Black Forest Cake Recipe

Meringue Black Forest Cake

Recipe by Jackie Cameron

A sweet and textured almond-butter Meringue Black Forest Cake is another favourite. It comprises chocolate, Kirsch and coffee. I have little doubt there are as many Black Forest cake recipes as there are tree varieties in the Black Forest in Germany.

MERINGUE LAYERS

8no Egg Whites

Pinch fine Salt

Pinch Cream of Tartar

300gr White Sugar

125gr Almonds - Flaked, roasted and blended

25ml Corn flour

25ml Cake Flour

• Pre-heat oven to 160°C
• Trace 4 circles on greaseproof paper, each having a diameter if 22cm. Grease and flour the circles and place the paper on small oven trays
• Combine the egg whites with the salt and beat until soft peak form
• Add the cream of tartar and beat for 30 seconds
• Then slowly add ¾ of the sugar, one tablespoon at a time, until the meringue is stiff
• Mix the ground almonds, corn flour, flour and remaining sugar, and gently fold this mixture into the meringue, using a metal spoon and a figure of eight motion
• Bake the meringue circles for about 30 minutes or until crisp on the outside
• Remove from the oven, remove paper and cool on a cooling wrack

BUTTER CREAM

500gr White Sugar

360ml Water

16no Egg - Yolks

1kg salted Butter, soft

• Meanwhile, beat the egg yolks until thick and pale
• Continue beating gently and pour the sugar syrup slowly over the yolks
• Cream the butter and add the egg mixture to this
• Chill until a spreading consistency. Divide this mixture in half and set aside in two separate bowls - so A and B bowls of cream

MOCHA FLAVOUR

15ml x 2 Instant Coffee

10ml x 2 Cocoa Powder

15ml x 2 Water, boiling

• Mix all the ingredients together in two separate bowls
• Mix the one amount into a 1/3 of the one-half of butter cream (A) and set aside for later use (C). Take the other ½ of the butter cream (B) and add the other mocha flavouring and set aside for later cake icing

KIRSCH FAVOUR

30ml Kirsch Liqueur

• Mix the Kirsch with a 1/3 of the butter cream from (A) and set aside for later use

PRALINE FLAVOUR

150gr White Sugar

80gr Almonds - Whole, with skin on

• Melt the sugar, at the same time roast the almonds in the oven until golden and crisp
• When the sugar is melted and the nuts while hot, combine the two and spread over baking paper
• Allow to cool completely and the chop finely
• Mix this with the remaining butter cream (A) and set aside for later use

PUTTING CAKE TOGETHER

• Place a spoon of the butter icing (B) onto your serving plate. Then place a meringue round onto this to prevent moving. Top this meringue layer with the the coffee butter cream mixture (C)
• Place a meringue round on top off this, and spread out the Kirsch butter cream
• Place a meringue round on top off this, and spread out all the Praline butter cream
• Finish with the last meringue round
• Ice the cake with the coffee butter cream (B)
• Refrigerate for 24 hours
• Decorate with chocolate curls and flowers, serve at room temperature

Please post your comments and any food-related questions below.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Jackie Cameron
Head Chef
Hartford House
www.hartford.co.za
jackie@hartford.co.za
+27 33 263 2713