German Dessert

Black Forest Cake
Schwarzwalder kirschtorte
(Serves1, maybe 2)

Warning to chocoholics—you're in dangerous territory. This Black Forest Cake is so delicious it's hard not to eat before you serve it!

Cake
2 chocolate cake layers (8" or 9" rounds) *
8 T kirsch (cherry brandy)
2 14-oz.cans pitted cherries
1 T brewed coffee
1 pt. heavy cream
1/2 C confectioner’s sugar
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Frosting
1 pt. heavy cream
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1-oz. square semisweet chocolate (grated)

Cake: bake cake according to directions. When cool, slice each cake round in half (horizontally) to get 4 layers. Sprinkle one side of each layer with 2 T kirsch (prick the top layer with a toothpick; then add kirsch). Set cake aside.

Filling: drain cherry juice into saucepan. Reduce liquid by cooking 5-10 minutes till slightly syrupy. Add cherries and coffee. In a separate mixing bowl, whip cream and add confectioner’s sugar. Beat till stiff.

Assembly: place one layer in front of you, spread with 1/3 of the whipped cream, and top with 1/3 of the cherries coated in syrup. Add second cake layer and repeat with the second 1/3 of the whipped cream and cherries. Add third layer and repeat with final 1/3 of whipped cream and cherries. Add the top layer and frost.

Frosting: whip together cream and vanilla and cover all 4 layers. Top with grated semi-sweet chocolate.

* Use your favorite chocolate cake mix or make your own from scratch.

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Tips & Glossary

Beets: how to peel and cook beets is a matter of personal preference. You can cut off the tops, peel them with a vegetable peeler and boil them. Another method: leave on about 1" of the tops, wrap them in foil, and bake for 1 hour in a 350 oven. Cool and use rubber gloves, or handle with a paper towel, to prevent hands from turning...well, beet-red. The skins will slip right off. Most cooks say baking- then-peeling is the tastiest way to cook beets.

Ginger: dried ground ginger is far more potent than freshly-grated from the root. Sweet dessert recipes call for ground powder. If you wish to use freshly grated ginger, use 6 times the amount of ground called for in the recipe.

Nutmeg: use small whole nuts and store them, tightly covered, in a dry dark area. Grate what you need using the smallest grating edge or grind in a food processor. What a difference from store bought ground nutmeg!

Wurst: German sausages— more types than you can shake a stick at. Here are several:
• Bockwurst: smoked; with veal, chives & parsley.
• Bratwurst: pale; with veal, pork, ginger & nutmeg.
• Knockwurst: short & plump, smoked; with pork, beef & garlic.
• Weisswurst: "white"; with veal, pork, cream & eggs.
• Wienerwurst: with beef, pork, coriander & garlic.
• Frankfurter: smoked; with lean pork & bacon fat.