I’m not sure why the black forest gateau of my childhood was never as good as
it should have been.
After all, chocolate, cherries and cream are three ingredients that go
together well. However, leaden cream, dry sponge and cheap cooking chocolate
conspired to make it cloying and virtually inedible, an utterly ersatz
experience. I would try to pick the chocolate off the top, and even that
would be disappointing.
I’m not alone in this. I’ve come across almost nobody who harbours good
memories of black forest gateau. So who ordered it and, more to the point,
why? Did our parents really like it? Of course, it looked exotic. It offered
the promise of luxury and indulgence, which is probably why it became part
of a very British idea of the special occasion — an Abigail’s Party version
of posh.
Persuading people that it’s actually a perfect dessert was going to be a
challenge. But I like a challenge. No food need be beneath contempt, and I
wanted to prove that black forest gateau doesn’t have to be middle-brow.
The liquid bitterness of the cherries complementing powerfully dark chocolate;
the smooth mousse, rich cream and light sponge giving a lovely variety of
textures; the touch of alcohol providing a lively surprise — do it right,
and it becomes something wonderful.
It's Gateau fabulous
Although the Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte was created less than 100 years ago,
its history is as impenetrable as parts of the Black Forest itself. Some say
that it’s a tribute to the kirsch that plays such an important role in the
cake’s distinctive flavour and is made in some 14,000 distilleries in the
region. Whatever its origins, the first recipe appeared in 1934, and it has
gone on to become the bestselling cake in Germany.
To discover how a torte ought to taste, I ventured into the Black Forest. What
better place to have a Konditorei, that excellent German combination of cake
shop and cafe? The Café König opened in Baden-Baden 250 years ago and is
still going strong. If any place was going to come up with a worthwhile
slice of torte, surely this was it.
In truth, I was slightly nervous about what I was going to eat. What if it was
as disappointing as I remembered? The König’s gateau was a tall, sharp wedge
crowned with chocolate flakes and a rounded hillock of cream topped with a
cherry half. Beneath this, at least six layers of light and dark alternated.
It wasn’t a cake so much as an architectural creation.
The cream was rich, the mousse powerful but delicate; the kirsch had the sweet
sharpness of a well-balanced spirit rather than the mule kick of a cheap
one. The frozen cherries had an abundance of malic acid (an acid found in
many fruits, especially apples: think of biting into a granny smith), which
provided a perfect counterbalance to the fat of the cream. The chocolate had
a cherry note that went well with the other flavours. All of it rested on a
classic biscuit base.
Although the true Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte was very different from the Great
British gateau, I could see how one had gradually been transformed (and
traduced) into the other. I was looking forward to fooling around with the
torte’s complex architecture, and I could see ways in which I might still be
able to summon up — in a pleasant form — some of the nostalgia surrounding
the humble, misconstrued gateau. Combining the two would make a cake that
was really special.
The recipes
Makes 3 cakes, each to serve 4-6
Here it is — a black forest gateau, composed of six delicious layers: a
madeleine biscuit base, topped with aerated chocolate, chocolate sponge,
kirsch cream, chocolate ganache and chocolate mousse.
One of the beauties of this recipe is its adaptability. The layers don’t have
to be assembled into a cake: many can be served up as desserts in their own
right. Kids and grown-ups alike will love the chocolate mousse and aerated
chocolate. Serving kirsch cream with a bowl of cherries would be an
interesting echo of the cake’s origins. This really is six recipes in one —
and the possibilities are almost endless.
More than any other dish, perhaps, this one can be let down by its
ingredients. The salt plays a pivotal role, enhancing the flavours and
tempering the cake’s sweetness. And it is absolutely vital that you use the
best chocolate, sour cherries and kirsch that you can get. The kirsch is
especially important: I recommend Franz Fies, but if you can’t obtain that,
look for one that is smooth, aromatic and full-flavoured.
As this recipe makes three cakes, you can either freeze the cakes you don’t
want to use at once, or make up one cake and save the rest of the prepared
ingredients.
Special equipment
21.5cm x 31.5cm brownie tin(s),
food mixer (optional),
oven thermometer,
2.6-litre hard plastic container with lid (through which you have bored a
small hole, using a corkscrew),
microwave (if you have one),
whipping-cream canister and charges (from www.creamsupplies.co.uk),
vacuum-seal storage bag with one-way valve,
vacuum cleaner,
digital probe, 9cm x 19cm x 5cm-deep baking tin(s),
piping bag,
melon- baller,
large cardboard box,
paint gun
Timing
Lots of layers mean lots of different cooking techniques. To assemble a whole
cake in one day would, undeniably, be a fair amount of work. Better to think
of this as architecture — a flat-pack gateau — and spread out the building
tasks. Prepare the chocolate sponge and kirsch cream up to a month in
advance and keep them in the freezer, and make the biscuit base up to a week
in advance, keeping it in an airtight container.
The aerated chocolate can be prepared any time: it will keep well in the
fridge if sealed properly. That leaves only two layers to prepare on the
day: the chocolate ganache and the chocolate mousse — neither of which is
particularly laborious.
Madeleine biscuit base
50g unsalted butter
1 large egg (60g)
30g honey
60g plain flour
30g icing sugar, sifted
tsp (5g) baking powder
Pinch of table salt
1 tbsp (15ml) whole milk
1 Heat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas Mark 6. Line a 21.5cm x 31.5cm brownie tin
with greaseproof paper or a little butter.
2 Melt the butter over a low heat, then leave to cool a little.
3 In a separate bowl, beat the egg and honey together for 5 minutes, or until
white and thick. A food mixer with a paddle attachment is ideal for this
job.
4 Gradually add all the dry ingredients, then the cooled butter and finally
the milk. Mix until they are just combined. Do not overbeat.
5 Pour the mixture into the brownie tin. Bake for 10 minutes, or until a pale
golden brown.
6 Turn the oven down to 100C/200F/Gas Mark . Use an oven thermometer to check
this. Cut the biscuit base into three 8cm x 18cm rectangles. It’s not
essential to be exact — they will need to be trimmed again when assembling
the gateau. Lift them out of the tin and place on a baking tray.
7 Bake in the low oven for 20 minutes, until deep golden brown and crisp.
Leave to cool, then store in an airtight container.
Aerated chocolate layer
Here, it is a good idea to get all the equipment ready beforehand, so that the
chocolate goes through the process quickly, stays liquid and gets well
aerated.
500g top-quality milk chocolate (such as Valrhona’s Tanariva)
65g groundnut oil
1 Line the 2.6-litre plastic container with greaseproof paper.
2 Break the chocolate into chunks and place in a medium-sized glass bowl.
Place the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and let the chocolate
melt. (The bowl needs to be large enough so it can sit on top of the
saucepan without its base touching the water: the aim is to soften the
chocolate on the gentlest of heats, so it doesn’t go grainy.) Alternatively,
melt the chocolate at high power in a microwave for 1–2 minutes. Again, be
careful not to overheat it.
3 Place a whipping-cream canister in a bowl or pan of boiling water. (Warming
the canister ensures that the chocolate stays molten when poured into it.)
4 Stir the oil into the bowl containing the melted chocolate, then pour it all
into the whipping-cream canister. Attach the canister cap, and charge with
three charges.
5 Shake the canister, then squirt the chocolate onto the base of the 2.6-litre
plastic container. Put on the lid, then place the container in the vacuum
storage bag. Position the storage bag’s valve over the hole in the
container’s lid. Switch on the vacuum cleaner and place the hose on the
valve to suck the air out of the bag. The chocolate should rise and be
riddled with small bubbles. As soon as it does so, remove the vacuum and
close the valve as quickly as possible. To set the chocolate, place the box
— still in the vacuum bag — in the fridge until required.
Flourless chocolate sponge
65g top-quality dark chocolate (such as Amedei’s Toscano Black 66%)
7 egg yolks (140g)
130g unrefined caster sugar 1
5g good-quality cocoa powder (such as Green & Black’s Organic), sifted 5
egg whites (150g)
1 Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4. Line a 21.5cm x 31.5cm brownie tin
with greaseproof paper or a little butter.
2 Break the chocolate into chunks and place in a glass bowl. Place the bowl
over a saucepan of simmering water and let the chocolate melt (or heat the
chocolate at high power in a microwave for 1–2 minutes). Leave to cool.
3 Beat the egg yolks with 65g of the caster sugar for 5 minutes, or until
white and thick. (A food mixer with a whisk attachment can perform this
task.) Stir in the cocoa powder and the melted, cooled chocolate.
4 Whisk the egg whites with the remaining sugar in a separate bowl until soft
peaks form. (The mixer can do this job too. If you have only one mixer bowl,
a similarly sized glass or stainless steel bowl will work. Make sure it is
spotlessly clean: a dirty bowl is the most common reason for egg whites not
stiffening.)
5 Gradually fold the egg whites into the egg-yolk mixture, then pour this
mixture into the brownie tin and bake for 20–25 minutes. The surface of the
cake will look a little dry when removed from the oven, and it may sink
slightly. Leave it to cool before cutting into three 8cm x 18cm rectangles.
Kirsch cream
2 sheets of leaf gelatin
5 egg yolks (100g)
90g unrefined caster sugar
250ml whole milk
220ml whipping cream
20ml top-quality kirsch
1 Line a 21.5cm x 31.5cm brownie tin with clingfilm.
2 Place the sheets of gelatin in a small bowl and pour over 100ml cold water.
Leave for 15 minutes, until soft.
3 Beat the egg yolks with the sugar for 5 minutes, or until white and thick.
(The food mixer can do this job.)
4 Gently warm the milk in a small pan. Remove from the heat and stir in the
beaten egg-yolk mixture. Return to a medium heat and cook for a further 2–3
minutes, stirring frequently. Use a digital probe to monitor when the
temperature of the mixture reaches 80C/175F, at which point it should be
taken off the heat. (It will have become thicker, with tiny bubbles
appearing on the surface.)
5 Drain the gelatin and stir it into the warm mixture. (Make sure the mixture
is not too hot, or the gelatin will break. Make sure, too, that all the
gelatin dissolves.) Leave until lukewarm.
6 Meanwhile, lightly whip the cream, then add the kirsch. Fold this into the
cooled gelatin mixture, then pour the mixture into the brownie tin and place
it in the freezer to set for at least 1 hour.
About Kirsch
Good kirsch is integral to this recipe, and the quality of the spirit is very
important. Here are some pointers:
- It musn’t be too sweet.
- I like to use one with 50% alcohol — strong enough to stand up
to the chocolate.
- Look for a brand that is aromatic and flavoursome. I recommend Franz
Fies.
- Selfridges’ wine department has a very good spirits range, as
does Fortnum & Mason, from which you can also buy online at www.fortnumandmason.com.
Cherry stalks
To make the cherry “stalks”, you need six plump vanilla pods. Cut
them into four lengthways, tie a knot at the end of each strip, then twist
it to give a gnarled effect. Place on a plate and leave to dry overnight at
room temperature. W You’ve made the biscuit base, the chocolate
sponge, the kirsch cream and the decorative stalks for the cherries. Now you
need to make the remaining two recipes and assemble the gateau. You’ll
also need the following for the final touches.
1 jar of apricot baking glaze
1 jar of top-quality wild cherries in heavy syrup (eg Griottines, or Amarena Fabbri
if you can get them)
30ml top-quality kirsch (eg Franz Fies)
500g top-quality dark chocolate (such as Amedei’s Toscano Black 66%)
150g groundnut oil
Line a 5cm-deep, 9cm x 19cm loaf tin with clingfilm. Now make the chocolate ganache.
Chocolate ganache
95ml whipping cream
1 tsp glucose syrup
Pinch of table salt
95g top-quality dark chocolate (such as Amedei’s Porcelana)
20g unsalted butter, diced
1 Gently heat the cream, glucose syrup and salt. Break the chocolate into a bowl,
then stir in the warm cream. When the chocolate has melted entirely, add the
butter and stir until that too has melted. Spoon the mixture into a piping
bag and place it in the fridge for at least an hour to firm up.
2 Meanwhile, if need be, trim the madeleine base so that it will fit the bottom
of the loaf tin, with a 5mm gap between it and the sides of the tin. Trim
the flourless chocolate sponge to the same dimensions as the madeleine base.
Cut the aerated chocolate to these dimensions, and trim it so that it is no
more than 1cm thick.
3 Before putting the madeleine base into the tin, spread it with a generous layer
of apricot baking glaze. Put the aerated chocolate on top and place these in
the bottom of the tin.
4 Remove the piping bag containing the ganache from the fridge. Along the length
of the top of the aerated chocolate, about 2–3mm from the edge, pipe a thick
line of ganache. Repeat on the other side. (Looked at from above, the rectangle
of aerated chocolate should now have two stripes of ganache, each running
parallel to the longer edges.)
5 Drain the cherries and reserve the syrup. Fill the gap between the two lines
of ganache with a double row of cherries. (The idea is that every person is served
a slice containing a pair of cherries, so calculate the number you’ll need
accordingly and be sure to space them well. Keep in mind roughly where you’ve
placed them — you’ll need to know later.)
6 Mix 60ml of the reserved cherry syrup with the kirsch. Dip the chocolate sponge
in this soaking syrup, then position it on top of the ganache and cherries.
7 Remove the kirsch cream from the freezer and trim it to the same dimensions as
the other layers. Manoeuvre it on top of the chocolate sponge, using a palette
knife or fish slice. Put the gateau in the freezer while you prepare the
chocolate mousse.
Chocolate mousse
4 egg yolks (80g)
200g unrefined caster sugar
100ml whole milk
150g top-quality dark chocolate (such as Amedei’s Chuao)
Generous pinch of table salt
200ml whipping cream
1 Beat the egg yolks with the sugar for 5 minutes, until white and thick. (A food
mixer with a paddle attachment can be used for this.)
2 Gently warm the milk in a small pan. Remove it from the heat and stir in the
beaten egg yolks. Return to a medium heat and cook for 2–3 minutes,
stirring frequently. Use a digital probe to monitor when the temperature of
the mixture reaches 80C/175F, then remove from the heat.
3 Finely chop the chocolate and place it in a medium-sized bowl. Pour the warm
milk and eggs over the chocolate and stir until the chocolate has melted. Add
the salt and leave to cool.
4 Whip the cream until soft peaks form. Fold the cream into the cooled chocolate
mixture.
5 Remove the gateau from the freezer.
Make sure the clingfilm is taut against the sides of the tin. Pour the chocolate
mousse down the sides of the tin until it reaches a level 1cm above the
kirsch cream layer. Return the gateau to the freezer and leave it for at least
an hour, to firm up the layer of mousse.
6 Using a melon-baller, scoop out a double row of indentations along the gateau.
(Ideally, they should be above the cherries that were added earlier.) Return
the gateau to the freezer for a least an hour: it needs to be properly frozen
in order to get the right effect with the chocolate coating.
7 For the coating, break the chocolate into chunks and place in a small glass bowl.
Melt the chocolate by placing the bowl over a pan of simmering water, or by
heating it at high power in a microwave for about 2 minutes. Leave to cool
slightly before stirring in the groundnut oil. (If you don’t plan to coat
the cake with the paint gun, take 100g of this chocolate, cut it into shavings
and scatter over the cake just before serving.)
8 Fill the base of the paint gun with the melted chocolate mixture and attach the
nozzle. To avoid redecorating the kitchen in chocolate brown, set the large
cardboard box on its side (which effectively provides a protective roof and
walls to work in). Remove the gateau from the freezer. Carefully lift it out
of the loaf tin and onto a plate. Remove the clingfilm and place the gateau
in the cardboard box. Spray the gateau with the chocolate, turning carefully
as you go. Return it to the freezer until 20 minutes before serving.
9 Use a skewer to bore a small hole 2–3in into the centre of the bottom
of each indentation, down towards the cherry below. Agitate the skewer a
little to increase the hole’s diameter. Pour in cherry syrup until it
reaches the top of the bore-hole (but doesn’t spill out into the
indentation itself). Place a sour cherry, stalk end up, in each indentation,
and sit a dried vanilla pod in each cherry, to make a decorative stalk. For
the full effect, fill an atomiser with kirsch and squirt it round the room
just before serving the gateau — it will magically bring a little of
the Black Forest to the dinner table.
The perfect chocolate sorbet
Still haven’t had enough chocolate? Then top up your quota with this. You’ll
need an ice-cream maker. Serves 6
500g semi-skimmed milk
60g glucose
60g cocoa powder
340g fine 33% milk chocolate, in pieces
Place 500ml water in a pan with the milk and glucose. Bring to the boil, add cocoa
and simmer for 6 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the chocolate and stir
until melted. Pour into a bowl and place it into another, larger bowl of iced
water. Allow to cool until the mixture reaches 40C. Pour into the ice-cream
machine and churn as per the manufacturer’s instructions.
Extracted and adapted from In Search of Perfection by Heston Blumenthal (Bloomsbury
£20), published on Thursday.
To order for £17.99 (inc p&p), call The Sunday Times Books First; 0870
165 8585
