Several months back I was reading a post Molly Wizenberg’s blog Orangette about a whiskey cake she’d fallen in love with from the New York Times. I had it in the back of my mind for several months and finally decided to give it a try on St. Patrick’s day. I kept the whiskey in the batter, but not being a fan of the raw alcohol in baked goods, I omitted the extra to be added after baking. My was it gorgeous. The flavors were elegant, warming and luxurious. That got me thinking of what I could do with this recipe.
I am not sure if many of you know this, but I am not much of a baker. I can follow a recipe and have it turn out well, of course. But, when it comes to creating my own baked goods there is a path of destruction littered with cakes and various unmentionable experiments in my wake. But, I’ve never modified an existing recipe. Could that work? Would I be able to pull it off or would it end up like the gingerbread shanty disaster of 1996? I have gained a considerable amount of confidence in the kitchen since then and while my strength tends toward the savory, I have become a master of tarts, truffles and tortes. Despite this cakes are still my weakness, but I was determined and Phil’s birthday was just around the corner.
Now, I have always had a bit of a thing for the Black Forest Cake, but the decoration and presentation just isn’t my style. Just looking reminds me of why I tend towards minimalism in the kitchen. But, that wonderful flavor is undeniable, so I set out to create a quieter version with all of the wonderful flavor, though perhaps without those maraschino cherries I despise so much. Like the recipe I found on Orangette, this was intended for the bundt pan, but in a fit of frustration I recycled mine, forgetting until it was time to butter the pan. Oops. I knew I should have a named this blog The Absent Minded Cook, or something to that effect. You have no idea how apt it would have been.
I digress.
My recipe is much more dense than the original whiskey cake, but thankfully in a good fudgy way instead of a disastrous brick-like way. The richness of the Madagascar varietal chocolate went beautifully with the lovely Clear Creek Kirschwasser I picked up at my friendly neighborhood liquor store. I topped my cake with whipped cream that I left unsweetened, so it would play off the sweetness of the cake (instead of turning it into a cloyingly sweet nightmare), and sprinkled toasted almonds and dried cherries minced to the size of fine confetti for a little extra something.
The result; a delicious cake, a step closer to conquering the mysterious world of cakes and most importantly, a happy birthday boy.
The Black Forest Gateau
Adapted, but way different in the end from a New York Times recipe for the most amazing whiskey cake,
5 ounces Dark Chocolate, finely chopped (I recommend something with 75% cacao)
1/4 cup Cocoa Powder
1 scant cup Hot Freshly Brewed Double Strength Coffee, (I used an Italian Roast)
1 cup Kirschwasser ( I like Clear Creek, but use your favorite)
2 cups A.P. Flour
1 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
1 cup Unsalted Butter, at room temperature
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 TBS vanilla extract
Unsweetened Freshly Whipped Cream (to top)
Dried Sweet Cherries (optional garnish)
Cocoa powder (Optional garnish)
Chocolate Truffles (optional garnish)
Preheat the oven to 325F and butter your bundt or other cake pan I actually used a springform pan.
Place the dark chocolate and cocoa powder in a large heat proof bowl and carefully pour the hot coffee over it. Stir to melt and combine the chocolate and coffee. Allow to cool before adding the Kirschwasser. Set aside.
Combine the flour, baking soda and salt together and set aside.
In an electric mixer combine the butter and sugar, mix until well blended. Add in the eggs and vanilla, blending all until fluffy. Add in the dry ingredients and chocolate mixture alternating back and forth until it is all well combined. Make sure to scrape down the sides occasionally.
Pour batter into the prepared pans and bake for an hour or so depending on the reliability of your oven. I rely on a clean toothpick to tell me when it is ready.
Cool, slice, garnish and enjoy!
*Part of the reason I made this for Phil’s birthday, was to pay homage to his (okay our), favorite movie Hot Fuzz. Every time Jim Broadbent says “The Black Forest Gateau is punishment for Danny’s little indiscretion”, I get a hankering for a piece.
The chocolate/cherry combination never appealed to me until recent years; maybe it had something to do with the abundance of not-so-nice Queen Ann cordials that always seemed to be around our house as a kid. These days I love love cherries with chocolate and have recently registered a hankering of my own. Now, I just have to put out of my head my recent chocolate cake (frisbee) disaster and I’ll most definitely be giving yours a try.
Can I blame my oven if it all goes wrong again?
Leslie, I hated chocolate cherries for years until I had the Black Forest Cherries from Chukar Cherries in Pike Place Market. It is a dried cherry, can’t remember the type, covered with chocolate and cocoa powder, so delicious. I’ll never be able to get behind the gooey syrupy ones.
As for you oven, I believe it was crafted in the seventh circle of hell and you have every right to blame it. After all, I believe it contributed to my dessert laden path of destruction.
Leslie, same could be said for you microwave. The day I used your microwave was the day I learned the flash point of bread.
Wow, you must have looked in my pantry. I bought a packet of dried cherries last monday thinking they would be fabulous added to something. Had no idea what though at the time…..
Like the unsweetened cream on top. Sweet cream on sweet cake is too much. I would have to scrape it off and then explain to everyone why I was wasting the cream.
Phil, there seems to be a story in there about the bread and the microwave. Maybe you need to do a guest post?
Debbie, I can’t stand desserts that are just layer after layer of teeth aching sweetness. There has to be an offset and a cup of coffee just doesn’t cover it for me.
Debbie, I don’t know if it were just the type of microwave or just microwave I wasn’t familiar with. I have cooked a plethora of things in the microwave with only the usual suspects catching fire; popcorn, the occasional pork rind (never eat these they are horrible) and that is about it. This thing had to get its magnetron from Sizewell-B. Seriously, the bread had to be in for only 30 seconds or so. What made it worse was Leslie was out of the country for a few days and the only thing that was going through my head was, Gee Leslie thanks for letting us stay and oh yeah your house burned down because of a nuked piece of bread…
…and with my luck, the microwave would probably be the only thing to survive the fire… well, maybe the ugly couch too.
Leslie, I wouldn’t let it get that bad… I was trained to fight fires (although shipboard)…. Erin’s parents can attest to that.
Ah yes, Phil was the hero of the Great Christmas Eve fire of 2003. I don’t think my mother has lit a candle since.
After I picked myself up off the floor imagining that conversation and Leslie being really angry at you for the couch or microwave surviving – but not for the house fire itself, I was reminded of my darling and his oops soon after we moved into our friends appart here in Paris – fully furnished, none of it ours, and most of it antiques.
My clever husband shattering an antique mirror (huge one that didn’t belong to us) by lighting too many candles and pushing them against it because it looked pretty……….. sigh Explain that one to the owners. It had been in the family for 3 generations and was very precious to them. He has since been banned from playing with candles and is not allowed to light a fire in our fireplace either for fear of what that might do!
Erin, I am with you. I am a savoury kind of girl and when I do go for dessert I do not want sickly over sweetened anything.
Debbie, Your poor husband! That must have been horrible.
Five years ago my mother lit her numerous holiday candles, left to light some in another room, suddenly my father was yelling “FIRE, FIRE, FIRE!”, I grabbed a pitcher and tried to fill it up with water, but the house had no water pressure, Phil grabbed an area rug and put it out. It was out by the time my pitcher was full. The glass shelving it was on shattered, the wall was scorched, Phil took his place as the golden boy and my mother’s holiday candle tradition dead. Rightly so. My family really should not have much to do with fire. My brother set the kitchen on fire making pork chops. Then there was the ravine fire. Yes, it’s good we stay away from fire.
I have been fed way too many painfully sweet desserts, that leave my teeth aching. I just don’t have a real sweet tooth.
I know I shouldn’t, but I am laughing……
Fire really is one of those things that gets out of control so easily and why we have to play with it is beyond me. Mind you I do love candles burning in winter and a nice fire going, so I am just as guilty as the next person. Have not set a ravine on fire though…. that took skill in my opinion….
Debbie, Laugh away, we do! Thankfully the ravine fire was small. My mother made my bro stand with the hose on the scorched area for oven an hour after it was out.
Nary a candle darkens my doorway these days.
Black Forest Gateau is the ultimate in desserts for me. Unfortunately, Dave loathes and despises cherries and isn’t that fond of booze in food either. So, I never make it as it would only be me that ate any. What a tale of woe!
Your version looks fantastic, though! I like that you’ve balanced the sweetness of the cake with plenty of Kirsch and unsweetened cream. Very adult!