Simple cake
Description
Homemade baked goods for tea. This is not a classic Black Forest cake recipe; it’s a bit simplified. Nevertheless, it’s very tasty. I replace the cocktail cherries used for decorating the cake with fresh or freshly frozen cherries soaked in syrup. Kirsch—a cherry brandy—is added to the syrup. But the cherry liqueur is just as good, giving the cake aroma and flavor. Serve it cooled or slightly warm.
Instructions
- 1
Step 1
Prepare the ingredients for the dough.
- 2
Step 2
Separate the yolks from the whites. Beat the yolks, sugar (60 g), and vanilla into a thick, light foam. Beat the whites into a thick foam, gradually add the sugar, continuing to beat until stiff peaks form.
- 3
Step 3
Combine the beaten egg whites with the yolks, gently fold with a spatula, preserving the airy texture of the mixture. Sift the flour, cocoa powder, and starch into a separate bowl.
- 4
Step 4
Add the dry mixture to the beaten egg, gently fold with a spatula until smooth, preserving the airy consistency. Pour in the melted butter, mix.
- 5
Step 5
Grease a baking pan (diameter – 18 cm) with butter, dust with flour. Pour the batter, smooth the top. Place it in a preheated oven at 200 °C for 25–30 minutes. Check the cake’s doneness with a toothpick. It should come out of the middle of the sponge dry.
- 6
Step 6
The cherries should be thawed directly in the syrup so that they don’t wrinkle, but instead absorb the syrup and retain their shape.
- 7
Step 7
For this, pour hot water (200 ml) over the sugar (200 g), bring to a boil, and cook until the sugar is completely dissolved. Then add the cherry liqueur and cook for another 1 minute. Sprinkle the unfrozen cherries with cinnamon, pour the hot syrup over them, and let them steep at room temperature for 40–50 minutes. You can also leave them overnight.
- 8
Step 8
In the meantime, the sponge cake has baked. Run a knife along the edge of the pan, remove it. Cool the sponge cake completely on a rack.
- 9
Step 9
Cut the sponge cake into 4 layers. Soak each layer with the syrup in which the cherries were soaked. Drain the cherries in a sieve.
- 10
Step 10
Prepare the remaining ingredients. Chill the cream well in the refrigerator before whipping.
- 11
Step 11
Whip the cream on low mixer speed until it forms a stable foam. When the cream begins to thicken, add powdered sugar gradually, continuing to whip. Whip until stiff peaks form. Begin assembling the cake. Place the whipped cream in a pastry bag, pipe two rings onto a layer. Spread cherries between them. Add a little cream over the cherries, smooth it, and cover with the next layer. Repeat with the remaining layers.
- 12
Step 12
Spread a small amount of cream on top of the cake, sprinkle with grated chocolate. Pipe small roses of whipped cream around the circle. Place a cherry on each one. Put the cake in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
- 13
Step 13
The pastry is ready. Serve with tea.