Delightfully Delicious Black Forest Cupcake

Happy Thursday!  I have to say I’ve been a baking fool lately. I usually don’t bake much in the summer because the oven warms up the house but we are in the midst of monsoons and the afternoon rains make me want to bake. Usually I just make my go-to chocolate chip cookies (recipe here) or a coffee cake… something simple. Ever since we came back from Germany though, I’ve got a bug in my britches about transforming the famous Black Forest Cherry Cake into a cupcake.

 

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What’s Black Forest Cherry Cake You Ask?

This tradition German dessert is layers of pure moist marvelousness. First there is a cookie, meringue-like layer topped with tiers of alternating chocolate cake, whipped cream and liqueur soaked sour cherries. It’s usually topped with grated or curled dark chocolate. Sooooooo GOOD! They call it a Black Forest Cake because it comes from the Black Forest region or ‘Schwarzwald’ in Southwest Germany. This area doesn’t only tantalize your taste buds; it’s also a feast for the eyes. Thickly forested mountains open up to scenic rolling hills, grazing cows and quintessential villages. You seriously expect Julie Andrews to break out into The Sound of Music while you get trampled by 100 gorgeous Saint Bernard puppies. This region is also famous for the cuckoo clock, the parts of which are whittled by local ranchers and farmers during the less-productive winter months. You may have noticed mine in the Craft Room Makeover Reveal video… and yes, it has a Saint Bernard on it.

We visited the Hofgut Sternen Black Forest Village during our trip where I filmed this fun little cake demo (just click on the pic. Two back arrows will return you to the blog.) Does anyone else think the chef looks an awful lot like John Stamos? Hmmm…

 

 

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So Why Change Up A Good Thing?

I know what you’re thinking… if this Black Forest Cherry Cake is so wonderful why do I want to change it. Really, for one simple but very practical reason… It’s TOO Big! Yes, I said it. There is actually a dessert that is too big. You see, I’m NOT a pastry chef and when I made my first Black Forest Cherry Cake, it did not stand tall like Chef ‘Stamos’s. It did not look as pretty as Chef ‘Stamos’s cake and when I cut it…it did not look like his…

 

 

It looked like this…

 

 

Now don’t get me wrong. THIS WAS DELICIOUS! However, there is no such thing as cutting a ‘small piece’. The slices started at XL and went to Sumo-Size! I laid in bed that night thinking (because who can sleep with a gigantic cake baby in their gut), “Certainly there’s a way to shrink that cake down to a cupcake.” And so the process began.

 

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What is the Cookie – Meringue Thing?!?

If anyone knows (based on the picture of their slice of cake) PLEASE SHARE! I’ve Googled every which way I know how and I can not find what it is. I know why it’s there, because the cake is very wet and it gives it a nice base to build upon. BUT WHAT IS IT? It’s not cake. It’s not a cookie… the best I can find is a meringue and so that is what I went with for my cupcake.

I found a recipe at www.foodandfam.com for a Crispy Almond Meringue Layer Cake, which in itself sounds amazing! I tweaked the recipe for the ‘Meringue Layers’ to suite my quantity needs. Basically, it’s blanched almonds, egg whites, sugar and cornstarch.

 

 

 

 

I ended up with crisp meringue wafers. Not the same as what was on the bottom of the slice of cake from Germany but it’s tasty and served it’s purpose of providing structure for the cupcake. These were made the night before and kept in the fridge until  I assembled the cupcakes.

 

 

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The Cake of the Cupcakes

 

For the cake portion of the cupcake I settled on a recipe for Authentic Black Forest Cake from Genius Kitchen. I liked this recipe because it uses buttermilk and makes a nice rich tasting cake that can stand up to all the wet fillings. Just a couple things I want to note about the cake process.

 

 

I like to sift my ingredients onto a piece of wax paper so that it can easily be slid into the batter (plus it is one less bowl to clean).

 

 

Only fill each cupcake pocket 1/2 full as the cake rises a bit.

 

 

My cupcakes took 17-18 minutes to bake in a 350 degree oven.

 

 

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The Secrets in the Sauce

 

The wonderfully authentic (and boozy) flavor of the Black Forest Cherry Cake comes from a filling made from two special ingredients; Kirschwasser (cherry brandy) and sour cherries.

 

Kirschwasser

I purchased my Kirschwasser at Total Wine for about $20. Unfortunately, I could not find a small bottle so I’ll have to either A) make a lot of Black Forest Cupcakes, B) pull a Julia Childs in which case someone else will have to finish making the cupcakes or C) invent a cocktail using Kirschwasser. Let me say, Kirschwasser is a strong liqueur … 40 percent alcohol by volume. Perhaps it was invented to warm you up during the snowy Black Forest winters? Consequently, these are ADULT cupcakes.

 

 

Cherries

  The first time I made the BIG Black Forest Cherry Cake I purchased my sour cherries from a German market. They were almost $7 for the jar. Yikes! For my cupcakes I used a cheaper option, Dark Morello Cherries from Trader Joe’s. These cherries cost about 4 bucks and are a very close match. Don’t use cherry pie filling; it’s just not the same.

 

 

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Making Cherry Syrup

 

The Kirschwasser and the sour cherries make up a wonderfully tart filling for the cupcakes. I like to do this step either the night before or the morning of so that things can ‘marinate’ for several hours.

First, pour the whole jar of cherries into a colander placed over a medium sauce pan. Set the juice aside and place the cherries in a bowl. Pour 1/2 cup of Kirschwasser over the cherries. Cover the bowl and refrigerate 1 hour. Give them a little stir once or twice during this time.

Tip: This is a good time to bake your cupcakes.

Once the cherries are marinated, strain the Kirschwasser juice into the sauce pan with the original cherry juice. Set the cherries aside. Add 1/2 cup sugar to the juices and taste for sweetness. Add more sugar, one teaspoon at a time until you have a tart yet sweet tasting juice. Once satisfied with the flavor, whisk in a tsp of corn starch and bring the juice to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until the juice is reduced by half; making a nice syrup. Let cool. Meanwhile, cut the cherries in half and store in the fridge until cupcake assembly.

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Making the Boozy Cake Layer

When you make a full size Black Forest Cherry Cake you can just drizzle the Kirschwasser syrup over one of the cake layers but with cupcakes, you have to be a bit more delicate. Cut the baked cupcakes in half horizontally. Place the tops in a container until assembly. Place the cupcake bottoms on a waxed paper lined tray that fits in your fridge. Using a syringe (I got mine from the Safeway pharmacy – fancy), ‘infuse the cupcake bottoms with the Kirschwasser syrup. The goal is to get enough syrup into the cake to create a moist strong flavor but not turn your cake into mush. As the cake absorbs the syrup you can add more, taking care not to over saturate the cake. It’s VERY important not to poke through the bottom of the cupcake. If you see syrup oozing out the sides or bottom of the cupcake, you are using too much. Cover the cupcake bottoms with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours or over night.

 

 

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To Sugar or Not To Sugar…That is the Question

 

The very last component you need to make is the whipping cream. Chef ‘Stamos’ says you do NOT add sugar to the whipping cream and I agree with him…for the full size cake. The cupcakes, however, need a stiffer cream to act as mortar of sorts; holding the layers of the cupcake together. Therefore, I add 1/4 to 1/2 cup powdered (confectioner’s) sugar to a pint of heavy whipping cream. You can also add a dash of vanilla or almond extract if you like. Fill a piping bag or gallon-sized Ziploc with the cream and refrigerate while you set up the cupcake assembly line.

 

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Cupcake Assembly Line

You are now on the home stretch with the finish line being a mouthful of utter deliciousness. I know it seems like a lot of work but these beautiful cupcakes are well worth it. Set up an assembly line in an order that makes since for you. I tend to go left to right: meringue, a bowl of nice cherry jam, cupcake bottoms, cherry halves and cupcake tops. The whip cream is used between several layers so just keep it handy.

 

 

On top of a meringue wafer, spread a little jam and a dab of whip cream. Place it, jam side down, on top of the boozy cupcake bottom. Spread a little more jam on the top of the meringue wafer; using it as a base to hold a layer of cherry halves.

 

 

Pipe whipped cream over the cherry halves and add the cupcake top. Pipe more whipped cream on the top of the cupcake and decorate with a ‘pretty’ cherry. I like the Pitted Amarena Cherries with Stems from Trader Joe’s. They have a similar flavor to the Luxardo Cherries at a quarter of the cost.

 

 

 

 

There you have it. All the beauty and boozy, moist deliciousness of an authentic German Black Forest Cherry Cake in a smaller, more manageable package. I think these are the perfect solution for a birthday, retirement, or engagement party…pretty much any adult celebration. ENJOY!

 

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