ENGLISH!

The Black Forest Gateau may be a classic, but this recipe steps out of the classic with multiple layers of chocolate creams and a cherry jelly with spiced cherries. Despite what it looks like, the cake is not complicated at all and the final result is sophisticated. Be brave and give it a try! You will love the exquisite taste, the stunning look and the airy, light texture! It’s totally worth every minute spent making it!

It’s not my first try at Black Forest Gateau and probably not the last either. The first time I made the simplest of the versions, using whipped cream, cherries and chocolate, but I couldn’t stop there and felt the need to create a new recipe based on that – a cake fitted for every chocoholic out there, a rich cake that emphasizes the chocolate and cherry combination in the best possible way. And I think I managed to do just that. And you can do it too! It’s a recipe that uses more components but if there is one great thing about this kind of cakes is that you can organize your time and tasks so that the cake is finished in only a few hours or you can spread its making over the course of a few days, it’s all up to you!

The layers of the cake are as follows: sable Breton, cherry jelly, chocolate cremeux, milk chocolate mousse and chocolate decorations.

Sable Breton:

100g all-purpose flour

25g cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 pinch salt

115g butter, softened

85g sugar

3 egg yolks

Directions:

Mix the butter with the sugar until creamy then stir in the egg yolks. Add the flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking powder and mix well. Spoon the batter into a round cake pan (24cm diameter) lined with parchment paper. Level the batter well and freeze for 1 hour. Bake the sable Breton in the preheated oven at 170C for 30-35 minutes. When done, remove from the oven and let it cool down then place the sable Breton on a platter and arrange a cake ring around it. Set aside.

Cherry jelly:

400g pitted cherries

2 tablespoons brandy

150ml water

50g sugar

1 star anise

8g gelatin

45ml cold water

Directions:

Mix the water, sugar and star anise in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Cook this syrup for 5 minutes then remove from heat and stir in the brandy and cherries. Let them marinate for 1 hour or until chilled. Combine the gelatin with 45ml cold water and let it bloom 10 minutes. Remove half of the cherries from the syrup and place them in a round cake pan (16-18cm diameter) lined with plastic wrap. The pan needs to be smaller in diameter than the sable Breton to obtain the same sliced pattern as in the picture. Remove the star anise from the saucepan then pour the remaining cherries and syrup in a blender and puree until smooth. Pass the mixture through a fine sieve then melt the gelatin for a few seconds in the microwave and mix them together. Pour the cherry puree over the whole cherries into the pan and freeze for 1 hour. When the jelly is set and frozen, remove it from the pan and place it over the sable Breton. Place the cake in the fridge and continue with the other layers.

Chocolate cremeux:

180ml heavy cream

50ml milk

40g sugar

4 egg yolks

3g gelatin

15ml cold water

50g dark chocolate, chopped

Directions:

Combine the heavy cream and milk in a saucepan and bring to the boiling point. In a bowl, mix the sugar and egg yolks until creamy then pour in the hot milk. Transfer the mixture back into the saucepan and cook over low heat until thick and creamy. Remove from heat and stir in the chocolate. Mix until melted and set aside. Combine the gelatin with the cold water and let it bloom 10 minutes. Melt the gelatin in the microwave or over a water bath for a few seconds and combine it with the chocolate cremeux. Pour the cremeux into a round pan that has the same diameter as the one you made your jelly into (16-18cm diameter). Line the pan with plastic wrap to ensure an easier transfer later on. Freeze the cremeux for 1 hour. Once the cremeux is set and easy to handle, remove it from the pan and place it over the cherry jelly. Place the cake in the fridge and continue with the chocolate mousse.

Chocolate mousse:

400ml heavy cream

2 tablespoons powdered sugar

250g milk chocolate, chopped

2 egg yolks

50g sugar

25ml water

4g gelatin

20ml cold water

Directions:

Combine the gelatin with 20ml cold water and let it bloom 10 minutes. Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a water bath or in the microwave. Mix the sugar with 25ml water and bring the mixture to a boil to form a syrup. Mix the egg yolks with light then gradually pour in the hot syrup. Turn the speed of the mixer on high and mix until creamy. Melt the gelatin in the microwave or over a water bath for a few seconds. Mix the gelatin with the egg cream. Stir in the melted chocolate and let the mixture cool down. Whip the heavy cream with the powdered sugar until stiff. Fold the whipped cream into the chocolate then pour the mousse into the cake ring, around the cherry jelly and cremeux. Refrigerate a few hours then remove the cake from the ring.

Chocolate decorations

For the chocolate decorations I used 100g dark chocolate, melted.

Measure and cut a strip of baking paper that is as high as your cake and as long as the total diameter of your cake. I recommend you to measure properly before cutting the strip of paper.

Spoon the melted chocolate into a plastic bag (more convenient to use in my opinion) and cut a small hole at one corner. Drizzle the chocolate over the paper strip then carefully wrap the paper strip around the cake, making sure the ends come together well. Refrigerate 30 minutes then carefully remove the paper strip.

For the top decoration I measured the cake and marked a round on a sheet of baking paper. Then I traced the round with melted chocolate. To place the chocolate round on top of the cake, I piped small dots of whipped cream then arrange the chocolate round over them. The cherries and cocoa powder in the center were the final touch.

Refrigerate the cake for a few hours before serving.

ROMANIAN!

Aceasta reteta e departe de a fi un tort Padurea Neagra clasic – este compus din straturi de ciocolata si jeleu de cirese insiropate cu putin brandy si anason, avand la baza un blat sable Breton care se afla la granita dintre biscuite si blat pufos si nu e nici crocant, nici foarte aerat, nici uscat. E un blat versatil si mi se pare foarte potrivit in aceasta combinatie.

Este a doua sau a treia incercare de a face Padurea Neagra, insa mereu sfarsesc departe de reteta originala care e ceva mai simpla. Si totusi, cu ceva organizare nici acest tort nu e complicat si nu te tine in bucatarie ore in sir. Insa reultatul merita! E un tort sofisticat, ciocolatos si consistent si nu ai nevoie de mai mult de o feliuta sa te saturi.

Straturile tortului sunt: sable Breton, jeleu de cirese, cremeux de ciocolata, mousse de ciocolata cu lapte si decor de ciocolata.

Sable Breton:

100g faina alba

25g cacao

1 lingurita praf de copt

1 praf de sare

115g unt

65g zahar

3 galbenusuri

Mod de preparare:

Cerneti faina, cacaoa, praful de copt si sarea intr-un bol si dati departe. Mixati untul cu zaharul pana devine cremos, apoi adaugati cele 3 galbenusuri si mixati bine. Incorporati amestecul de faina apoi transferati aluatul intr-o tava rotunda tapetata cu hartie de copt. Tava mea a avut 24cm diametru. Dati la congelator pentru 1 ora. Coaceti la 170C pentru 25-30 minute maxim sau pana creste frumos si trece testul scobitorii. Scoateti tava din cuptor si lasati-o sa se raceasca apoi montati blatul intr-un inel de tort.

Jeleu de cirese:

400g cirese fara samburi

2 linguri brandy

150ml apa

50g zahar

1 stea de anason

8g gelatina

45ml apa rece

Mod de preparare:

Amestecati apa, zaharul si steaua de anason intr-un vas si dati in clocot. Fierbeti siropul 5 minute apoi luati de pe foc si adaugati ciresele si brandy-ul. Acoperiti vasul si lasati sa se raceasca si sa infuzeze. Amestecati gelatina cu 45ml apa rece si lasati sa se inmoaie 10 minute. Asezati jumatate din cirese intr-o tava rotunda (16-18cm diametru) tapetata cu folie de plastic. Scoateti anasonul stelat si blenduiti restul de cirese si siropul ramas. Treceti amestecul printr-o sita fina si adaugati gelatina topita in prealabil. Turnati jeleul peste cirese si dati la congelator cel putin 1 ora. Cand jeleul s-a prins si e usor de manevrat, transferati-l in inelul de tort, peste blatul Breton si dati la rece.

Cremeux de ciocolata:

180ml frisca lichida

50ml lapte

40g zahar

4 galbenusuri

3g gelatina

15ml apa rece

50g ciocolata neagra, bucati

Mod de preparare:

Combinati gelatina cu apa rece si lasati sa se hidrateze. Amestecati frisca si laptele intr-un vas pe foc mic si aduceti la punctul de fierbere. Intre timp, mixati zaharul si galbenusurile pana devin cremoase. Turnati laptele fierbinte peste galbenusuri, amestecand continuu apoi puneti vasul inapoi pe foc si fierbeti pana incepe sa se ingroase. Luati de pe foc si adaugati ciocolata. Amestecati pana se topeste. Topiti gelatina cateva secunde pe baie de aburi si amestecati-o cu crema de ciocolata. Turnati cremeux-ul in acelasi vas in care ati facut jeleul si dati la congelator cel putin 1 ora. Transferati cremeux-ul peste jeleu si dati la rece.

Mousse de ciocolata:

400ml frisca lichida

2 linguri zahar pudra

250g ciocolata cu lapte

2 galbenusuri

50g zahar

25ml apa

4g gelatina

20ml apa rece

Mod de preparare:

Amestecati gelatina cu 20ml apa rece si lasati sa se hidrateze cel putin 10 minute. Bateti frisca cu zaharul pudra pana sta bat si dati la rece. Topiti ciocolata pe baie de aburi si dati deoparte. Amestecati zaharul si 25ml apa intr-un vas pe foc mediu. Fierbeti acest sirop 5 mintue pana incepe sa se ingroase. Intre timp, mixati galbenusurile cu mixerul pana devin cremoase, apoi turnati siropul fierbinte in fir subtire, mixand continuu pana isi tripleaza volumul. Adaugati gelatina topita, apoi ciocolata topita. Amestecati bine si lasati sa se raceasca la temperatura camerei. Incorporati frisca batuta si turnati mousse-ul peste cremeux de ciocolata, avand grija sa curga si peste blat si sa fie bine nivelat. Dati tortul la rece cel putin cateva ore, de preferabil peste noapte.

Decor din ciocolata

Pentru decorul de ciocolata, topiti 100g ciocolata neagra. Taiati o fasie de hartie de copt care masoara exact cat diametrul total al tortului. Intindeti hartia de copt pe blatul de lucru si realizati diverse modele. Lasati sa se intareasca ciocolata putin apoi cu grija infasurati laturile tortului in aceasta fasie de hartie gata decorata. Dati la rece 15 minute apoi cu grija inlaturati hartia de copt. Pentru decorul de deasupra, realizati din ciocolata topita un cerc care are diametrul mai mic decat tortul. Cu un pos, puneti cateva moturi de frisca pe tort apoi asezati cu grija cercul de ciocolata.

Sa aveti spor la treaba!