kirsch

A joconde sponge is a decorative almond-flavored sponge cake made in layers. Opéra gâteau is an elaborate version of it, here made with kirsch syrup and a chocolate ganache.

Equipment and preparation: You will need a 33x23cm/13x9in Swiss roll tin and a free-standing food mixer.

Opera cake

100 grams/3½fl oz caster sugar

tbsp kirsch

free-range eggs whites

grams/½oz caster sugar

100 grams/3½oz ground almonds

grams/3½oz icing sugar

free-range eggs

grams/1 ounces plain four, sifted

unsalted butter, melted

100 milliliters/3½fl oz double cream

milliliters/3½fl oz dark chocolate, 36

75 grams/2½oz caster sugar

225 grams/8 ounces unsalted butter,

vanilla paste

raspberries

raspberry

Baked alaska is beautiful, elegant and dramatic. It’s easy to make; it’s convenient (it must be made ahead); it’s got ice cream (enough said); it’s got meringue — which is the same as saying it’s got magic. It looks gorgeous whole and just as gorgeous sliced; it’s creamy and icy cold inside, marshmallowy all around and warm on the edges. In other words, it’s perfect. This one was made in the colors of the French flag to celebrate the 117th birthday of the French nun, Sister André. Reverse the colors for the Fourth of July — it’s what the creator of this recipe, Zoë François, did originally — or use whatever flavors of ice cream you love; the loaf pan will hold 2 quarts.

Birthday Baked Alaska

strawberries (cut 1/4-inch thick; not thicker)

granulated sugar

lime

480 milliliters premium or homemade blueberry ice cream

480 milliliters premium vanilla ice cream

shredded, sweetened coconut

960 milliliters premium cream

ladyfingers

Make the cake: Line a 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan with plastic wrap or parchment paper, leaving an overhang.

Put the sliced strawberries, sugar, and lime or lemon juice in a small bowl, stir and set aside for 2 hours while you put together the rest of the cake.

Each type of ice cream has to be softened before you can use it, so, as you need it, cut it into hunks, put the pieces in a large bowl, and bash and beat them with a sturdy flexible spatula or wooden spoon until spreadable. If you’re using homemade ice cream, you can take it straight from the ice cream maker.

Soften the blueberry ice cream, then spread it evenly over the bottom of the loaf pan. Smooth the top. Cover, and freeze for at least 1 hour.

Soften the vanilla ice cream, stir in the coconut, then smooth it over the blueberry ice cream. Level the top. Cover, and freeze for at least 1 hour.

Drain the strawberries. Soften the strawberry ice cream, and stir the berries into it. Spread the ice cream over the vanilla layer, and smooth the top.

Gently press ladyfingers into the soft ice cream to make a base layer; don’t worry if you have some bare spots. Cover, and freeze until firm, at least 4 hours. (You can do this up to 1 week in advance of serving, if you’d like.)

At least 1 hour (or up to 8 hours) before serving, make the meringue: Bring a few inches of water to a simmer in a large saucepan that can hold the bowl of a stand mixer or a large bowl that you can use with a hand mixer. Whisk the egg whites and sugar together in the bowl, place the bowl over the water — making sure it’s not touching — and whisk until the sugar is completely dissolved and smooth. The mixture should be 160 degrees. Don’t rush this; it needs about 10 minutes. If necessary, attach the bowl to the mixer, and fit with the whisk. Beat the meringue on medium-high speed for about 6 minutes, or until it’s fluffy, glossy and holds stiff peaks.

Unmold the ice cream cake onto a serving platter, one that is large enough to catch the kirsch, if you’re using it, and peel away the plastic or paper. Using a spatula, cover the sides with a thick layer of meringue — creating swirls, if you’d like — and cover the top with a thinner one.

Now you have a choice: You can pipe meringue spikes over the top, layer more meringue on top, and swirl or spike it with the back of a spoon, or make spikes by hand by pulling it into points with your fingers. Continue until you’ve got a pattern you like. Freeze the cake for at least 1 hour.

To finish the cake, use a kitchen torch to brown the meringue on the top of the cake or use flaming kirsch: Put the kirsch in a small pan over low heat for about 2 minutes. Carefully light the kirsch with a long match. Slowly drizzle the flaming alcohol evenly over the entire cake, and watch it toast the meringue. It will burn off on its own.

Cut into thick slices, and serve immediately. You can keep the cake covered and frozen for a day, but it’s at its best the day it is made.

This classic French dessert looks fancy, but it is a cinch to make. I use yogurt in my clafoutis, although it isn’t traditional (the French use cream). And I always enjoy leftovers for breakfast.

Cherry Clafoutis

sugar

eggs

vanilla bean,

salt

all-purpose flour

low-fat yogurt

milk

confectioners’ sugar (optional)

Toss the cherries with the kirsch and 2 tablespoons of the sugar, and let sit for 30 minutes. Drain over a bowl.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 10- or 10 1/2-inch ceramic tart pan or clafouti dish. Fill the dish with the drained cherries.

In a medium bowl, beat the eggs with the remaining sugar and the seeds from the vanilla bean. Add the salt and the liquid from the cherries, and combine well. Slowly beat in the flour, and whisk until smooth. Add the yogurt and milk, and combine well. Pour over the cherries, scraping out all of the batter with a rubber spatula.

Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes until the top is browned and the clafouti is firm and puffed. Press gently on the top in the middle to see if it’s firm. If not, return to the oven for five minutes.

Remove from the oven and cool on a rack. When the clafouti is warm or cool, sift on the powdered sugar. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Le Talleyrand

cherries,

almonds,

flour, preferably cake flour

heavy cream

confectioners' sugar

vanilla extract

almonds

Drain the cherries and reserve the juice. Put the cherries into a bowl with 1/3 cup of kirsch or rum and 3/4 cup of the juice from one of the cans of cherries, and let sit for at least half an hour, stirring once or twice.

Put the egg yolks and sugar into the top of a double boiler. (Save the neatest empty eggshell, trimming its edges with scissors.) Beat until fluffy and pale yellow, 2 or 3 minutes. Strain in the maceration liquid from the cherries, combining gently with a whisk. Stir in the ground almonds and flour. Set over low heat and stir constantly until the mixture forms a thick, smooth custard, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl set in an ice bath. Stir with a spatula until cold.

Whip the cream until the beaters leave light traces on the surface. Beat in 2 tablespoons of the confectioners' sugar and 12 teaspoon of the vanilla, until soft mounds form. Set aside.

Beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until they are stiff but not dry. Fold half of the egg whites into the cream until mixed. Stir 3 tablespoons of the cream and egg whites into the custard to lighten it; then fold all back into the remaining cream mixture. Set aside. Add the remaining confectioners' sugar and vanilla to the remaining egg whites, and beat until glossy.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Butter a 9-by-12-inch oval baking dish. Spread the cherries on the bottom and pour the custard over them. Spread the meringue over the custard, leaving a small border and making a dome of meringue toward the center. Press the eggshell into the meringue so that it shows only as a well in the center. (The dessert can be made up to 1 hour in advance to this point; keep refrigerated.)

Sprinkle the meringue with the slivered almonds, then sift the confectioners' sugar over the top. Cook until the meringue is lightly browned, 5 to 10 minutes. Heat the remaining kirsch or rum in a small saucepan. Remove the dish from the oven, pour some of the alcohol into the eggshell, letting the rest run over the meringue, and set aflame. Bring flaming to the table, spooning the liqueur over the top to caramelize the sugar, until the flames go out.

Black forest cake, which originated in the Black Forest region of Germany, is typically made with a light chocolate sponge cake, soaked with cherry syrup and cherry brandy (Kirsch), then layered with whipped cream and cherries. This version swaps the chocolate sponge for a denser, fudgier chocolate cake to delicious effect. But slicing a rich chocolate cake into four thin layers can be a bit tricky. To make the job a little easier, cool them completely before slicing. The cherry jam and syrup can be made in advance.

Black Forest Cake

cocoa powder

water

buttermilk

dark brown sugar

baking powder

baking soda

cornstarch

almond extract

Kirsch

confectioners’ sugar

bittersweet chocolate,

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 9-inch round cake pans with oil and line the bottom of each with parchment paper.

To prepare the cake, in a large bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder and boiling water until smooth. Add the buttermilk and 1 cup vegetable oil, and whisk to combine. Add the eggs, brown sugar and vanilla extract, then whisk to combine.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to the wet, then whisk to combine. Divide the batter evenly between the two pans.

Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer the cakes to a rack to cool for about 20 minutes, then flip the cakes out onto the rack and let them cool completely. Flip the cakes again, so the domed portion is on top, and trim a bit of the dome off each cake to flatten the top. Carefully cut each layer in half horizontally, creating four layers.

While the cake cools, prepare the cherry jam: In a small saucepan, combine the cherries and sugar over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally and breaking the cherries down with a wooden spoon or potato masher, until the fruit has released its juice, about 6 minutes.

Pass the cherry mixture through a fine-mesh sieve, reserving the syrup in a medium bowl and setting aside the cooked cherries. Measure out 1/2 cup/120 milliliters of the syrup. (If you have more, store the rest in the refrigerator for another use). Transfer 1 tablespoon syrup from the 1/2 cup to small bowl, then stir the Kirsch into remaining syrup; set aside to cool completely.

Add 1 teaspoon cornstarch to the reserved 1 tablespoon cherry syrup in the small bowl; whisk to combine. Transfer it to the saucepan, add the cooked cherries and cook over medium, stirring, until the mixture has thickened, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl to cool completely. (You should have about 1 1/4 cups/300 milliliters jam.)

Prepare the whipped cream: In a small saucepan, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar, cornstarch and 1 cup heavy cream. Bring that mixture to a low boil over medium heat and cook, stirring, until thickened to the consistency of thin pudding, reducing heat as necessary to avoid scorching, about 2 minutes. Transfer cream mixture to a large bowl to cool completely.

Assemble the cake: Whisk the cream mixture to loosen it, then add the remaining 3 cups heavy cream. Using an electric mixer on medium, beat the mixture until you have medium-stiff peaks, about 2 minutes. Set one cake layer on a serving plate, cut-side up. Brush it with some of the cherry-Kirsch syrup, spread about 1 cup whipped cream over the top, then 1/3 of the cherry jam. Swirl the jam and the cream together a bit to spread it out evenly. Repeat this process two more times and top it with the last cake layer, cut-side down. Then cover the entire cake with a thin layer of whipped cream. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

To finish, frost the cake with the remaining whipped cream. Prepare the chocolate curls: Warm the chocolate bar in the microwave for 10 to 15 seconds, then use a vegetable peeler to create curled chocolate shavings. Press the chocolate shavings onto the sides of the cake and over a 1-inch of the border on top. Top with the 8 cherries. Store leftovers, well wrapped, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Ce délicat dessert en verrine peut se préparer à l'avance.

Trifle aux cerises

400 g de cerises

c.s. de sucre

c.s. d’eau

0.5 c.s. de jus de citron

g de chocolat noir

c.s. de kirsch, selon goût

300 g de yogourt à la grecque nature

c.s. de sucre glace

1.5 dl de crème entière

120 g biscuit (p. ex. pattes d’ours)

quelques cerises pour le décor

Dénoyauter les cerises et les mélanger dans une casserole avec sucre, eau et jus de citron, porter à ébullition. Baisser le feu, laisser bouillonner env. 10 min à couvert. Hacher finement le chocolat, incorporer avec le kirsch, laisser refroidir.

Mélanger le yogourt avec le sucre glace et le jus de citron. Fouetter la crème en chantilly, incorporer.

Émietter les biscuits et les alterner dans les verres avec les cerises et la masse au yogourt. Tailler des copeaux de chocolat, répartir dans les verres avec les cerises.

Une variation du tiramisu qui s'inspire du populaire gâteau allemand. Un dessert crémeux, fruité, et parsemé de chocolat fondant. 

Tiramisu forêt-noire éclair

800 g de cerises surgelées

c.s. de kirsch

jaunes d’œufs frais

500 g de mascarpone

blancs d’œufs frais

pincée de sel

230 g de biscuits à la cuiller

70 g de copeaux de chocolat

Faire décongeler légèrement les cerises dans une passoire au-dessus d’un grand bol. Récupérer le jus (soit 4 c. s.), mélanger avec le kirsch.

Travailler dans un grand bol le sucre et les jaunes d’œufs avec les fouets du batteur-mixeur jusqu’à ce que l’appareil blanchisse. Incorporer le mascarpone.

Monter les blancs d’œufs en neige ferme avec le sel. Ajouter le sucre, fouetter encore jusqu’à ce que la neige brille. Incorporer la neige délicatement à la masse au mascarpone avec une spatule en caoutchouc.

Alterner dans le plat biscuits à la cuiller, jus au kirsch, cerises et masse au mascarpone. Mettre le tiramisu env. 2 h à couvert au frais.

Forêt-noire et tiramisu: deux classiques réunis dans un seul dessert, servis avec des biscuits à la cuiller faits maison imbibés de café et de kirsch. Un délicieux dessert composé de mascarpone, de chantilly, de griottes et de chocolat.

Tiramisu forêt-noire

70 g de sucre

g de farine

c.s. de cacao en poudre

p. de c. de poudre à lever

dl d'espresso très chaud

0.5 c.s. de sucre

g de mascarpone

g de sucre

dl de crème entière, en chantilly pas trop ferme

bocal griotte (cerises aigres, d’env. 340 g), égouttées

g de copeaux de chocolat

un peu de cacao en poudre pour le décor

Biscuits à la cuiller: monter les blancs d’œufs en neige ferme avec le sel. Ajouter le sucre peu à peu, fouetter encore jusqu’à ce que la neige brille. Incorporer les jaunes d’œufs au fouet.

Mélanger farine, cacao en poudre et poudre à lever, tamiser, ajouter, incorporer délicatement à la masse avec une spatule en caoutchouc. Remplir une poche à douille lisse (Ø env. 10 mm). Dresser des bandes d’env. 6 cm de long sur une plaque chemisée de papier cuisson.
Cuisson: env. 10 min dans la moitié inférieure du four préchauffé à 180° C. Retirer, laisser refroidir sur une grille.

Mélanger espresso, kirsch et sucre jusqu’à ce que le sucre soit dissous, réserver.

Bien mélanger mascarpone, sucre et kirsch, incorporer la chantilly.

Répartir la moitié des biscuits à la cuiller dans le plat. Répartir dessus la moitié de l’espresso, des cerises et de la crème au mascarpone. Poser dessus le reste des biscuits à la cuiller, répartir le reste de l’espresso, des cerises et de la crème au mascarpone, mettre env. 1 h à couvert au frais. Parsemer de copeaux de chocolat et saupoudrer de cacao.

Tiramisu Forêt-Noire

Mandelgebäck mit Kirsch unter einer Haube aus dunkler Schokolade passt super zum Kaffee.

Amaretti al kirsch

Mandelblättchen

frische Eiweisse

Prise Salz

g Zucker

Päckli Vanillezucker

0.25 TL Bittermandelaroma (Dr. Oetker)

EL Puderzucker zum Bestäuben

g Butter, weich

60 g Puderzucker

EL Kirsch

1.5 Beutel dunkle Kuchenglasur (ca. 180 g)

Mandeln im Cutter fein mahlen, in eine Schüssel geben.

Eiweisse und Salz steif schlagen, Zucker und Vanillezucker mischen, nach und nach beigeben, weiterschlagen, bis der Eischnee glänzt. Bittermandelaroma beigeben, kurz weiterschlagen, sorgfältig unter die Mandeln ziehen. Mit einem Esslöffel Häufchen von je ca. 5 cm Ø mit genügend Abstand auf ein mit Backpapier belegtes Blech geben. Bei Raumtemperatur ca. 5 Std. trocknen lassen.

Ofen auf 180 Grad vorheizen.
Puderzucker darüberstäuben, Häufchen mit 4 Fingern zur Mitte hoch­drücken, sodass auf der Oberfläche kleine Risse entstehen.

Backen: ca. 20 Min. in der Mitte des Ofens. Herausnehmen, etwas abkühlen, Amaretti mit dem Boden nach oben auf einem Gitter auskühlen, servieren oder füllen.

Butter und Puderzucker mit den Schwingbesen des Handrührgeräts ca. 2 Min. verrühren. Kirsch darunterrühren, in einen Spritzsack mit glatter Tülle (ca. 10 mm Ø) geben. Füllung auf die Amaretti spritzen, im Kühlschrank ca. 1 Std. fest werden lassen.

Kuchenglasur schmelzen, in eine kleine Schüssel giessen. Amaretti mit der kalten Füllung voran in die lauwarme (handwarme) Kuchen­glasur tauchen. Amaretti mit der ­Glasur nach oben auf dem ­Gitter trocknen lassen.

A delightfully festive yule log, packed with delicious chocolate, cherry and kirsch flavours!

Black Forest Yule Log

+ 1 tbsp) plain (all purpose) flour

g (3 tbsp) cocoa powder

eggs,

150 g (¾ cup) caster sugar

0.5 tsp baking powder

0.25 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)

65 g (¼ cup + 1 tbsp) unsalted butter, melted

vanilla

150 g (1 cup + 2 tbsp) dark chocolate

tbsp morello cherry conserve

220 ml (¾ cup + 3 tbsp) double (heavy) cream, cold

icing sugar

275 g (2 cup + 2 tbsp) dark chocolate, broken into chunks

265 ml (1 cup + 2 tbsp) double (heavy) cream

white chocolate

cherries

holly leaves

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Lightly brush a 13”x9” swiss roll tin with melted butter, line the base of the tin with parchment paper, then brush lightly again to stick the paper down evenly. Set aside.

Into a small bowl, sift together the flour and cocoa.

Place the eggs, sugar, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt into the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the whisk attachment, whisk at a medium-low speed for 3 minutes to combine and dissolve the sugar. The mixture will have fine bubbles throughout.

Increase the speed to medium-high and whisk until thickened and pale with fine, foamy bubbles, around 5 minutes of beating time.

Increase the speed again to high and whisk the eggs mixture until pale and doubled in size, another 5 minutes.

Reduce the speed to medium low and drizzle in the melted butter and vanilla, mixing together. Immediately reduce the speed to low and add in the sifted flour and cocoa powder, mixing until nearly combined. Turn the mixer off, detach the whisk attachment and use it to finish folding the flour in by hand, to avoid losing too much air from the mixture.

Carefully pour the mixture evenly over the pan, then gently tip the pan to spread the cake mixture out across the pan. Use an offset spatula to help, if required.

Gently drop the pan twice on your worktop to help level the mixture. Bake until puffed and firm to the touch, but still soft enough to hold a shallow impression when gently poked, about 12 minutes.

Immediately after removing the baked cake from the oven, place on a cooling rack and cover tightly with some foil, crimping around the sides to seal. This keeps the cake moist whilst cooling, so it will roll more smoothly and not crack. Allow to cool to room temperature, about 30-60 minutes.

For the cake

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.

Melt the chocolate. You can do this either using a bowl over a pan of simmering water or in the microwave in short bursts. Stir until smooth and shiny with no lumps of unmelted chocolate.

Spread the chocolate out over the prepared parchment paper to a few millimetres thickness. Using an offset spatula or spoon, create texture and ruffles in the chocolate, to resemble the bark of a tree.

Place in the fridge for the chocolate to firm up and set.

For the chocolate bark

Place the cream and sugar in a large bowl and whisk until you reach the soft peak stage.

Tip in the kirsch and mix in, adding more according to your taste.

For the filling

Once the cake is cool, remove from the tin and place on a clean worktop, parchment side down. I like to place a clean tea towel under the parchment to stop it sliding around whilst I’m filling and rolling it. Brush the cake generously all over with the kirsch.

Top 15 kirsch recipes from across the web

The most viewed kirsch recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine

Top Tags

Opera cake

Birthday Baked Alaska

Cherry Clafoutis

Le Talleyrand

Black Forest Cake

Trifle aux cerises

Tiramisu forêt-noire éclair

Tiramisu forêt-noire

Amaretti al kirsch

Black Forest Yule Log

Mini cherry clafoutis

Tourte Forêt-Noire

Authentic German Black Forest Cake,...

Black Forest Torte

Veganer Schoko-Kirsch Brownie (glut...

Top 15 kirsch recipes from across the web

The most viewed kirsch recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Opera cake

Birthday Baked Alaska

Cherry Clafoutis

Le Talleyrand

Black Forest Cake

Trifle aux cerises

Tiramisu forêt-noire éclair

Tiramisu forêt-noire

Amaretti al kirsch

Black Forest Yule Log

Mini cherry clafoutis

Tourte Forêt-Noire

Authentic German Black Forest Cake,...

Black Forest Torte

Veganer Schoko-Kirsch Brownie (glut...

The most viewed kirsch recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine