Authentic Black Forest Cake

INGREDIENTS

For the chocolate sponge cake:

• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• ½ cup minus 2 teaspoons (92 g) granulated sugar 
• ½ cup + 3 ½ teaspoons (72 g) all-purpose flour
• 2 ½ tablespoons (20 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 ½ tablespoons (22 g) unsalted butter

For the whipped cream frosting:

• 2 ½ cups + 2 tablespoons (600 g) cold heavy cream, 30% fat
• 4 teaspoons (18 g) vanilla sugar

For the filling:

• 8 oz. (230 g) maraschino cherries, drained

For assembling:

• 3.5 oz. (100 g) dark chocolate 

For sugar syrup:

• 4 tablespoons (60 g) granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons (45 ml) water
• few drops of Kirsch (see note #1)

INSTRUCTIONS

1.  To make the chocolate sponge cake, preheat the oven to 355°F (180°C). Butter a 7-inch (18 cm) cake pan and line its bottom and sides with parchment paper. Using a flour sifter, sift flour with cocoa powder and place aside. 
2. Place room-temperature eggs and granulated sugar in a large bowl and lightly beat with a hand whisk. Bring the bowl over a bain-marie or water bath and continue to whisk. Warm the egg mixture up to 104°F (40°C) or warm to touch. 
3. Remove the bowl from the water bath and beat with an electric mixer until the volume is doubled, almost tripled, for 8-10 minutes. Decrease the mixer speed and beat for another 2 minutes to adjust the batter’s texture. Add the sifted dry ingredients in a few additions and gently mix with a rubber spatula.  
4. Melt butter in the microwave at 20-30 seconds intervals. It should be at 140°F (60°C), measured with a cooking thermometer. Mix two spoonfuls of batter with melted butter using a spatula. Gradually pour the butter mixture into the remaining batter and mix gently. 
5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake cake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes. Check the cake’s doneness with a toothpick or a cake tester: it is ready once it comes out clean from the sponge.
6. Remove the sponge cake from the oven, and let it cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes. Then remove it from the pan by flipping it upside down and cool it on a cooling rack for 5- 10 minutes. Turn the cake over and allow it to cool completely.
7. To make dark chocolate shaving, use a vegetable peeler to shave the chocolate bar. Keep chocolate shavings in the fridge until you assemble the cake. Alternatively, make chocolate shards out of the melted chocolate.
8. To make the whipped cream, beat cold heavy cream with vanilla sugar until stiff peaks. Refrigerate.
9. To make Kirsch syrup, bring sugar and water to a boil. Remove it from the heat when the sugar is totally dissolved, and add a few drops of Kirsch.
10. To assemble the cake, use a serrated knife and cut the baked cake crosswise into 3 identical layers. If the top of the cake is domed, even the surface.
11. Place the first cake layer on a cake board and, using a silicone brush, soak it with the kirsch-flavored syrup. Next, spread the first layer of whipped cream. Finally, place the drained cherries on the cream and spread more cream to cover the cherries.
12. Cover with the second cake layer and soak with kirsch syrup. Cover with the whipped cream again, arrange cherries on top, and spread the whipped cream again. Place the top biscuit layer and soak it with the syrup. Cover the surface and the cake’s edges with the whipped cream and then chocolate shavings or shards over the cream.
13. Decorate the top of the cake with several swirls of whipped cream, using an open star tip. Place a cherry on top of each swirl and sprinkle with more chocolate shavings or shards. Refrigerate the cake for 2 to 3 hours before serving.