Black Forest Cake 黑森林

Chocolate chocolate chocolate, everywhere you turn is chocolate. February is National Chocolate Month. How can we have a Valentine's Day without it?
This cake is one of my family's favorites. The chocolate cake has a very intense cocoa flavor and the creams have just the right amount of sweetness. Just delicious!

Makes a cake 8 inches in diameter

A)  Chocolate Cake
32g unsweetened cocoa powder
28g cake flour
29g potato starch
59g unsalted butter, melted
7 large egg yolks
4 large egg whites
118g sugar

¼ tsp baking soda (omit if using Dutch-processed cocoa powder)

1)  Sift cocoa powder, cake flour, potato flour and baking soda (if using). Set aside. Put parchment paper on the bottom of an 8 inch pan and spray oil or butter. Preheat oven to 350⁰F.
2)  Melt butter and let cool.
3)  Separate the yolks and whites. Beat yolks with half the sugar for about 5 minutes using a mixer or handheld beater until thick and pale.
4)  In another bowl, beat egg whites until frothy. Continue beating until soft peaks form. Add sugar and beat at medium speed until it holds a stiff peak.
5)  Fold the flour and ¼ white into the yolk.
6)  Stir a few tbsp of the yolk mixture to the butter and mix until combined.
7)  Add the yolk mixture and the butter batter to the remaining white and fold gently and quickly until no white is seen.
8)  Pour batter onto the prepared pan and bake for 25-28 minutes.
9)  Cool the cake on a rack. Let the cake cool completely in the pan. The cake will pull away from the sides as it cools.

B)  Chocolate Cream

283g heavy whipping cream
12g sugar
51g 64% dark chocolate
1 tsp gelatin dissolved in 1 tbsp water

1)  Boil cream with sugar in a small saucepan. Pour it onto the chopped chocolate and stir until melted. Let it cool and refrigerate for an hour or until ready to assemble the cake.
2)  When you are ready to assemble, whip the chocolate cream to soft to medium peak until it is firm enough to spread. Add the melted gelatin and mix well to incorporate.

C)  Kirsch syrup

Boil 20g water with 20g sugar. Let cool and add 1 tbsp Kirsch. Set aside for later use.

D)  Chantilly Cream

190g heavy whipping cream
14g sugar
2 tsp Kirsch (or other liquor of your choice, but cherry liquor is the choice for black forest cake)
1 ⅓ tsp gelatin, dissolve in 2 tbsp water

1)  Soak gelatin in 2 tbsp water. Briefly melt the gelatin in a microwave.
2)  Whip cold cream and sugar until it holds a soft peak.
3)  Add the melted gelatin and mix thoroughly.

E)  Cake Assembly

1)  Cut the cake horizontally into 2 even layers. Brush a layer with the Kirsch syrup.

2)  Spread half the chantilly cream on top. Put cherries on and spread the rest of the chantilly cream on top.

3)  Cover with another slice of cake and brush Kirsch syrup on top.

4)  Spread the chocolate cream on top and sides.  Decorate with more cherries and shaved chocolate. Chill a few hours before serving.

Notes:

1)  I just used cherries straight from the can. Strain them and slightly blot them dry with a paper towel.
2)  Kirsch is a cherry flavored liquor. It can be substituted with others or omitted for a kid friendly cake. I used Grand Marnier (orange flavor) this time.
3)  Cream can be whipped faster and easier in a cold bowl and beaters. A pint (473ml) of whipping cream is just enough to make both creams for this cake.