Description
A classic German dessert featuring light chocolate sponge soaked with cherry-kirsch syrup, layered with whipped cream and cherries, and topped with chocolate shavings and whole cherries.
Ingredients
Egg yolks
Caster sugar
Cocoa powder
Plain flour
Egg whites
Cherry syrup infused with kirsch (or cherry juice for non-alcoholic)
Whipped cream
Cherries (fresh, tinned, or sour/morello)
Dark chocolate shavings
Instructions
- Preheat oven and prepare two or three sponge tins by greasing and lining with baking parchment.
- Whisk egg yolks with sugar until pale and fluffy. Sift cocoa and flour over the mixture and fold in gently.
- In a separate bowl, whisk egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold gently into the yolk mixture to maintain airiness.
- Divide batter into tins and bake for 15–20 minutes per layer until springy to the touch. Cool completely on wire racks.
- Prepare cherry–kirsch syrup and soak each sponge layer generously.
- Spread whipped cream and scatter cherries over each soaked layer, stacking as you go.
- Cover the outside with a smooth layer of cream, pipe rosettes on top, and decorate with whole cherries and chocolate shavings.
Notes
- For alcohol-free, replace kirsch with cherry juice.
- Use sour or morello cherries for a tart contrast to the sweet cream.
- Swap fresh cherries for morello cherry jam if out of season.
- A crisp pastry base can be added for extra texture.
- For a twist, use chocolate mousse instead of whipped cream.
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking, Layering
- Cuisine: German
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/10 of cake
- Calories: 390
- Sugar: 32g
- Sodium: 90mg
- Fat: 24g
- Saturated Fat: 14g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 38g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 6g
- Cholesterol: 135mg
