Image is for illustrative purposes only.
This is the cream that makes a Black Forest cake taste like a Black Forest cake. A light sabayon of egg yolk, icing sugar and kirsch is set with a little gelatine and folded through softly whipped cream, so it stays airy in the mouth but holds a clean edge when the cake is cut.
The flavour is gently boozy and cherry-scented rather than sweet, which is exactly what you want against dark chocolate sponge and sour cherries. Use it as a layer filling, as a masking cream under chocolate shavings, or piped into rings and moulds where it needs to hold its shape in the fridge.
Ingredients
The weights in the recipe table below will yield the following 'weight per unit' and 'number of units'. If you would like to change the recipe to cater to a different 'weight per unit' and/or 'number of units',
you can use the Recipe Calculator Tool below the ingredients table.
Note: The Recipe Calculator Tool is available to subscribers.
Weight Per Unit: 1306
Number of Units: 1
Unit Size: batch, enough to fill and mask one 24 cm round cake
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WEIGHT
(grams)
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ALTERNATIVE METRIC
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INGREDIENT
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IMAGE
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CONDITION
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A
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120 |
4.2 ounces
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Icing Sugar Mixture
Icing sugar mixture, also known as confectioners' sugar or powdered sugar, is pulverised granulated sugar crushed together with a small amount (about three percent) of cornflour. This icing sugar is great to use when making icing for kids' birthday cakes or dusting sweet treats.
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sifted |
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B
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130 |
0.5 cup
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Kirsch
Kirsch is a clear, unsweetened brandy distilled from sour cherries and their stones. It is not sweet like a cherry liqueur; it carries a dry, almond-like cherry perfume and is the traditional flavouring of Black Forest cake.
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C
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40 |
2 Egg Yolks
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Egg Yolk
The egg yolk is the internal yellow part of an egg.
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room temperature |
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D
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8 |
0.3 ounce
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Gelatin
Gelatin or gelatine (from Latin: gelatus meaning "stiff", "frozen") is a translucent, colourless, brittle (when dry), flavourless foodstuff, derived from collagen obtained from various animal by-products. It is commonly used as a gelling agent in food, pharmaceuticals, photography, and cosmetic manufacturing. Substances containing gelatin or functioning in a similar way are called gelatinous. Gelatin is an irreversibly hydrolyzed form of collagen. It is found in most gummy candy as well as other products such as marshmallows, gelatin dessert, and some ice cream, dip and yogurt. Household gelatin comes in the form of sheets, granules, or powder. Instant types can be added to the food as they are; others need to be soaked in water beforehand.
powdered
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E
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8 |
1.6 teaspoons
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Water
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cold |
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F
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1000 |
4.2 cups
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Thickened Cream
Cream is used as an ingredient in many foods, including ice cream, many sauces, soups, stews, puddings, and some custard bases, and is also used for cakes. Perfect for pouring, baking, whipping or adding the indulgent touch to your favourite recipes.
35% fat or higher
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well chilled |
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1306
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Recipe Calculator Tool
Using this tool, you can alter this recipe for your own requirements. Use the two fields below to generate new weights for the ingredients above.
STEP 1. Enter your Custom Weight Per Unit
The 'Custom Weight Per Unit' is already loaded with the weight per unit for this recipe but can be changed if required. If all you wish to do is change the number of units (or servings), just leave the current weight per unit.
STEP 2. Enter your Custom Number of Units
This is the number of units (or servings) you want this recipe to yield.
STEP 3. Click Calculate
The new weights for your adjusted recipe will be displayed in the table above.
Method
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STEP
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ACTION
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DETAIL
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CONDITION
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1 |
Prepare |
Sprinkle D (gelatine powder) over E (cold water) in a small bowl and leave it to swell. |
Gelatine fully absorbed and spongy, no dry grains |
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2 |
Whisk |
In a heatproof bowl, whisk C, A and B (egg yolk, icing sugar mixture and kirsch) together until smooth. |
Smooth and free of sugar lumps |
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3 |
Heat |
Set the bowl over a pot of barely simmering water and whisk constantly until the mixture thickens and lightens into a sabayon, about 4 to 5 minutes. Do not let it boil. |
Thick, foamy and hot to the touch (around 75°C / 165°F); the whisk leaves a trail |
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4 |
Melt |
Take the bowl off the heat, add the swollen gelatine and whisk it through the hot sabayon. |
Gelatine completely dissolved, no specks visible |
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5 |
Cool |
Whisk the sabayon over a bowl of cold water, or with the mixer on low speed, until it comes down to room temperature. |
Cool but still fluid and pourable, not setting at the edges |
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6 |
Whip |
Whip F (thickened cream) in a chilled bowl. |
Soft peaks only; it should still flop slightly, over-whipped cream will go grainy when folded |
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7 |
Fold |
Stir about a quarter of the whipped cream into the sabayon to loosen it, then fold in the remaining cream in two or three additions. |
Even colour throughout, light and mousse-like, no streaks |
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8 |
Use |
Use the cream straight away to fill or mask the cake, then chill. |
Set firm after at least 3 to 4 hours in the fridge |
Important Notes
This batch makes about 1,306 g of cream, enough to fill and mask one 24 cm round cake, or to fill two thinner layer cakes. Work quickly once the gelatine is in: the cream begins to set within 20 to 30 minutes and cannot be re-warmed once folded. Keep the finished cake refrigerated and use it within two days; the cream will weep if frozen. The yolks are cooked over a water bath in the sabayon step, which is both safer and gives a lighter texture than raw yolks. If you only have leaf gelatine, soak the same weight of leaves in plenty of cold water, squeeze them out well and use them in place of the bloomed powder and its water. Kirsch is strong and dry, so taste the sabayon before folding: for a milder cream, replace some of the kirsch with cherry juice.
Tools & Arrangements
Electric mixer or hand-held beaters, heatproof mixing bowl, saucepan for a water bath, balloon whisk, rubber spatula, small bowl for blooming the gelatine, digital scales, palette knife for masking.
