Chocolate Genoise/ Black Forest Cake

By CarrieG

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup plus 1 Tbsp cake flour
• 1/2 cup plus 1 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/3 cup unsalted butter(preferably clarified)
• 6 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla

Preparation

Step 1

Sift flour and cocoa 3 times and return to sifter
Melt butter in a small pan and set aside
Whisk together eggs and sugar
Set the bowl in a pan of barely simmering water and whisk constantly until mixture is warm to the touch
Remove from heat and beat on high speed until mixture is lemony colored, has tripled in volume and has reached the stage know as au ruban-like a continuous flat ribbon when dropped from a spoon (about 5 min)
In three additions sift the flour mixture over the top and fold in very gently with a spatula
Reheat the butter until it is hot and transfer to a medium bowl
Fold about 1 1/2 cups egg mixture into butter until completely in corporated along with vanilla
Scrape the mixture onto the remaining egg mixture and fold in
Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly
Grease a 17 1/2 x11 1/2 x 1 inch rimmed baking sheet and line with parchment paper
Bake at 350 until top springs back-15-20 min
While the cake is still warm run a knife along the edges to release it from the pan
Immediately invert the cake unto a sheet of tin foil and remove the pan
Let the cake cool completely before peeling off the paper liner
Lift the foil and turn the cake right side up onto another piece of tin foil
Peel off the top sheet of foil removing the "skin" from the cake as you do
Brush the cake with moistening syrup (1 cup sugar melted in 2/3 cup water-add 2-3 Tbsp cherry brandy)
Thaw two 10-12 once packages frozen cherries
In a small bowl combine
6 ounces semisweet chocolate
1/4 c boiling water
Stir until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth
Whip 4 cups whipping cream
4-5 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp vanilla
Fold 1/3 c whipped cream into chocolate mixture, then fold in another 1/2 c
Immediately spread the chocolate cream over the moistened cake
Moisten another layer of cake and place the moistened side down on the chocolate cream
Press to level
Moisten the top of the layer
Arrange a single layer of cherries without packing them tightly
Spread a bout 2 cups whipped cream on top and between the cherries
Moisten the last cake layer and place it moist side down on the cherries and cream
Press gently to level
Refrigerate the cake and the rest of the cherries and whipped cream at least 30 min
Frost the top and sides of the cake
Decorate with chocolate shavings and the reset of the cherries
Refrigerate up to 24 hrs