Black Forest Cake

makes one 23cm/9inch cake

Ingredients:

Cake:

6 eggs (separated yolks and whites)

1 cup sugar

1 vanilla sugar (8g/0.28oz)

½ cup all-purpose flour

½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 tablespoon potato flour

6 tablespoons oil (I use canola oil)

Filling:

1 litre (about 34 fl oz) heavy whipping cream - must be cold

½ cup powdered sugar

¾ jar of cherry preserves (jar = 496g/17.5oz)

about 650g/1.4lb fresh cherries - pitted

100g/3.5oz dark chocolate - grated

3-4 tablespoons cherry liqueur (I added only 1 tablespoon)

Directions:

Cake:

Using your electric mixer (or hand mixer) whisk the egg whites until stiff. Still whisking gradually add sugar and vanilla sugar and then yolks (one at a time).

Sift together the all-purpose flour, cocoa powder and baking powder and gradually fold the mixture into a batter mixing well with wooden spoon or rubber spatula. Then add potato flour and canola oil and mix well until well incorporated.

Pour the batter into a greased 23cm/9inch spring form and bake in a preheated oven, 180C/360F for about 45-50 minutes. Cool down completely.

Cut the sponge cake twice to get three rings of cake.

Filling:

Put the cherry preserves into a blender and process until well blended (like a sauce) and then add into it the cherry liqueur and mix well (I added only 1 tablespoon because the cake was also for kids but you can add more if you make it for grownups). Set aside.

Beat together the whipping cream and powdered sugar until very well whipped.

Place one ring of your cake on a serving plate. Spread 3-5 tablespoons of cherry preserves mixture on it, sprinkle with fresh cherries and then spread ⅓ whipped cream. Cover with another piece of cake and repeat the filling. Cover with the last piece of cake, add a little cherry preserves mixture and cover whole cake (top and sides) with remaining whipped cream. Sprinkle the cake with grated dark chocolate and decorate as you wish.

Refrigerate the cake or serve immediately.

Enjoy!:)