoon almond extract for the vanilla and amaretto for the kirsch. Garnish the cake with cherries and chopped almonds. Ganache variations: - WHIPPED GANACHE FROSTING Simply whipping the ganache will transform its texture; its light, fluffy consistency is perfect for frosting any cake or piping or filling a variety of confections: Use an electric mixer to beat the cooled ganache on low, gradually increasing the speed to medium-high until the mixture turns light and fluffy. If you like it sweeter, gradually add confectioners' sugar, 1/4 cup at a time (up to 1.5cups) to taste as you beat. - GANACHE DRIZZLE Let the ganache cool just enough that it's still spreadable. Put it in a pastry bag fitted with a small tip or in a zipper bag with a small piece of the corner snipped off. Drizzle as decoration over any cake or cupcake, or even big cookies. With practice, you can use it to write letters and draw shapes. - QUICK GANACHE TRUFFLES One of the richest yet easiest treats you make; see to Infuse SimpÄyxup and Ganache and Chocolate Truffes for more ideas: Chill the ganache in the fridge until it's solid all the way through, 1 to 2 hours depending on quantity. Scoop out a tablespoonful and quickly roll it into a I-inch ball (wearing latex gloves helps to prevent melting); repeat, lining up the truffes on a plate or baking sheet as you work. If the truffes become too soft to handle, stick them in the fridge or freezer for a few minutes. Roll them in cocoa powder, confectioners' sugar, or cinnamon-sugar. Serve immediately or refrigerate, wrapped in plastic, for a day or so. - QUICK GANACHE FUDGE An irresistible candy; no need for a candy thermometer: Line a cake pan or square baking dish with parchment paper and lightly grease it with butter or oil. When the ganache is still warm but not hot, mix in up to 1/2 cup chopped nuts, toasted sesame seeds or pepitas, dried fruit, candied ginger, or more chopped chocolate. Pour the mix into the prepared pan, let it set up in the fridge, and use a sharp knife to cut it into pieces. Keep refrigerated until you're ready to eat. - CHOCOLATE GANACHE GLAZE As a midpoint between ganache and chocolate sauce, this is an especially lavish sauce for dipping fresh fruit or cookies; you can also use it to glaze cakes or top ice cream: Thin the still-warm ganache with additional cream, about 2 tablespoons at a time, until it's easily pourable and doesn't harden too much when cooled to room temperature. To test the consistency, spread a small spoonful on a plate; it should thicken but remain very soft. To serve this as fondue, gently rewarm it and use it for dipping fruit, Marshmallows or cubed Pound Cake or Angel Food Cake. - CHOCOLATE WHIPPED CREAM Lighter and flumer than whipped ganache, perfect anywhere you'd dollop Uhjpped Cream: Decrease the chocolate to 4 ounces. After Step 1, cover and refrigerate for several hours and up to 3 days. Whip as you would whipped cream until it forms soft peaks.