Black Forest Cherry Cake

CAKE BATTER PROCEDURE

• 1
  Preheat the oven to 160 °C. Grease the cake tin with butter and dust with coarse flour.
• 2
  Melt the chocolate with butter in a bain-marie and then let it cool slightly.
• 3
  Separate the egg whites from the yolks, add sugar and a pinch of salt to the whites and whisk until stiff peaks form. Mix the yolks into the cooled, but still liquid, chocolate mixture.
• 4
  Sift the flour into a bowl, add pudding powder, cocoa, baking powder and mix. Add the cooled chocolate mixture and mix thoroughly. Gradually add the whipped egg whites and slowly and carefully mix.
• 5
  Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake in the preheated oven for 45–50 minutes.
• 6
  Let the baked cake base cool, remove it from the tin and refrigerate.

FILLING PROCEDURE

• 1
  Pour 300 ml of water and cherry brandy into a saucepan and add sugar. Start heating and gradually add cornstarch, stirring constantly with a whisk to prevent lumps. Bring to a boil and add the frozen sour cherries. Simmer until the cherries are heated through. Then strain them and set aside. Reduce the juice until thick, add the drained cherries, mix and let cool.
• 2
  Slit the vanilla pods lengthwise and scrape out the seeds with the tip of a knife. Add them to well-chilled cream, add powdered sugar and whisk everything until stiff. Refrigerate.

FINISHING PROCEDURE

• 1
  Cut the cooled cake base lengthwise into thirds. Spread the bottom layer with jam, half of the cherry mixture, and a quarter of the whipped cream. Place the second cake layer on top, spread it with the other half of the cherry mixture and the second quarter of the whipped cream. Place the last cake layer on top of it.
• 2
  Cover the top and sides of the cake with most of the remaining whipped cream. Put the rest of the whipped cream into a piping bag and use it to decorate the cake with whipped cream rosettes.
• 3
  Finally, decorate the cake with fresh sour cherries or sweet cherries and chocolate shavings.