Black Forest Cake (Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte)

Instructions

Cream the butter and brown sugar together until well combined. Melt the plain chocolate, beat it into the creamed mixture, then beat in the eggs.

Sift the self-raising flour, a pinch of salt and the cinnamon together. Fold this lightly into the chocolate mixture, then fold in the sour cream and cold coffee.

Pour the batter into a lined and greased deep 9-inch round tin and bake for 1 hour 25 minutes. Cool the cake on a wire rack.

For the pastry base, mix the cream flour, a pinch of salt, icing sugar, Irish butter, egg yolk and vanilla essence in a bowl and work them together until the mixture stiffens. Roll it out on a floured surface to about the size of the cake tin base, lay it on a baking sheet and bake at 350°F for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Whip the cream until it holds its shape. Spoon some into a piping bag fitted with a star tip and set it aside for decoration.

Slice the cooled cake horizontally into 3 equal layers. Drain the cherries, keep 8 whole for the top, and stone the rest.

Place the pastry on a serving plate and spread it with the black cherry jam. Soak the cake layers with brandy or cherry juice, then set one layer on the pastry.

Spread the layer with cream and scatter over half the stoned cherries. Add the second layer with more cream and the remaining stoned cherries, then top with the third layer.

Cover the whole cake with the remaining cream and press the grated chocolate over it. Pipe rosettes of cream on top and finish each with a reserved whole cherry.